Listen to music in Wilton's Mahogany Bar

Music tonight in the beautiful Mahogany Bar at Wilton's Music Hall courtesy of Family Atlantica Duo, playing at the bar as part of Music Monday, their free weekly showcase for 'vintage' bands and cabaret artists.


We are told that the Mahogany Bar was built around 1725, probably as a pub, and has traded under many names over the years including The Albion Saloon and The Prince of Denmark. It took until 1828 for it to be refurbished in mahogany and subsequently became popular with the sailing fraternity. Today, famous fixtures and fittings are sadly no longer with us, but it remains a popular spot.

_{^Picture © photography.ambjorn.com via Flickr used under a Creative Commons license^}

Drink in the "smallest public bar room"

Your author found himself drinking in the room at the front of the Dove public house in Hammersmith on Saturday, an atmospheric and friendly space which a certificate on the wall confirms was designated in January 1989 by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "smallest public bar room".


Though your author is unsure whether any space has subsequently claimed the title, in the world of pub folklore an old certificate is usually more than enough to seize the imagination, and in this interesting little pub, which has been owned by Fullers since 1796, it's just one of many reasons to visit.

For more, see http://dovehammersmith.co.uk/about

Choose wines at Green & Blue

Green & Blue, on Lordship Lane in East Dulwich, is a great little independent wine shop and bar specialising in a strong selection of wines, and run under the supervision of Kate Thal, who opened it in early summer 2005.


Your author dropped in to the bar late on Saturday night, and found it a particular treat, based around an Italian enotecas, where an extension of the wine shop allows drinkers to select wines from the shelves and then drink them at a table with a bite to eat. Very pleasant.

For more, see http://www.greenandbluewines.com/

Drink by the fire at Egerton House

With the weather getting worse and the days getting shorter, your author finds himself increasingly looking for escapism, and so it was that he recently took up an invitation to spend an evening by the fire at Egerton House in Knightsbridge.


This isn't your author's usual habitat, but there is something magical about London's townhouse hotels, and Egerton House, built in 1843, is a five star hotel with just 28 rooms, giving it a wonderful feel but pushing the price of a beer by the fire beyond to £6, which is firmly in special occasion territory when the hotel isn't paying, as it was on this evening.

Having said that, an evening sat on the cosy sofa in front of the fire is something special, and the service and stories of head barman Antonio help to make it seem much less sterile and institutional than many London hotels.

For more, see http://www.egertonhousehotel.com/dining/bar

_{^Picture © Red Carnation Hotels^}

Drink at the Boot and Flogger

Your author finally made a long-overdue trip to the Boot and Flogger, on Redcross Way in Southwark, last night and was suitably impressed. Actually only opened by legendary wine sellers Davy’s in 1964, it's an atmospheric and comfortable place with plenty of charm.


Wood paneling, comfortable leather and wood armchairs, suits and friendly staff seem to be the name of the game at the Boot and Flogger, and wines and fortified wines rule the roost when it comes to drinking.

The wines were nice, but your author doesn't know enough about that sort of thing to make a difference, and was impressed they had Imperial Leather soap, which is obviously a mark of luxury.

For more, see http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/venue/2%3A20162/boot-flogger

_{^Picture © Yersinia used under Creative Commons^}

Drink on the terrace at the Cut Bar

Rather than puzzling over why summer only comes nowadays in April and September, now is the time to snatch a few precious moments after work and enjoy them outside. The terrace of the Cut Bar, at the Young Vic, is one possibility, allowing drinkers to withdraw indoors when 6.30pm rolls round and there is a need to withdraw indoors.


Open to all-comers but patronised especially by those waiting to see shows at the Young Vic - in the same building - the Cut Bar suffers slightly from being in an area with some excellent bars and pubs, but it is worth popping in, especially if lagers, cocktails and finger food are your thing.

For more, see http://www.thecutbar.com/

Drink at South London Pacific

Your author constantly bores friends talking about how "there is in London, all that life can afford", and this even boils down to questionable theme pubs, like the South Pacific themed bar just around the corner from Oval tube station.


It's quite a fun bar, but one has to ask how and why the owners came up with their plan to 'bring a slice of tiki paradise' to SE11. Whatever the reasoning behind it, it continues to operate, fairly successfully and is certainly worth a visit at some point. Your author enjoyed his last trip there, but thinks it might have been a few years ago now...

For more, see http://www.southlondonpacific.com/

Drink at Bar Polski

An odd little bar in the winding alleyways behind Holborn Station, Bar Polski is a reasonable spot for a quick drink in passing. Your author was coaxed in by a friend who recently told him that they did vodka that was 'actually nice', and the convincing barman was very persuasive in his selling of something that 'tasted like apple crumble'.


Inside, the bar is quite plain, with metal chairs and very few features except one wall full of pictures of cockerels. The clientelle was a heady mix of group-drinkers, those on early-in-the-relationship dates and groups. There was food, but it didn't look particularly special.

