ben_haines_london

The one note has become four, and it is a pleasure to send them. I shall welcome ideas for exclusions, as the lists are long.

Ben Haines
[email protected]

CENTRAL LONDON PUBS praised by Fodors readers, Ben Haines, or both

The Grenadier. 18 Wilton Row, Belgravia. Hyde Park Corner tube. Arguably London's most famous pub, and reputedly haunted, the Grenadier was once frequented by the duke of Wellington's officers on leave from fighting Napolon. It pours the best Bloody Marys in town, and filet of beef Wellington is always a specialty. The nicest thing about it is the location - great neighborhood, and as a mews pub it always feels cozy and "undiscovered" even if it turns up in every guide book (and can be occupied almost exclusively by tourists some times.) I don't know about the Beef Wellington, but my recollection of the food there was it was okay, nothing special, but pricey. Mid-week afternoon on a warm day, though, not a bad place.

The St. George near Victoria Station. This discourages casual visitors.
Further down the street is the Greyhound. It is for locals
The Albert, 52 Victoria Street. St. James Park tube.
Good views of Westminster Abbey and pub grub for dinner
The Red Lion. Crown Passage has an almost Dickensian feel, with odd and ancient little shops, next to bustling cafes. And, of course, an old pub. The Red Lion claims to have the second oldest continuous beer licence in London. A pub has stood here for several centuries, although the present building is probably late Georgian. Piccadilly and Green Park tube.
The Albert, 52 Victoria St. Good views of Westminster Abbey and pub grub for dinner. Victoria and St. James Park tube

Red Lion, 48 Parliament St. Attractive turn-of-the-century features, etched glass and a surfeit of mahogany. Nearest pub to Downing Street, so often frequented by MPs and other politicos. Westminster tube

The Lamb and Flag, 33 Rose Street. Leicester Square tube. Wes Fowler: This one is really old, being one of the few wooden structures to survive the Great Fire of 1666. It was once known as the "Bucket of Blood" because of all the fights that broke out in it. It was also one of Charles Dickens favorite spots on his pub crawls.

The Salisbury, 89 - 90 St. Martin's Lane. Leicester Square tube. Mid 19th century. Theatre people use it and Wes Fowler recommends it. Glittering cut-glass mirrors and old-fashioned banquettes, plus lighting fixtures of veiled bronze girls in flowing togas, re-create the Victorian gin-parlor atmosphere in the heart of the West End. Theatergoers drop in for homemade meat pie or salad buffet before curtain. Wes Fowler: Dates from the mid 19th century and is notorious for the bare knuckle fights that were held there in that era. It is a stunning pub and you may find it filled with theatre people.

Covent Garden Market: three pubs on the north side of the market serve good traditional pub food: the Lamb and Flag, the Salisbury, and another

The Maple Leaf, 41 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. Charing Cross tube. This is not a historic pub, but great if you want to catch up on baseball or American football news. It shows several live games per week of all American sports (baseball, hockey, basketball, football - pro and college).

Gordon's Wine Bar, Villiers Street. Embankment tube.

The Marquis of Granby, 51 Chandos Place. Charing Cross tube. Dates to the 17th century when it was called "The Hole in the Wall" and run by a mistress of the Duke of Buckingham. Theatre people use it and Wes Fowler recommends it

The Coal Hole, 91 The Strand. Charing Cross tube. Wes Fowler recommends it. Much used by theatre people. Wes Fowler recommends it. Named in the early 19th century from the colliers who unloaded boats on the river and went there to restore themselves.

Perseverance, 63 Lambs Conduit Street, Holborn. Holborn tube
Excellent gastro Pub, but have not been in a while. Environment and atmosphere of traditional boozer.

The Union Tavern. 52 Lloyd Baker Street. Kings Cross St Pancras tube
Traditional Victorian Pub with gastro pub pretensions ie excellent food.

