Drink at the Faltering Fullback

Your author wouldn't usually go for a pub which sells itself on big screen sports, or self defines as a 'hidden gem', but there's something quite pleasant about the Faltering Fullback, covered in ivy on a backstreet in North London.


The charming front bar at the pub is immediately appealing, with lots of wood and real pub charm, and whilst the odd cavernous room out the back doesn't suit everyone, presumably that's where they put the big screen, and the interesting tiered garden has plenty of space to escape it, and wasn't packed with smokers unlike at some pubs. Add in the usual pub extras like Thai food, a quiz and regular music on a Sunday and it's a decent sort of place to while away an hour if you're in the mood.

For more, see http://thefullback.co.uk/

Drink at the Cock Tavern

A Grade II listed Victorian pub, the Cock Tavern on Fleet Street was built in 1887 to replace a notorious 17th century inn frequented by famous Londoners Samuel Pepys, Alfred Tennyson and Charles Dickens across the road.


We are told that a disembodied head is said to have haunted the original pub, belonging to the Irish poet, physician and writer, Oliver Goldsmith, who was buried at Temple Church which is located nearby. It seems about as unlikely that he would have transferred to the new premises as it does that ghosts actually exist, but nevertheless it is a good story.

Your author has a special interest in the pub as this evening the latest in his regular Talking to Strangers events, which encourage you and other Londoners to have interesting conversations, takes place in a room upstairs for £3.

For more on Talking to Strangers - to which you are formally invited - click here, or for more on the pub see http://www.taylor-walker.co.uk/pub-food/ye-olde-cock-tavern-holborn/pid-C1188

_{^Picture © Christopher Hilton 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

Drink at the Fox and Hounds, Belgravia

A decent little pub in an area where rents and the price of property have all but killed decent little pubs, the Fox and Hounds in Belgravia was built in the 1860s, supposedly - we are told - to serve working people that lived in the cottages nearby.


Today, it is at the heart of one of London's richest areas, but is still a great little community pub, serving decent Young's ales. When your author popped in recently, it was very relaxed, and the brewery website informs us that it prides itself on having no TVs and no music, which was certainly very welcome. Over at fancyapint they also tell us that it was, until 1998, the last 'beer only' pub in London, serving nothing but beer to loyal customers.

For more, see http://www.youngs.co.uk/pub-detail.asp?PubID=280

Drink at the Cask Pub & Kitchen

Though from the outside it appears utterly unremarkable, and even the inside is not the most aesthetically interesting pub in the area, the Cask Pub & Kitchen in Pimlico continues to attract drinkers for its wide range of beers on offer and its relaxed atmosphere.


A winner of awards in 2011 from the Publican Magazine, the Great British Pub Awards and the beer obsessives at CAMRA, the pub certainly keeps an interesting range of beers in stock, some of which come at reasonable prices. However, the friend with whom your author visited did wonder if she was getting good value for money when faced with a bill of £13 for a single bottle of beer during a visit last week.

For more on the Cask, see http://www.caskpubandkitchen.com

Drink at the Harrow

A pleasant little pub on the edge of the village of Chaldon, just inside the M25, an inn is documented on the same spot as The Harrow since at least the 16th century, and it sits just a few yards from the Pilgrim’s Way on the ridge of the North Downs.


It occupies a beautiful spot, surrounded by woodland and on the top of a hill which makes it the second highest pub in Surrey. It is also just off the North Downs Way, a popular long distance trail, meaning it is popular with walkers. When your author dropped in yesterday it was busy with locals and visitors, and the food was good, with a faint hint of woodsmoke in the main bar and the spots of rain outside making it feel rather more like spring than summer.

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

_{^Picture © Ian Capper used under a Creative Commons license^}

Attend the Jubilee Beer Festival at the Bull's Head

Down in Pratt's Bottom, the last Kentish village in Greater London, Vernon, the landlord of the Bull's Head pub, knows how to mark a special occasion, as your author experienced first hand at last year's Last Night of the Proms extravaganza, and this weekend's Jubilee festivities promises not to disappoint.


As part of a celebration of everything that is British the Bull's Head Pub is hosting a beer festival from the 1st to 5th June 2012, with around 20 beers and ciders, as well as a BBQ available hog Roast on Monday, and various live bands and musicians over the weekend. We are also promised a bouncy castle, plenty of royal pageantry on big screen, a royal breakfast, fireworks and plenty more.