Timeout says they have fifty vodkas and fancyapint give them three out of five. That seems about right. For more, click here.

Drink at the Dial Arch

Opened last year as a Young's pub, the Dial Arch, at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, is significant for a number of reasons. The Arch itself is a listed structure and was built around 1720.


The Dial Arch and the square in front are significant not only for their association with the Royal Arsenal but also as the foundation spot for the Arsenal Football Club, which began life in 1886 as the Dial Square Football Club for workers from the Arsenal and did not move to North London until 1913.

Inside, the pub has done its best to be loyal to its history, but has more of a bar feel, which is completely understandable. For more, see http://www.dialarch.com

Drink at Bradley's Spanish Bar

Found just off Oxford Street, on tiny Hanway Street, Bradley's Spanish Bar is an popular little bar on two levels.


The smaller bar upstairs is supplemented with a larger downstairs space and both are popular with a varied clientele, and when your author popped by recently everyone seemed to be smiling.

For more information, see http://www.shadyoldlady.com/location.php?loc=593

Browse the Victoria and Albert Reading Rooms

Did you know the V&A has opened a new bookshop and wine bar, completely separate from the museum itself, in South Kensington? No, neither did your author until he stumbled on it yesterday amongst the roadworks on Exhibition Road.


The concept is simple but brilliant, it's a wine bar and bookshop, where you can not only drink in beautiful surroundings, but also lower your inhibitions to the point where you aren't bothered how much you choose to spend on pretty books.

It opened in November, and whilst it was a bit low on customers when your author popped in, it had a great selection of books, and seemed like it would be a lovely spot for a glass of wine.

The Victoria and Albert Reading Rooms is open every day. For more, see http://www.vandareadingrooms.co.uk/

Drink at the Euston Tap

The Euston Tap is an interesting little bar, housed in the Grade II listed West Lodge of Euston Station. The Lodge is a very grand structure, bearing the names of destinations served by the London & North Western Railways, including some which haven't seen a train in many years.


Now run by the same people who run Bloomsbury Bowling, the Euston Tap has a central square bar downstairs, offering an impressive range of beers, and a small seating area upstairs, which is accessed by a long spiral staircase.

It also offers coffee for commuters in the mornings, and even does food. Whilst it was fairly empty on a Bank Holiday Monday, it does seem like it probably gets very busy. For more information, see http://www.eustontap.com/

Try Belgian beers at Lowlander

Styling itself as London's premier Belgian Bar and Brasserie, the Lowlander Grand Café is a reasonable place, opened in 2001 on Drury Lane, and drawing upon the theatreland and Covent Garden crowds.


The inside is very pleasant, with plain tables and all sorts of country-themed wall-tat. It is a relaxing place to spend an hour or so, as long as you get there early and get a table before the crowds start. And if you want to enjoy the beers in a more relaxed environment, there is always home delivery.

As an Englishman, it always annoys your author when he has to order drinks by table service, but here is is probably part of the theme, as that's what its like in Belgium and Holland. However, with all these imported beers you have to keep an eye on your tab, if you don't want a rude awakening at the end of a sitting.

For more on Lowlander, head over to http://www.lowlander.com/

Sip cocktails in a caravan at Barrio North

When the people who designed Barrio North, a 'neighbourhood DJ bar' in Islington, were looking to decorate their bar, they settled on a rather left-field seating solution. They installed a caravan.


Billed on the bar's website as 'La Carvana', a mis-spelling of the Spanish Caravana, it started life in 1976 as an 2-birth ACE touring caravan, before being snapped up on ebay and installed in a bar on Essex road to seat up to 15 people whilst they neck cocktails in what is cringingly referred to in decorations as an 'alcoholiday'.

It's an interesting feature, and the bar is reasonable, as long as you're there during one of their regular happy hours, though annoyingly they make you 'join' the bar to take advantage.

For more on the Caravan, visit http://www.barrionorth.com/bookings.php, but make sure your speakers are turned down first.

Drink at the Stafford's American Bar

The American Bar, at the Stafford Hotel in Mayfair, dates back to the 1930s, and since the 1970s has been the venue of an interesting tradition. Started when West End hotels began looking to the increasing American market arriving by ocean liner, it is now more famous for the tradition of guests leaving personal gifts for the hotel, which have over the years covered the walls and ceiling.


Your author popped in the other night with Rajul from London Hotel Insight, and found a spot amongst all the paraphernalia for a very pleasant drink, attended to by Benoit Provost, the head barman who has been at The Stafford for 12 years. The tradition began, we are told, when the walls were so bare that an American guest gave Benoit's predecessor a small wooden American eagle. This was duly followed by an eskimo, given by a Canadian, and a Kangaroo, given by an Australian.

Today, the bar is covered with yacht club flags, signed photographs and historical artefacts. These are kept alongside glasses which various royals have used on their visits, model aircraft from pilots who drank at the bar during the Second World War, given on their returns, and photographs of Nancy Wake, the highest decorated woman of the Second World War, who drank here when it was run by Louis Burdet, famous for his time as a leader of the French Resistance.