The Eagle
Often hailed as the original gastro-pub, the Eagle in Farringdon sticks to its roots of being a good honest pub that serves a combination of simple Mediterranean and hearty British cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. A large crowd of regulars won’t hear a word said against the place. Ales are by Charles Wells; there’s also a choice of continental white beers and a good selection of wines.
159 Farringdon Road, Farringdon, EC1R 3AL. 020 7837 1353
User reviews http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/review_1113.html
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...le/Clerkenwell

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, 15 Fleet Street. Blackfriars tube. Very old historic pub with good but cheap beer. Great atmosphere with several different rooms in which to have a drink and something to eat. Haven t tried the meals so I can t comment.

Ye Olde Cock Tavern. 22 Fleet Street, London, EC4 1YA. Temple and Chancery Lane tubes. Mock Tudor frontage, long bar full of Victorian woodwork with lovely classical style pillars on the bar itself. One of the most famous taverns in the City of London and the oldest in Fleet Street. Built originally in 1549. The upstairs Function Room is airy with a stained glass ceiling. Old prints cover the walls.

Old Bell Tavern, 95 Fleet Street. Blackfriars and Chancery Lane tube

The Cartoonist, New Merchant Centre, New Street Square, north of Fleet St. City Thameslink station. Worth a look not for the pub but for the cartoons.

The Blackfrairs, 174 Queen Victoria St. Blackfriars tube. A beautiful place with good food at reasonable prices and a friendly staff.

Centre Page. 29-33 Knightrider Street, London, EC4 5BH. Blackfriars tube
Old, classic pub, wooden floor panelling. Restored recently and is now warm and light inside. Serves beer is served in pewter tankards, and traditional, fresh English food.

The Bell Book & Tavern , 42 Ludgate Hill, City, London, EC4M 7JU. Blackfriars tube. Built on the site of the medieval Ludgate Prison for debtors. 1731 London's first coffee house opened here. 1872 rebuilt as Ye Olde London. 1985 refurbished, it kept the original facade. Inside are two bars with comfortable seats, bookshelves and a mews garden. Food on offer is traditional roast meats, and daily specials with a grill counter where you can choose your steak or Fish and Chips and have it cooked whilst you watch.

Hand and Shears, 1 Middle Street, Cloth Fair, London, EC1A 7JA. Barbican tube. Small traditional pub behind City of London's oldest Church - St. Bartholomew's the Great. Originally built in 1123. Rebuilt in 1849: the bar is central to a square wooden panelled room which is split into four and is occupied by a mix of medical and office workers. In winter the open fires make for a warm and friendly atmosphere where you can enjoy a quiet pint and good food while contemplating the 19th Century cartoons that are spread around the room.

Lord Raglan, 61 St Martins-Le-Grand, London, EC1A 4ER. St Pauls tube.
Victorian London Pub. Shakespeare and his friends visited the pub. Reconstructed in 1855 on top of the original cellars, it then became "The Lord Raglan" to commemorate Lord Raglan the hero and Commander in Chief of the Crimean campaign. Offers a good selection of food, wines and beers in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Founders Arms, just downstream from the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge. Blackfriars tube. Good food for lunch and supper, and views of St Paul s and the City

Dickens Inn. St Katherine’s Marina. Tower Hill tube. An 18th century spice warehouse converted in the style of a 19th century balconied two story Inn. It has two restaurants, a snack bar, and traditional tavern. The beer garden and restaurant balconies are open during the summer. The pub overlooks Tower Bridge and the Marina with its boats and walkways.

Hung, Drawn and Quartered. By the Tower. Tower Hill tube. Interesting decor with a nice outside area.

A correspondent recommends www.fancyapint.com. Complete London pub listings, including directions and tube stations (the search feature by tube station proximity is an especially nifty option). If he remembers correctly, they even recommend some crawls based on neighbourhoods.