For more, see http://thebullsheadpub.net/ or call 01689 852553

Drink at the Three Stags

Almost unique in that it is a pub run by Greene King that isn't awful, the Three Stags, on the corner of Lambeth Road and Kennington Road in Lambeth, is a good place for a drink on a spring evening, whatever the weather.


On the downside, it does describe itself as a 'gastropub' and has a cocktail menu, and whilst your author has had some very nice chips in there late on a Friday night, and once ordered a shandy at the bar, he is regrettably unable to vouch for whether either the title or the cocktails are worthwhile, or indeed necessary. Still, it's a decent pub, which hasn't had its character ripped out by the pub chain that owns it, and for that we must be thankful.

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

_{^Picture © Ewan Munro used under Creative Commons^}

See the Map Room at the Charles Lamb

Your author passed a thoroughly enjoyable evening last week on the Londonist A-Z Pubcrawl, sampling a few of the best pubs in Angel, and beginning at the Charles Lamb on Elia Street near Angel Tube Station.


The pub is a testament to what can be achieved with love and care at a backstreet local and one particularly interesting aspect for lovers of cartography like your author is the map room, with walls adorned with a number of beautiful London maps, in fine surroundings with a friendly crowd. Not to mention good food, ale and atmosphere.

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

Drink Yorkshire Beer at the Bricklayer's Arms

This weekend, the Bricklayer's Arms is celebrating the beers of Yorkshire, with a traditional Yorkshire Beer Festival. Today is the final day and the highlight, at 1pm, is a performance by the Hammersmith Morris Men.


Of course, it isn't for everyone, but whether or not you like the occasional pint of ale, the Bricklayer's is a great pub, and if you do it's a treasure, with up to 12 ales regularly on hand pumps at the bar, and local beers from Sambrook’s Brewery in Battersea.

For more, see http://www.bricklayers-arms.co.uk/

_{^Picture © Copyright Stephen Craven, used under a Creative Commons Licence.^}

Water your four legged friend at the Pilot's Dog Bar

One of your author's general rules of thumb is that a good pub is one that allows dogs and forbids children, and so it was welcome to find that one South East London pub has taken canine hospitality to new levels, with the installation of a Dog Bar at the Pilot Inn, North Greenwich.


Sure, it is only really a couple of dog bowls, but there is something rather civilised about encouraging dog walkers to drop into your pub, and providing sustenance for their four legged friends. The Pilot itself is a great little pub, two centuries old standing surrounded by wasteland and building plots near to the Millennium Dome.

For more, see http://www.fullershotels.com/rte.asp?id=189

Drink at the Gun, E14

Found beside the Thames on Coldharbour in Docklands, the Gun is a beautiful pub about which your author had heard a great deal. He was lucky, therefore, to have an opportunity to pop in on a beautifully sunny Saturday bike ride, and thankfully it was not a disappointment.


We are told that the current pub dates back to the early eighteenth century, and takes its name from a cannon fired to celebrate the opening of the West India Import Docks in 1802. It is a fitting name in an area which once housed iron foundries producing guns for the Royal Navy fleet. The owners also claim that Lord Nelson was a regular patron of The Gun, and would have secret meetings with Lady Emma Hamilton in the beautiful upstairs room, which is now fitted out as a function room called The River Room.

The pub had a roaring log fire on Saturday, and a welcoming terrace with blankets to keep your author warm as he sat watching the boats with a nice cup of tea, as sadly the food was a bit beyond budget. For weekday lunchtime diners, however, there is a more reasonably-priced menu, and the pub might even throw in a free return taxi from Canary Wharf if you ring them first to book.

For more information, see http://www.thegundocklands.com/

Drink at the Coach & Horses

The Coach & Horses in Soho is probably best known for its former patron Jeffrey Bernard, the thirsty and often-unwell columnist who was a regular at the pub, and whose story inspired Keith Waterhouse's play which sees him locked in overnight.


It is a lovely pub, though and though often crowded it maintains much of the independent personality it had during the time of 'London's rudest landlord' Norman Balon. It also has a hidden dining room upstairs known for hosting Private Eye lunches, and also for its daytime Secret Tearoom (which is so secret it is now advertised by a huge blackboard outside).

