what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

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westham,eggyandchips
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by westham,eggyandchips »

I've made a bit of a U-turn on certain pubs lately.

Greene King pubs and their choice of beers have really gone down hill in recent months, whereas a couple of Wethers I've been have really improved the variety of ales. I was always anti-Wethers, but I have to say, its really upped its game. :thup:
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by S-H »

westham,eggyandchips wrote:I've made a bit of a U-turn on certain pubs lately.

Greene King pubs and their choice of beers have really gone down hill in recent months, whereas a couple of Wethers I've been have really improved the variety of ales. I was always anti-Wethers, but I have to say, its really upped its game. :thup:
£1.99 a pint on selected beers and ales in my local Wethers.

£2.99 for a Hop House and Punk IPA.

Just a shame it's such a ****hole
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by westham,eggyandchips »

somerset-hammer wrote:
Just a shame it's such a ****hole
Is the crux of it. Mainly due to the clientele. :wink:
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by S-H »

Very true, queuing up with them every day for opening time, gets a bit tedious...
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by WHU Independent »

somerset-hammer wrote:Very true, queuing up with them every day for opening time, gets a bit tedious...
SH - avoid this by getting 4 cans of special berw and sitting in the park 30 mins before opening time. You avoid the queue and it's cheaper too.

Breakfast of champions! ;)
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by Greatest Cockney Rip Off »

WHU Independent wrote:SH - avoid this by getting 4 cans of special berw and sitting in the park 30 mins before opening time. You avoid the queue and it's cheaper too.

Breakfast of champions! ;)
Ironic that the choice of beer for homeless people is "Tenants"
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by sendô »

somerset-hammer wrote:
£1.99 a pint on selected beers and ales in my local Wethers.

£2.99 for a Hop House and Punk IPA.

Just a shame it's such a ****hole
Given the stupid costs of beer in pubs these days, I might have to have another look in my local 'Spoons at those prices.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by The Collector »

Went to try to revisit a pub which I had not been to for years, The Throgmorton, on Throgmorton Ave behind where the old stock exchange used to be. But, alas, while the wrought iron signage outside is still there, it is closed.

A few doors along is a bar called the Arbritager but this bears no resemblance to the pub of yesteryear which was an Irish owned proper boozer. It is now a craft beer pub with tables supported by scaffold polls crammed into a corridor leading to the bar and the downstairs part of the pub is a cocktail bar.

We asked for two pints of something I have never heard of (or probably never will again) but was told that they only serve in third of a pint or two thirds of a pint measures. 20p change from a tenner!

I’ll not be back. 1/10 for ambiance and atmosphere and 2/10 for the beer.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by sendô »

The Collector wrote: We asked for two pints of something I have never heard of (or probably never will again) but was told that they only serve in third of a pint or two thirds of a pint measures. 20p change from a tenner!
What the actual f***. Two third pints? I'd have walked straight out I think.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by Greatest Cockney Rip Off »

The Collector wrote:scaffold polls crammed into a corridor leading to the bar and the downstairs part of the pub is a cocktail bar.
That would have set the alarms bells ringing for me right there. I'd have ****ed off sharpish even at the mere whiff of a cocktail bar. FFS ... cocktail bar. Any bloke who goes to a ****ing cocktail bar is a ****. No ifs or ****ing buts.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by sendô »

Oh yea, The Water Poet last week, and again last night.

Just off of Bishopsgate just before the City turns into Shoreditch. From the front it looks like the facade of any other old brick building in the area, but inside it's more like an old 19th century coaching inn - which it may well have been as the "garden" looks a lot like an old courtyard.

In any case the beer selection is superb and they seem to have plenty to cover all tastes. I was spoilt for choice and did not know what to go for - in the end opting for the Bethnal Pale Ale which was lovely and creamy and fruity, and at 5.5% had me well oiled after 4 pints.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by bondsbootlaces »

Most recent is my regular lunch time haunt of the Pavilion End in Watling Street. Essentially a regular now but the staff have always been friendly and never had a bad pint there. Standard selection of beers and seeing as I pretty much only drink Guinness nowadays I can't really advise on any of the ales etc.

Always have sports on and a good atmosphere, 8/10
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Hamilton Hall , Liverpool Street -
Well known football fans' pub , now a Weatherspoons - we were in late on a Sunday night having been to the London Film and Comic-Con - Very friendly bar girl , very patient with Dan and gave me a pint of orange juice and lemonade as my ' free soft drink ' to go with my Chicken Burger and Chips . 9.5/10

The Whittington Stone , Archway -

As we walked in a little dog with a big scar across it's ribs walked out , I asked for a pint of Orange Juice and Lemonade to be met with ' Sorry we don't have any orange juice ' - luckily they weren't serving food until 4pm so we walked out . No orange juice ! Bit dirty looking , Not recommended , 3/10 .

The Porcupine , Leicester Square [ I think ] -

Small , Victorian pub - again I asked for a pint of Orange Juice and Lemonade to be met with the same answer - ' No orange juice ' - I settled for a J20 - Has there been an orange juice shortage hit London ? For Beer Lovers I'd give it 9/10 , for Orange juice and Lemonade fans 0/10 :) - bit small and the Bar lady was off putting , however a young man replaced her , he was as camp as a row of pink tents but a lovely fella who greeted you well .