GASTROPUBS and other favourite pubs

Fairly often forum readers ask for advice on pubs to visit. On 27 May 2006 the London newspaper the Independent published results of a survey of reader opinion on the best neighbourhood pubs and the best gastro-pubs in London (that is, pubs with lunch and supper at about ten pounds a meal). These notes combine their lists, and place pubs in a sequence, working clockwise around London. Copyright lies with the Independent

• The Eagle
Often hailed as the “original gastro-pub”, the Eagle in Farringdon steadfastly sticks to its roots of being “a good honest pub” that serves a combination of simple Mediterranean and hearty British cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. A large crowd of regulars won’t hear a word said against the place. Ales are by Charles Wells; there’s also a choice of continental white beers and a good selection of wines.
Where: 159 Farringdon Road, Farringdon, EC1R 3AL 020 7837 1353
User reviews http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/review_1113.html
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...le/Clerkenwell

• Holly Bush
Built in 1643, this is one of the oldest establishments in Hampstead. Snuggle up by the Coffee Bar’s open fire in winter and, when the sun comes out, move outside to the seats on the street. The beer is good, the food is hearty and there are Tuesday night poetry evenings for the culturally-minded, it can be very crowded at the weekends but most don’t seem to mind.
Where: 22 Holly Mount, Hampstead, NW3 6SG 020 7435 2892
http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=197
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...Bush/Hampstead
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/info_pubbar_1921.html

• Wells Tavern
The Wells in Hampstead has won several awards for its cooking, and offers imaginative, seasonal dishes in seductive surroundings A two or three course menu is served in the trio of intimate dining rooms on the first floor and in the spacious ground floor bar and sitting rooms, a shorter, simpler menu is offered featuring salads, salt beef with latkes, sausage & mash and salmon fishcakes, To keep beer drinkers happy there is London Pride real ale, Grolsch and Guinness on draught as well as a frequently-changed guest ale.
Where: 30 Well Walk Hampstead, NW3 1BX 020 7794 3785; www.theweljshampsteadcouk
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...vern/Hampstead
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_3987.html

• The Flask
Known for its real ale, its speciality draft beers and its Sunday roasts, The Flask serves as Highgate’s very own “village pub”. Boasting a large beer garden that heaves with activity during the summer months - especially when serving barbeque food -the pub then transforms into a cosy local with log fires and hearty food over the winter. It’s the perfect place to revive yourself after a long walk on the Heath
Where: 77 Highgate West Hill, Highgate, N6 68U 020 8348 7346
User review http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...Flask/Highgate
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_6563.html

• The LockTavern
Slightly nervous of the “gastro-pub” name tag, the good people at the Lock in Camden would prefer to hear it described as “a pub that serves really good food”. Relax into a leather chair or sofa and enjoy one of their legendary pies supplied by the Square Pie Company. DJs play at the Lock Tavern Thursday through to Saturday nights and all day Sunday, with mixed sets described by the Lock itself as “generally not playing house music”.
Where: 35 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, NW1 8AJ 020 7482 7163
User reviews
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs..._Tavern/Camden
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_2282.html

• Lord Palmerston
How great must it be to have in Tufnell Park a local like this on your doorstep? The decor is simple and functional, the food is consistently good and the atmosphere laid back. The pub consists of the main bar, the Chapel (a converted stable) and the conservatory, which leads out onto a shady garden — and you’re advised to get there early to grab a table as no reservations are taken downstairs in the evenings. The menu is an eclectic mix of modern British food with a Moorish/Mediterranean slant and is revised twice daily.
Where: 33 Dartmouth Park Hill, Tufnell Park, NW5 1HU
020 74851578; www.geronimo.inns.co.uk
http://www.londontown.com/LondonInfo...lmerston/bd65/
User review http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...Dartmouth_Park
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_2318.html

•The Fox Reformed
Described as the essence of Stoke Newington, this long-established and relaxed wine bar offers bistro food at reasonable prices. Opened in 1981, it is the only wine bar on the street and its owners Carole and Robbie Richards are always happy to entertain you over a glass or two of wine. There is a pretty garden, good service and a great atmosphere. Oh, and Edgar Allen Poe went to school on this site before returning to the US.
Where: 176 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 OJL 020 7254 5975;
http://www.fox-reformed.co.uk/about.html