All in all, you could do a lot worse in the area. For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coach_and_Horses,_Soho

Drink Pigs Ear at the Pig's Ear

In some areas of West London, the age of the £4 pint is already upon us, and if you want to avoid it you should probably stay out of them altogether. Having said that, your author did pay this amount for a pint recently and felt it was acceptable.


Uley Pig's Ear is a beer rarely seen outside the wilds of Gloucestershire, and whenever your author sees it elsewhere he is always impressed. When chance took him out of his comfort zone to Award Winning Chelsea Gastro Pub the Pig's Ear a couple of weeks ago, where the beer brewed by Chas Wright with Cotswold Spring Water is a welcome regular, it was a pleasant surprise.

The pub is nice enough, but for any other beer it would be overpriced and full of Chelsea types. However, for a slice of home on a dark autumnal evening, it seemed good value.

For more about the pub, see http://www.thepigsear.info/

Drink at the Half Moon, Herne Hill

Constructed as a hotel in 1896, and designed by architect J. W. Brooker, the Half Moon in Herne Hill is a beautiful Grade II listed pub, with an attractive interior and an interesting crowd.


The pub has thankfully been left largely untouched by the waves of modernisation that have afflicted other pubs, and it is known for its many mirrors - particularly in the snug bar - which were apparently constructed by W. Gibbs & Sons glass decorators of Blackfriars.

Today, the pub serves decent looking pizzas and hosts gigs and comedy nights in a larger room at the back. For more information, see http://www.halfmoonpub.co.uk/


_{^Picture © Matthew Black used under Creative Commons^}

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 at the Windmill

Found on the Cut, a short walk from Waterloo Station, the Windmill is a smashing pub popular with theatregoers and after work drinkers seeking a swift half before they board the train home.


The walls are covered with portraits of famous actors and actresses, and a central bar serves drinkers in the back and front of the pub at the same time, whilst a busy thai kitchen serves decent food at acceptable prices.

The pub is owned by the same people that run the nearby Kings Arms - a fantastic pub where your author drank on his first night in London - and is owned by the Windmill Taverns Group, founded by John and Ryan McElhinney and their father in 1998.

For more information, see http://www.windmilltaverns.com/the-windmill/

Drink at the Blue Anchor

First mentioned in the Fulham Manorial Roll in 1722, and thought to be considerably older, the Blue Anchor is an attractive pub facing onto the Thames at Hammersmith.


The beautiful interior is fitted out with historic flourishes and rowing paraphernalia, and is particularly popular with rowers, positioned as it is on a stretch of the river about half way along the course of the University Boat Race, and countless other rowing races throughout the year.

There is a decent menu, and a range of ales and other drinks. For more information, see http://www.blueanchorlondon.com

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

Drink at the Elephant and Castle, Kensington

The clocks have gone back, and autumn has truly arrived, so it is now time to hunt out London's cosiest pubs, so you'll have somewhere to retreat to as the night draws in and winter arrives. Last night, your author popped in to the Elephant and Castle on Holland Street in Kensington and was very pleased with what he found.
Sometimes finds Nicholson's Pubs a bit patchy, but this one is a gem, with friendly staff and cosy seating which seems in keeping, and involves lots of dark wood. There were ales and food and it was just right for the autumn. It felt like a proper local pub, even though it's only a short walk from Kensington High Street.

For more information, see http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/theelephantandcastlekensingtonlondon/

Drink at the Lamb

A fantastic pub on a quieter street in Bloomsbury, the Lamb is a gem, originally built in 1729, it is now noted for its Grade II listed Victorian exterior, and its etched glass snob screens which were designed to allow customers to order without having to look at the bar staff.


The pub is now owned by Youngs and excellent food and beer, retaining the name it took from William Lamb who improved the conduit to bring water from Holborn in 1577. It is also notable for a pub purist like your author as it doesn't have a TV or any music, allowing space to sit and have a good talk to friends and anyone else who shows up.

Another notable feature is the working polyphon on the wall, which is designed to play tunes like a music box, and is the same design as the one which once operated in your author's grandparents' pub, and still lurks in the family attic.

For more information, see http://www.youngs.co.uk/pub-detail.asp?PubID=421

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