The Golden Lion , Soho

By now , I'm knackered , my back's aching to buggery and I need a drink - Jen and Becky have gone into ' Maitre Choux ' to seek out their eclairs while Dan and I need a pub .
I walk in and ask for a pint of Orange Juice and Lemonade fully expecting to be told they didn't have any orange juice in stock , the Spanish Barman looks at me then goes down into the cellar returning with a carton of orange juice , at last I have my favourite drink in front of me . But the barman doesn't know how to pour it so I have to ask for a straw to mix up the juice . Dan settles for a half pint of French cider - he doesn't like it . Great decor , quite small downstairs where the bar is situated but we managed to grab a couple of barstools . 9/10 .
The girls return - ' How was ' Maitre Choux ' ....' Had better eclairs from the Coop ' ...' Really ? ' ....' Yes , they were tiny and didn't taste nice ' . Ah , well , never mind .

Later on I spot a Book Shop and I'm about to cross the road to have a browse when Becky shouts out ' It's not that sort of Book Shop , Dad ' ....' Oh , so I see ' ...No Book Shop for me then .

Dan pipes up ' Can I go in to that Sex Shop , Dad ? '
' No, Son , you can't ' .
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by sendô »

I can't really fault the Hamilton Hall. The location is good, the decor is obviously decent given what the pub used to be, there's a good selection of beers, the prices are good for London and you rarely get a crap pint.

You get a decent amount of skirt in there too.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by The Old Man of Storr »

sendô wrote:I can't really fault the Hamilton Hall. The location is good, the decor is obviously decent given what the pub used to be, there's a good selection of beers, the prices are good for London and you rarely get a crap pint.

You get a decent amount of skirt in there too.
The friendliness of the barmaid impressed me too - always helps set off the visit .
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by Junco Partner »

Ventured into deepest Essex today...

After tipping our helmets to Byrhtnoth it was refreshment time.

The Mighty Oak Tap Room, Maldon: Not really a pub as such, more a converted olde-worlde shop with traditional low doorways that sold some craft ales. CAMRA types, almost all with beards, pondered the extensive menu and discussed nutty aromas etc. The pint of Dr Ratters Guinea Pig was later voted the best of the day. 9/10 for the beer, 6/10 for the functional ambience.

The Blue Boar, Maldon: Now you're talking, classic 1300's coaching house with ubiquitous low doorways and ceilings. Sat in the sunny courtyard and sipped a Pucks Folly from the local brewery. The type of pub you know won't change in 100 years time, and is close to perfection. 9/10.

The View River Cafe Bar, Heybridge: The view over the Blackwater estuary with the hot sun beaming down made this a terrific lunch stop, Food and service were good, no exotic IPAs or ales here, the bottle of Peroni was, well a bottle of Peroni. 7.5/10.

We wobbled off on the bikes so decided to stick to H20 until the home stretch, which was....

The Cross Keys, Nounsley/Hatfield: No architectural frills with this squat redbrick roadside pub. Friendly barman and a sun drenched garden out the back brought a smile to us all. Adams New England IPA was a right belter and my stiffening legs struggled back into the saddle for the sprint to the station. 8/10.


I'll tell you this, see on a sunny day spinning through the leafy lanes of Essex, you realise what a beautiful county she is...a real looker :thup:
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Junco Partner wrote:Ventured into deepest Essex today...



The Mighty Oak Tap Room, Maldon: Not really a pub as such, more a converted olde-worlde shop with traditional low doorways that sold some craft ales. CAMRA types, almost all with beards, pondered the extensive menu

The Blue Boar, Maldon: Now you're talking, classic 1300's coaching house with ubiquitous low doorways and ceilings. Sat in the sunny courtyard and sipped a Pucks Folly from the local brewery. The type of pub you know won't change in 100 years time, and is close to perfection. 9/10.

.

The Cross Keys, Nounsley/Hatfield: No architectural frills with this squat redbrick roadside pub. Friendly barman and a sun drenched garden out the back brought a smile to us all. Adams New England IPA was a right belter and my stiffening legs struggled back into the saddle for the sprint to the station. 8/10.


I'll tell you this, see on a sunny day spinning through the leafy lanes of Essex, you realise what a beautiful county she is...a real looker :thup:
Coincidentally , The Cross Keys is my In Laws' local , been there many times , more so when the old owner , Dave used to run it .
I was in Hatfield Peverel last weekend and I nearly popped into Maldon but went to Dedham instead as Jen and I spent our honeymoon there 36 years ago .
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by The Collector »

sendô wrote:I can't really fault the Hamilton Hall. The location is good, the decor is obviously decent given what the pub used to be, there's a good selection of beers, the prices are good for London and you rarely get a crap pint.

You get a decent amount of skirt in there too.
It’s full of scaffold poles again. Seems to me that they have to repair the roof every year!
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by The Collector »

The Collector wrote:scaffold polls crammed into a corridor leading to the bar and the downstairs part of the pub is a cocktail bar.
Greatest Cockney Rip Off wrote:That would have set the alarms bells ringing for me right there. I'd have ****ed off sharpish even at the mere whiff of a cocktail bar. FFS ... cocktail bar. Any bloke who goes to a ****ing cocktail bar is a ****. No ifs or ****ing buts.
****! ****ing ****!! I can tell you!
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by sendô »

There's a Brewdog bar on Great Tower Street, just by Tower Hill. Obviously they just sell their own stuff, but have a fair selection.

A lot of it seems to be a bit out there, and are upwards of 7% ABV, and many are only sold in halves or third multiples.

I nipped in for a pint of Vagabond, which was a fairly nondescript but decent enough session IPA. I will no doubt have to give it another visit at some time to test some of the other offerings, although I find Brewdog to be a bit over rated in general.
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