• The Approach Tavern
Popular with the Bethmal Green locals, this may not look like anything special from the outside, but inside this handsome dark wood bar is worth checking out. Upstairs there is an art gallery showcasing some great new talent. Food-wise, the menu changes regularly and includes delicacies such as pan-fried red snapper and herb-crusted chicken, which can be washed down with a guest beer or well-chosen wine. It’s comfortable, pretty and well-organised.
Where: 47 Approach Road, E2 9LY 020 8980 2321 Bethnal Green tube
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs.../Bethnal_Green
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pubbar_review_187.html

• The Dove
The warm and inviting restaurant area of this pub in London Fields is like a rabbit warren with nooks and crannies aplenty, and serves a variety of hearty and nourishing food including fish stews, pies, sausages and mash and Sunday roasts. The bar room features classic dark wood with a hearth, and pew seating where you can settle down to a game of Scrabble while sampling one of their many unusual beers.
Where: 24-24 Broadway Market, London Fields E8 4QJ
020 7270 3617 Train from Liverpool Street
User reviews http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3731.htm
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_1162.html

• Coach and Horses
This is a gastro bar, a pub, and a Greenwich market meeting place with its outside tables adjoining the nearby market stalls. Locals and visitors come for hearty ales, fine wines, a roaring fire and Mediterranean cuisine. If you just want to sit around and read the papers, head for the lounge area and settle in -- although you’ll need to get in early at the weekend. Babies and children are welcome until 9pm.
Where: 13 Greenwich Market, SE1O 9HZ 02082930880. Train from Charing Cross
User review http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...rses/Greenwich

• The Gowlett
A Peckham bar serving real ales, organic wines and handmade stone-base pizzas. At first glance you might not expect to find a decent pint here -- there are lots of children (the pub even has a supply of plastic toys), DJs on a Sunday and the aforementioned pizzas. But there are usually three or four ales on tap and lots of organic wines and the style, if a little familiar, has been done well, with its warm wooden panelling. In 2005 the Gowlett won the south east London pub of the year award of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). Tucked away in a back street, this little treasure of a gastro-pub has a pool table, friendly staff, and a convivial atmosphere, making it a secret most locals want to keep.
Where: 62 Gowlett Road, Peckham SE15 4HY 020 7635 7048; www.thegowlett.com. Train from Victoria or Blackfriars
User review http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...t_Arms/Peckham

• Liquorish
It’s a simple formula — part diner, part cocktail bar and some decks at the back for the late night music vibe. Regularly packed out, this place in East Dulwich welcomes babies and children at lunchtime and has a selection of board games for lazy Sunday mornings when you may not feel up to a conversation. It specialises in cocktails — try the Honey Pie or English Summer. The menu is short but interesting and well-produced.
Where: 123 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, SE22 8HU 020 8693 7744: www.liquorish.com. Train from London Bridge
User review http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...h/East_Dulwich

• The Palmerston
Worth a trip to Dulwich for the interior alone, the Palmerston boasts wood panelling, wonderful fireplaces, and an 1865 mosaic floor. The menu is classic gastro-pub with Sunday lunches that are great value, but because of this it can get very busy, so it’s wise to book well in advance to guarantee yourself a table. However, there’s more to this place than the great food and the decor - it’s still essentially a local with interesting wines and three real ales on tap.
Where: 91 Lordship Lane, Dulwich, SE22 8EP 020 8693 1629. Train from London Bridge
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...n/East_Dulwich
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_6288.html

• Cooper’s Arms Bar
This is the perfect Chelsea pub to spend the afternoon in. The bar extends right into the middle of the room, so there is plenty of space to sit, and it really is a pub used by its locals. Arrive early and bag a place by the fire with a: pile of papers, or sit by the old grandfather dock and gaze at the vintage travel posters decorating the walls. The wine list is short but well-chosen and the pub serves Young’sAles and Hoegaarden on tap.
Where: 87 Flood Street, Chelsea, SW3 518 0871 426 3206. Bus from Sloane Square
User review http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...s_Arms/Chelsea

