More Wonderful Pubs of London

**More Wonderful Pubs of London (page 2)**
PARSONS GREEN	Take the District Line's Wimbledon train - Parsons Green is in Zone 2
The White Horse ***** (free house) (in 2003 it was less of a real ale heaven, and heading towards a more rarified atmosphere)	Exit Parsons Green UG; proceed right ~3 blocks to the Green. As you enter the "square", look to your left. It had a wall gallery where local artists exhibited for a few weeks at a time, but the wall is now nicely painted.. There are also six large leather sofas and a Victorian marble fireplace. In 2003 the restaurant was independent of the bar, but the menu remained tempting. Good starters. There was a mixed crowd of young people and suits. It still has Belgian real ales (bottle conditioned). The other real ales, the ones on tap, numbered 5. GO THERE! You won't regret it.
The Duke of Cumberland ****	Diagonally across the green from the White Horse. It's a Young's house. Supposed to have 4 real ales, but only Young's Bitter and Young's Special were on. Brass chandeliers, intricate cast iron astragals, huge bar, scrubbed wooden tables and floor. Roomy and airy. Had beautifully tiled wall. Many prints and posters that fit the Victorian theme. Worth a walk if you are already at the White Horse. It won an award some years back. The gents has a skylight!
The Jolly Brewer ***	Off the West side of the square (or to your right looking from the White Horse towards the Duke of Cumberland). Seems to be a Bass house. Just down a side street from the church mission hall. A small local. Clientele was neither young nor suited. Seemed a nice local.

NOTTING HILL	Notting Hill Gate UG of course. This is a good place to use the Collins London by Tube map booklet. Exit the station and turn right down Pembroke Rd. Depending on how you count, Portobello Road is the second or third street on your left. Do not go into Notting Hill Gate street or into Kensington Park Road.
The Earl of Lonsdale**	At the junction of Westbourne Grove and Portobello Road, about half-way up Portobello. Lampposts are reproductions of the Victorian period gas-fired street lamps. There is an area policy of maintaining and reproducing period architecture and street furnishings. This is a Sam Smith's pub. There was no real ale. The Sovereign Bitter was on nitrokeg, and since the food was so good this was acceptable. One star for ale, but food, spaciousness, cleanliness and traditional decor move it up to two stars. To escape the crowd this is a good choice.
Portobello Star***	171 Portobello Road - about a block from the Earl of Lonsdale. A Whitbread house, not very large. Flowers Original and Castle Eden real ale. The ale was very good. We successfully escaped the crush in the street by going in! Clem's comment: Minute pub in the middle of antique-land, with slightly tired chairs. Friendly welcome and was in the 1993 Good Beer Guide.

WHITEHALL AREA All these pubs are within a few steps of each other. Trafalgar Square is just up the street.	I would use the Westminster UG, but Charing Cross or Embankment do nicely. Carry the TripBuilder London Travel Guide - tube map on back cover, foldout map inside, or the Collins "London by Tube" map booklet - very, very handy.
Red Lion ****	Another Red Lion is on the first page. This one is at Derby Gate & Parliament Street - North of Cabinet War Rooms; Very antique; nice etched glass windows in the rear. There was a wonderful cat (live). Supposedly MPs wait here between calls to attend. Real ales included Adnams Southwold; Tetley's Bitter; Old Speckled Hen.
The Old Shades****	On Whitehall, proceed North from Horse Guards towards Trafalgar Sq. The menu was a pound or two more than is common, but the portions were large and very good. Nice wood interior, with lots of leaded glass. Real ales were Bass and Fullers London Pride (aptly named).
The Lord Moon of the Mall *****	16-18 Whitehall, Westminster, SW1 Across from The Old Shades, The Silver Cross, and The Clarence. It's a Wetherspoons pub. May have been a large old bank building. Very nice conversion. Quite a few real ales. Very pleasant place to stop.
The Clarence ****	Once recommended by Rick Steves. Wood plank floor; iron bound, rough hewn pillars & beams. Significant remnants of an older time remain. There were three real ale pumps, but two were off. Still worth a look.
The Silver Cross *****	Quite a complex maze of levels and rooms. Originally a 17th century brothel licensed by Charles I. The beautiful ceiling is under a preservation order. Old stone floors in part. Very accommodating - several real ales, tea, puddings. You should stop in for refreshment and enjoy the surroundings. Food was fine. It has the flavor of a very old inn - in many areas. It's in Gammel's book.

