Traditional English Pubs on a Budget
Jan 16th, 2016, 10:56 AM
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Jan 16th, 2016, 11:28 AM
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Pub beer and drinks are across the board a lot higher than I've found at home but its a great experience - few authentic English pubs - which are a dying entity in favor of my posh wine bars, etc I've read - anywhere few authentic English pubs IME in central London - head to the nearby suburbs and real residential areas to find the 'local pubs' which are more like a neighborhood meeting place for all ages.
anyway I think budget pubs is an oxymoron IME - comnpared to similar bars back home.
anyway I think budget pubs is an oxymoron IME - comnpared to similar bars back home.
Jan 16th, 2016, 12:12 PM
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I thought that was sort of odd, also, I thought pubs were always cheap, at least compared to restaurants. So I don't know what budget pubs would be, but I can just imagine it's a matter of real estate, places in Central London are going to be more expensive than suburbs.
So I don't know what cheap is for a pub, but there is a traditional pub or coach inn (that is about 300 years old) that I like a lot near a hotel I stayed at once, The Swan on Bayswater Rd right near Lancaster Gate tube stop. But if you aren't staying in that area, I doubt if you'd go just for that. I like its atmosphere and it has an outdoor area which isn't common for pubs. Traditional dishes like fish and chips or sausage and mash are around 11 GBP, I guess, which is reasonable to me. that's about the same price as one of those on the cheap pub list at Tripadvisor (Blackbird) which is farther out, in fact, at Earl's Court.
Also, the Swan's food was tasty, I've been in some London pubs where the food was not edible, it was so bad.
So I don't know what cheap is for a pub, but there is a traditional pub or coach inn (that is about 300 years old) that I like a lot near a hotel I stayed at once, The Swan on Bayswater Rd right near Lancaster Gate tube stop. But if you aren't staying in that area, I doubt if you'd go just for that. I like its atmosphere and it has an outdoor area which isn't common for pubs. Traditional dishes like fish and chips or sausage and mash are around 11 GBP, I guess, which is reasonable to me. that's about the same price as one of those on the cheap pub list at Tripadvisor (Blackbird) which is farther out, in fact, at Earl's Court.
Also, the Swan's food was tasty, I've been in some London pubs where the food was not edible, it was so bad.
Jan 16th, 2016, 12:20 PM
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Yes pub grub can be inexpensive compared to proper restaurants but I was talking about drinks being more expensive than Stateside - I'm judging on what folks pay on Coronation Street at their local The Rovers - where these blue-collar folks gulp beer and wine like it was water - about $4-5 a pint (large than U.S. pint) and IME pubs have always been more pricey than at home- average price for a pint of lager in London pubs in 2014 was about 3 pounds 80 p or over $6 - about what I'd pay for a pitcher here in my local.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/D...of-beer-prices
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/D...of-beer-prices
Jan 16th, 2016, 12:54 PM
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You have to remember that there is duty and VAT on beer, plus the brewers very large cut. Duty depends on the strength of the beer I believe. The publican often makes very little, if anything from beer. Soft drinks are where the profit is.
Pubs are getting rarer, partly due to the brewers and chains that own many of them overpricing things and ripping the heart out of them, but also due to young people and others of course, drinking elsewhere.
Pub food is generally, but not always cheaper than in a restaurant It varies hugely in standard though from excellent, to dire. Price is not always an indication of which you will get either. We had an excellent meal at a pub near Oldham which cost 10 pounds for the two of us, including a proper Northern stick to your ribs Pudding. We have paid considerably more than that elsewhere for what at best could be described as a microwaved plate of mixed carbs, with a token pieceof protein, prepared in some factory somewhere for the chain owners at less than a tenth of the price we were charged.
Pubs are getting rarer, partly due to the brewers and chains that own many of them overpricing things and ripping the heart out of them, but also due to young people and others of course, drinking elsewhere.