• Anglesea Arms
An ale drinker’s paradise, the Anglesea in South Kensington serves Hogs Back Brewery TEA, London Pride Adnams, Adnams Broadside, Young’s and Barnsley Red Heart. The wine list is also extensive, and the food happily lives up to the same standards.
Where: 15 Setwood Terrace, South Kensington, SW7 3QG 020 7373 7960
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/review_1780.html
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...a_Arms/Chelsea
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pubbar_review_180.html

• The Builders Arms
One of those pubs that is tucked away in a Kensington back street, the Builders Arms is hard to find unless you know about it -- which can be a great advantage. There is a room upstairs that can be hired for private parties and a small garden outside. If you like good beer in charming surroundings with a group of like-minded people, hunt this place out.
Where: 1 Kensington Court Place, W8 SBJ 020 7795 4810. High Street Kensington tube
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...rms/Kensington
user review http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pubbar_review_573.html

• The Idle Hour
The Idle Hour is a modern and stylish gastro bar right by Putney Bridge. Lots of organic food and wine and cocktails are served in a room with exposed brick walls, candles and fresh flowers, frequented by a crowd of 30-something’s. If you want to sit outside, get there early as there are only four tables in the patio area.
Where: 22 Putney High Street, SW15 ISL 020 8789 5995. Putney Bridge tube
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...le_Hour/Putney
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_6552.html

• Old Ship
Perfect for warm summer evenings, the Old Ship in Hammersmith has an upstairs balcony and a ground floor terrace where you can enjoy stunning views of the Thames. It offers “fast bar food”, a sought-after Sunday roast and seasonal ales all served by friendly staff.
Where: 25 Upper Mall, Hammersmith W6 9TD 020 8748 2593;
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...ip/Hammersmith
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_6509.html

• Ginglik
A member’s club by Shepherd’s Bush Green, this fine establishment used to be a public lavatory. Its friendly staff, relaxed vibe and cutting-edge music are helping to spread the reputation of this welcoming watering hole. The walls are decorated by local artists and on Tuesdays it is transformed into an award-winning comedy club,
Where: 1 Shepherd’s Bush Green, W12 020 8749 2310
User reviews http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...Shepherds_Bush
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/user_pub...view_6295.html


TO ENTER INTO CONVERSATION

People on the web fora often ask how a visitor can enter into conversation in a London pub.

You walk in, order your drink (it does not have to be alcoholic), and while you order you look around. If there is a conversation at the bar you go and stand within earshot, visibly listening, and after three minutes you listen for a point where you can contribute. At this early stage your contribution must be agreement with others. Often you can illustrate from experience in your own country. Your contribution should be short, and helpful. Bar regulars will respond to what you day, and for the next ten minutes you should continue with short points of agreement. About then you can start to disagree, politely. The regulars may think it polite to turn the conversation to be about you and your country. That is fine, but please bear in mind that you came in on a conversation that people liked, and it is probably good to get back to that topic. Almost certainly the original conversation will tell you more and interest you more than discussion of yourself.

If at a table two people are in deep personal conversation you of course do not sit there. If two or three are at a table in an conversation that interests you then you are free to walk over, keep standing, and say that you this interests you: may you join them ? The least sign of reluctance would lead you to move gently away, but on the whole you will be welcome, and will be shown your chair, or should bring one up.

If you walk in, you find no conversation, and the bartender is not pressed for time you can open a conversation with him or her. Religion, politics, and criticism of England are ruled out in this case. A good topic is something you have just seen in London, or are going to see, especially if you ask the bartender to advise you on it. With a bit of luck a Londoner at the bar will pick up the conversation, and you are launched. If the bartender is white and has an accent you can without ill manners ask him or her where they are from. You can talk about that place, and about how they find London. If the bartender is black or Asian and has an accent you cannot have that conversation, as they are very likely London born and bred, but of a family that has held onto a Caribbean or African accent. Your assumption that they are not Londoners would irritate them (as it would me).