TOWER OF LONDON	Tower Hill UG
The Tiger Tavern ** GONE (the entire building!), but not forgotten.**	In a modern building across from the Tower entrance. No real ales, but otherwise a marvelous place to have lunch. A very good Ploughman's, except no Branston's pickle; English cheddar; nice bread. The seating was very nice. In his book (first page) Gammel says that "the area outside the Tiger has witnessed more dark deeds than any other place in the Realm." If leaving the Tower for lunch, get your return pass on the way out. As you cross to the Tiger, recall that several Archbishops lost their heads where you are walking. On a lighter note, the cat from the Tiger used to creep into the Tower to visit the first Princess Elizabeth while she was imprisoned there.
The Bridge House ****	Walk across the Tower Bridge to the South side. The pub will be on the East side, a few blocks south of the bridge. The bride alone was worth the walk, but the pub is an Adnams House, so the walk is doubly rewarding! A sign said it was an Adnams Free House, whatever that might be! The furnishings were spare, but adequate. It seems to be a local. There were 4 real ales, all Adnams of course. Broadside was on the pump, and that's one of my top ten.

EARLS COURT	Earls Court UG - use the Earls Court Road exit - not the Warwick exit.
The Blackbird ***	This is a Fuller's Ale & Pie House. Exit UG, turn right, down 1 or 2 blocks and across the road. Roomy, nice bar, walls and ceiling. Seemed a busy local. There were 4 Fullers real ales (good enough for Harrods, recall): Chiswick Bitter; Summer Ale; London Pride; ESB. Now there was quite a stack of American Rolling Rock Bottles behind the bar; buy 1 get 1 free! My respect for British taste and intelligence remains high, however, as no one was silly enough to fall for it.
The Kings Head **** (+ 1 * for decor)	Exit UG, cross the street, go left. It's a very short distance to Hogarth Place, so take a right turn into it. This is a peculiar situation - Hogarth Place and Earls Court Gardens seem to share the connection to Earls Court Road - so stay on the left hand sidewalk! The pub is down about a hundred feet. Eclectic decor - including a butterfly collection and an Australian flag on the ceiling. Stained glass windows in the Gents! Seems a busy local. There were "3 real ales": Bass, Bass and Bass. Seemed to be a Bass house.
The Rat & Parrot **	Exit UG to left; it's about a block South of Cromwell Road (corner of Earl's Court and Childs). Four beer engines, and all were off. Only one English ale was on tap - John Smith's Bitter - good, but not real. Please don't go there - unless you don't like real ale, and you long for bland provender and elevator music. On the plus side there were lots of tables, and the clientele did seem to enjoy their food.

ST. PAUL'S / BLACK FRIARS	Blackfriars, Mansion House or Cannon Street UGs
	O'Neill's Irish Pub *** Corner of Cannon St. & Queen St. There seem to be two of these corners, but they are only a block apart. Given the color of the exterior, it will be hard to miss. Guinness, Harp and Caffrey's. Sparse, but interesting ,decor. No real ale, but they put a clover leaf on the Guinness. Food seemed good. Nice place to rest; the Gent's was very clean. It's a chain, so I would hope they are all fairly nice.
	Blackfriar ***** (it's just unbelievable) The #1 exit from Blackfriars UG; corner of New Bridge St. and Queen Victoria St.. Gas light sconces; wood floor. Copper reliefs (~30?). Marble, marble, marble. A back alcove that is museum quality. London Pride; Adnams Southwold Bitter; Tetley's; Marston's Pedigree (These may change!) Still unbelievable in 2003, and the ales changed very little.
The Old King Lud ****	N of The Blackfriar; W of St. Paul's. It's #12 on Ludgate Circle. You can't miss the intersection, but the pub is slightly below street level. It also has a very modern exterior. It's there; just keep looking. It had 4 tilting firkins, and more real ales than? It's a Hogshead free house; it was busy. Bubble & squeak was on the menu. Some of the many ales: Boddingtons; 6X; Pedigree; London Pride; Old Speckled Hen - and those are just the resident ales. Of the guests GreenGrass was very good. There was an excellent ale called "old rogue ale" - possibly a Bateman's. Not an old pub, but it represents the best in pub tradition. In 2003 it is heading towards less real ale and more wine and fizzy yellow beer.