Pub food is generally, but not always cheaper than in a restaurant It varies hugely in standard though from excellent, to dire. Price is not always an indication of which you will get either. We had an excellent meal at a pub near Oldham which cost 10 pounds for the two of us, including a proper Northern stick to your ribs Pudding. We have paid considerably more than that elsewhere for what at best could be described as a microwaved plate of mixed carbs, with a token pieceof protein, prepared in some factory somewhere for the chain owners at less than a tenth of the price we were charged.
Jan 16th, 2016, 01:04 PM
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Fun to follow flpab's link. I've only visited a couple of those pubs, and didn't eat. This upcoming visit I want to get to The Rising Sun up on Cloth Fair, on that list. In a cool old neighborhood.
Also on that list: a couple of years ago when my daughter was in school at Regent's, the students went to The Rocket on Euston Road one midweek evening when pints were always 1.5 GBP. Thursday? Wed? I don't know that I'd try the food there, though.
Also on that list: a couple of years ago when my daughter was in school at Regent's, the students went to The Rocket on Euston Road one midweek evening when pints were always 1.5 GBP. Thursday? Wed? I don't know that I'd try the food there, though.
Jan 16th, 2016, 02:14 PM
#10
>>Pub beer and drinks are across the board a lot higher than I've found at home <<
Average for a pint in London is less than £4 - more like £3.75 which is about $5.30 . . . A pint of good beer will cost that much or more most places in the States. <i>Unless</i> you drink Keystone or Schlitz (but they aren't good so don't count) . . .
Average for a pint in London is less than £4 - more like £3.75 which is about $5.30 . . . A pint of good beer will cost that much or more most places in the States. <i>Unless</i> you drink Keystone or Schlitz (but they aren't good so don't count) . . .
Jan 16th, 2016, 02:43 PM
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janis - you should get out into the real world more - budget bars - normal bars here I can get a 12-0z bottle of beer for $1.25 and a pitcher for 5-6 - Now you are talking about a 'good beer' - OP is talking about budget beer which is not available under about $5 a pint in any UK pub. I suspect that 'good beer' some mini-brewwery cask ale - in your terms - not what the average Joe drinks would cost much more than the average of 3.80 pounds in London
Dear do get into the real U S sometime! come to Michigan and we'd both have pints of good enough beer for $6and free popcorn to boot.
Dear do get into the real U S sometime! come to Michigan and we'd both have pints of good enough beer for $6and free popcorn to boot.
Jan 16th, 2016, 04:00 PM
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http://www.pintprice.com/city.php?/L...ingdom/gbp.htm
My local always has pbr if your broke for 1.00 a can. He knows they will be able to afford Guinness someday again.
My local always has pbr if your broke for 1.00 a can. He knows they will be able to afford Guinness someday again.
Jan 16th, 2016, 05:10 PM
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One could argue that beer that comes in pitchers - or for $1.25 each - are probably not drinkable.
I thought only impoverished students drank beer by the pitcher - and in fact have never really heard of it since I was one - in the last ice age. (But I'm not a beer drinker unless someplace where that is the only option and I will have one - but only a good one. And even when I was in college would not drink Budweiser or similar - only imports - before there were a lot of wonderful beers made in the US.)
I'm not sure pitchers of beer are a thing in England.
I thought only impoverished students drank beer by the pitcher - and in fact have never really heard of it since I was one - in the last ice age. (But I'm not a beer drinker unless someplace where that is the only option and I will have one - but only a good one. And even when I was in college would not drink Budweiser or similar - only imports - before there were a lot of wonderful beers made in the US.)
I'm not sure pitchers of beer are a thing in England.
Jan 17th, 2016, 12:12 AM
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Jan 17th, 2016, 12:17 AM
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Hooameye - Although not common, there are several pubs in my local area of the South of England that will sell you a 4 pint jug of ale. Whereas individual pints will cost around £3.20, a jug will be £12.50 so there is a slight saving.