The only downside is the cost of drinks. This being a hotel in Mayfair, a pint is at least £5, so it's currently more like drinking in the Euro-zone than in America, and there is also the dress code - Jackets are mandatory for men. All this, and your author can't help wondering who will be the first hotel to beat the rush to designate a "Chinese Bar".

For more on the American bar, and see some better pictures, click here.

Watch a band at the Flowerpot

A relative newcomer to North London, the Flowerpot, in Kentish Town, is a music venue and pub which hosts free gigs most nights.


The management promise at least one live act and one guest dj on any night you attend, and unlike many music venues your author could mention, they even pride themselves on selling 'honestly priced alcohol'.

In the past, the Flowerpot has hosted gigs by Laura Marling, Madness and Billy Bragg, as well as the Kooks and Florence and the Machine, but don't let that put you off. Your author popped in a couple of months ago and enjoyed a thoroughly pleasant evening's entertainment for not much money at all.

It is open every day until at least midnight, and 2am on Friday and Saturdays and entry is always free. For more, see http://flowerpotlondon.com/

Drink at Bar Cubana

Bar Cubana, on Lower Marsh in Waterloo, is an atmospheric little Cuban Bar, which offers a range of Cuban food and drink. Your author is unsure exactly how it came to be, but it is claimed that Fidel Castro is a shareholder.


According to his blog, the Managing Director of the bar is Phillip Oppenheim, the former MP, who once served as a Government Minister and a Parliamentary Assistant to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Oppenheim lists Fidel Castro as a shareholder of the bar, and he himself is involved in trade with Cuba, importing rum and coffee from the country, as well as running the Carnival de Cuba, London's annual Carnival de Cuba. He is also a director of Waterloo Quarter, a business alliance regenerating Waterloo.

But let's not let all this detail distract us from the budget-friendly tropical cocktails, the two course £8.95 pre-theatre menu and the Salsa and Latin music on Wednesdays and Thursday.

For more, see http://www.cubana.co.uk/

Watch people at the Riverfront at BFI Southbank

Given recent weather, your author thought he would recommend a spot today that is good in both sunshine and showers. Nestled beneath Waterloo Bridge, which also provides shelter for the adjacent book market, the Riverfront Bar and Kitchen at the BFI Southbank is another triumph for the organisation, providing an excellent spot to sit and watch the world - or the South Bank at least - go by.


Being the Southbank, it all comes at a price, and your author tends to buy half pints and avoid eating, as he is notoriously cheap. However, it is lovely and the outdoor area in front, looking out towards the river, is particularly pleasant.

It is open Monday - Saturday from 9am until 11pm and Sundays from 10am - 11pm. For more, see http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank/visitor_information/food_and_drink

Drink at the Cove

Situated above the West Cornwall Pasty Company, in Covent Garden, the Cove is a small but welcoming touristland pub, which was once the only Cornish theme pub in London.


From its usually-crowded terrace overlooking the front of St Paul's Covent Garden, and the inevitable street performers and tourists which fill the street below, it is a good spot for an ale and an overpriced pasty brought up to you still warm by dumb-waiter from the shop below.

True to its West Country roots, drinks are ale-based, but unfortunately they are usually as expensive as you might expect in this area of town, but you do get that 'little place that I know' feeling as you slip up the barely-marked stairway from the market below, and see a thousand vacant faces staring up at you from below wondering how they could get up there. That, and it's about a thousand times better than the Punch and Judy next door.

For more, see http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub1533.php or for more on the West Cornwall Pasty Company attempt to navigate their frankly bizarre website at http://www.westcornwallpasty.co.uk/

Drink at Pepito, London's only specialist Sherry Bar

Your author was invited to the opening of Bar Pepito, London’s only dedicated sherry bar, last week, and it was jolly pleasant. The tiny bar bills itself as 'a must visit for any sherry lover' and stocks plenty of different types of sherry.


The focus of the bar is, we are told, on bringing an authentic spirit of Jerez to Kings Cross, and it is nice enough. Calling it a bar in its own right is a bit of spin as the space, sat in shiny Varnishers Yard, is technically an offshoot of Spanish restaurant Camino. However, it just about holds its own (even if you do have to pop over to the restaurant to use the toilets), serving sherry and tapas from a menu designed by Camino head chef Nacho del Campo.

Your author must admit he was basically a sherry novice on arrival but the experience was rather pleasant even if he couldn't hack the sweet sherries for long. In order to help you to experience all the different types of sherries, they've even installed one of those new Enomatic machines (like at the Sampler and Bottle Apostle). It's an open stainless-steel chiller cabinet holding eight bottles of sherry, allowing you to try a tasting amount of several different types, without having to take on a full glass.

In the press release, Camino owner, Richard Bigg optimistically bleats that "Sherry is cool again". Your author will need a little more convincing, but Bar Pepito will certainly help it along. The bar is open Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm - midnight. For more see http://www.camino.uk.com/pepito