HOLBORN	Holborn UG
Princess Louise ****	Exit the UG and go West, crossing the main road into High Holborn. The pub is on the left, close to the Holborn Town Hall. Gammell lists it as a local. It's a Sam Smiths - one real ale, Old Brewery Bitter, but that's a good one. So what else? Victorian, Victorian, Victorian. Glass, Glass, Glass. Tile, Tile, Tile. Stained glass in the Gent's. It's close to Lincoln's Inn, so you may have to tolerate lawyers, but at least the British lawyers are tolerable. Gammell rates the cuisine as outstanding. Interesting mix of people. Don't miss this one! [If you are an American lawyer, take no offense; I am one too]

OXFORD CIRCUS	Oxford Circus UG
	The Argyle Arms (**) was a Nicholson's Free House. Around the corner from the tube station, against its side. As you can see, it is busy - and that's just the outside! Beautiful Victorian decor, but no stained glass. Very detailed ceiling motif. Packed at lunch, busy in the afternoon, really busy at quitting time (see photo!). They have wooden barrels on the sidewalk to accommodate the overflow. The media have referred to it as a "spectacular Victorian bar." At least five good, standard real ales: Brakspears Bitter; Marstons Pedigree; Tetley's; Old Speckled Hen; London Pride. ** More likely 2 to 4 in 2003. Gammell describes this pub as "Victoriana rampant." He considers this to be a theatre pub - across the street from the Palladium.

WAPPING	Wapping UG / District Line to Whitechapel UG (yes, that Whitechapel) then change to the East London Line to Wapping UG - it is Zone 2! Get the ticket straight before you get there! Tube police caught me and mine with Zone 1. They let me off with buying the correct add ons, but it could have been 30 pounds? for the three of us. Scary. Not to mention you are near the haunts of Jack the Ripper.
The Prospect of Whitby ****	Gammell's book gives instructions on how to get to 57 Wapping Wall. I got lost, so I hailed a taxi. A little expensive, but it saves a lot of time. The pub is really close to the tube station, but I just set off in the wrong direction. The food really looked good, and the Ploughman's was excellent. Two real ales: Directors Bitter and Marstons Pedigree. The river view is excellent. The pub has quite a history, it overlooks the site of Execution Dock, and has a gallows on the waterfront side for atmosphere. It is a Chef & Brewer, but don't hold that against it. The publican was quite helpful and charming. - Referring to me as "young man" - This one is pretty out of the main stream, but it is one of the best historic river pubs. Mentioned in P.D. James novel, Original Sin, which is set in Wapping.

PICCADILLY/SOHO	Piccadilly Circus UG
Tom Cribb ***	Exit the tube and go East to Haymarket, cross the street. Turn right (South) and go down to Panton St. (on your left; #31). We stopped in on the way to the tube after seeing Phantom. A Bass pub. So you know what the real ale is. Sort of a theatre pub - its just off Haymarket. The theme may be prize fighting, but not very. It has been described as a singles bar, but obviously not when the theatres are letting out.
Duke of Argyll 26 Great Windmill St at corner of Brewer & Great Windmill Seems to be a Sam Smith's house. As usual in my experience there was no real ale. Old Brewery Bitter and Sovereign Best Bitter were available on nitrogen. Interior seems to be green and dark coral with a Victorian bent. It was comfortable and not overly crowded in the early evening. It could get * or **** if attention were paid to real ale. Haven't a clue about food, but there're lots of choices near the Eros statue.	Go up Grt. Windmill Street to see a somewhat seedy side of this entertainment venue. Leave the UG and proceed NE (rightish) up Shaftesbury (leftish would be Piccadilly). On the north side of the Trocadero complex Grt. Windmill St goes north (take care; use designated crossing). There is a "windmill" on the street (think Moulin Rouge). There are also several "video" stores and "clubs" on this street; if you are sensitive instead of GW St turn leftish up Sherwood to Denham then north to Brewer and right up Brewer for a block. This area has its own character; quite a contrast from the bright lights a few blocks away. Don't take the kids up Great Windmill Street. The name apparently stems from a time when this was farmland!

COVENT GARDEN	Covent Garden or Leicester Sq. UGs This area will cover "Theatre Land". For me this stretches between the Strand and High Holborn/Oxford streets (S & N) and Drury Lane and Leicester Sq. (E & W). Another way of viewing it is as a large "A" standing on the Strand. The left is Monmouth/St. Martins; the right is Drury Lane; the bar is Long Acre. Long Acre is the key. At its West end is Leicester Sq. UG, and 2/3 of the way East is Covent Garden UG. If you are looking for a tube, and find Long Acre, one is not far away. Even if you go too far East along Long Acre, past where it becomes Gt. Queen St., just turn left on Kingsway and go a short distance North to High Holborn for the Holborn UG.
****	The Marquis of Granby Another Nicholson's free house. Go East from Leicester Sq. UG to St. Martins Lane. Go right about one street to New Row. Go left to Bedfordbury(1st on right); turn right and go almost two streets; just before Chandos Place at the corner of Brydges Place. The Nicholson's black and gold motif is hard to miss. Great place for tea or coffee on a nippy, rainy day. Real ales: Tetley's; Old Speckled Hen; Adnam Southwold; one beer engine was off.
The Lamb & Flag ***	33 Rose St. Gammell's directions: From Covent Garden UG turn left into Long Acre. Rose St. is third on the left going West. I can't find it on my London Street Atlas - Rose is not a big street, and it has a sharp curve. Even when you find it you may have to walk end to end to find the pub - but it is not a long street either. The pub is known for bare knuckle fights in days of old. Go to this one only so you can say you've been there. Real ales: Courage Best; Courage Directors; Young's Bitter. If the best is bottom fermented (anyone know for sure?), at least it was served on a beer engine.
The Crown at Seven Dials ****	Go East from Leicester Sq. to St. Martins; turn left (St. Martins becomes Monmouth), and go up about two streets. 43 Monmouth St./Corner of Earlham and Monmouth, across from the Cambridge Theatre. The burgundy and gold sign was weathered, but the interior was charming: wood; wallpaper; books and prints. Nice seating. Great place to wait for a theatre to open. Real Ales: Old Speckled Hen; Tetley's; Adnams Southwold; guest: Friars Mews Best Bitter.
The Two Brewers *** (really pubby)	Just down the street from The Crown on the right side. Since this is Seven Dials, there are seven streets. Pick Monmouth and check it twice. Good baguettes. Directors and Old Speckled Hen.
	The Prince of Wales **** (*** plus one more for having many real ales) From Convent Garden UG go East on Long Acre to Drury Lane. On the corner at 150 Drury Lane. A very nice and roomy place. This is one you must not miss. NINE (9) real ales: 4 from Theakstons, including Old Peculier; Charles Wells Bombardier; Directors Bitter; Courage Best; Marstons Pedigree; Abbot Ale. Sit, stand, lean on the bar, or look at the large map of historic pubs and their locations. Staff was extremely helpful. The only pub in our '99 trip to have Old Peculier and Bombardier. In January '01' Bombardier was still on! Unfortunately a refurbishment removed the large map of pubs.
	The Opera Tavern ***** Across from the Royal Drury Lane Theatre which seems to front on Catherine St/rear on Drury Lane. Anyway go East from Covent Garden UG to Endell, 1st big street; right several streets to Russ St.; left up Russ to Catherine (just a few steps). Turn right and walk down Catherine to The Opera Tavern. It's a post card tavern. It has historic significance (blue seal on the building); nice Victorian interior with theatre prints and scenes. All seats, including stools, seemed upholstered. Three real ales: Adnams Broadside; Adnams Southwold; missed the name - but it must have been Adnams! Always have a Broadside when the opportunity arises. This pub definitely lends itself to a good experience.
	The Freemasons Arms **** One block West on Long Acre from the Prince of Wales. Or several streets East on Long Acre from the Covent Garden UG. It's a Green King house, and it had five real ales. Did not finish my notes because I had too much conversation with several Ukrainian tourists. I know there was Abbot Ale. My memory says it was very nice inside; my limited notes say "Very Pleasant"; since I leaned on the large bar, I have no recollection of the seating.
Crown and Anchor ****	Crossroads of Shelton & Neal. Modern, full bar. Three beer engines; 1 off; 1 Courage, 1 Shepherd Neame Spitfire (an extra * for attitude).
White Lion **	Easy to see from a distance. Had Bass and London pride. Ok for a stop after theatre.
The Nag's Head ***** http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/show.shtml/379/	10 James Street, London, WC2E Across the street from the White Lion. It has been a McMullen's house - a very rare and endangered species. The brewery was "saved" in the summer of 2003. The url to the left has a picture and some nice commentary. McMullen ales are excellent. The pub is wood and glass, well padded wall benches, couches and chairs.

STRAND	Temple UG - exit the tube and go away from the river; uphill on Arundel St. to the Strand. Many of the pubs in this area may have short or no hours on a weekend.
	The Coal Hole ***** 91 Strand / Sort of built into the Savoy On arriving at the top of Arundel St. turn left; proceed past the University of London (brief stop at the Courtauld galleries recommended - good place for tea and a rest stop too). Keep going until you reach the Savoy area. With this front, it should be hard to miss! Mixed decor - very nice, something like a cross between Tudor and Victorian. Very high ceilings. There were 5 real ales, including Marstons, Tetley's and Adnams. Since it is a Nicholson's free house, you can count on finding real ale and satisfactory food.

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