Londoners find that Americans talk loudly (probably the result of living in the praries!) so you will be more welcome if you keep down to to other peoples’ loudness.

The list has developed into four notes, and I am pleased to send them to you now. I shall welcome anybody’s comments. The lists are long, so ideas for what to cut will be especially welcome.

Ben Haines
[email protected]

MEALS IN LONDON PUBS

One or two people have asked for a note on meals in pubs in London. There are books on this topic, and all I'm doing here is listing pubs where I've had good lunches in the last year or two.

Children are welcome in the restaurant of each pub I list with the exceptions of time and place that I note pub by pub. Most of these pubs serve big portions, and all either accept an order for one meal and an empty plate, to allow adults to share with children, or of coyurse offer starters big enough for a youngish child. Main courses are about six pounds, starters about two, and hot puddings about two. In the first four pubs, in Chelsea and Belgravia, you should add a pound to each figure: you are lunching among the comfortably off. A pint is two pounds or just over, and each pub will happily serve tap water, fizzy lemonade, or a cola. Pubs I list serve Mondays to Friday lunches only, unless I say they serve evenings or weekends too. The list starts in the west and swings east. Each place I name has its own cook in the kitchens, who prepares the meals, rather than a system of factory-made ready frozen meals heated by microwave and served.

The Anglesea Arms, 15 Sellwood Terrace, Chelsea, SW7. Phone 7373 7960. South Kensington tube. Thai lunches Tuesday and Wednesday, English lunches other five days and English suppers daily. Children welcome throughout. Good for visits to South Kensington Museums -- though in fact there are plenty of fairly cheap ethnic restaurants beside and opposite South Kensington station.

The Coopers Arms, 87 Flood Street, Chelsea, SW3. Phone 7376 3120. Full lunches daily and evening bar snacks daily. From October there will be full suppers too. Children welcome to full meals, but not sat at bar snacks. Tube to Sloane Square and bus along the Kings Road. Good for visits to the National Amy Museum.

The Nags Head, 53 Kinnerton Street, and the Wilton Arms, 71 Kinnerton Street. Both of these Belgravia pubs have evening meals. Knightsbridge tube station. Children are welcome in summer only outdoors at a street table.

The Two Chairmen. Corner of Queen Anne's Gate and Dartmouth Street, 100 yards from St James' Park tube station. Useful for visits to Parliament, Westminster, the Cabinet War Rooms, and St James' Park. Some Members of Parliament use it. Children are welcome for lunch but not supper

The Albert. Corner of Buckingham Gate and Victoria Street. Nearest tube St James Park. Downstairs good hot food, with spices well used, served also in the evening. Upstairs for lunches only a carvery, three courses at 15 pounds. The house beer is Courage, but other and better draught is also served. Children are welcome at lunch but not supper.ot down for supper

The Devereaux. Just west of the Inns of Court and just south of the Law Courts on the Strand. Nearest tube is Temple. Good for visits to Covent Garden (where things are touristy and expensive), to the Courtauld Gallery, and to Dr Johnson's house. Much used by lawyers.

The Three Stags. Corner of Kennington Road and Lambeth Road, 300 yards west of the Imperial War Museum, nearest tube Lambeth North. Lunch and supper daily till 8.30 pm. Outside tables take children (of course). Sunday roast for lunch. Real fish and chips.

The Founders Arms. At the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge, downstairs to the Jubilee walk which runs along the river, and a hundred yards downstream. Nearest tube Blackfriars. Lunch and supper seven days a week: last orders 8pm. Good for visits to St Paul's, the South Bank, the Tate Modern, the Globe, and next year the new Tate Gallery building. Used by all sorts of people. From May 2000 this pub has become more crowded, with an influx of contented visitors who've just been at the Tate Modern. So ordering meals in high summer involves a five minute queue and a ten minute wait for your food. No problem: you can spend your time quaffing London's best beer and admiring St Paul's. The beer and food are impeccable, and the service cheerful, multilingual, and friendly. Children are welcome in summer only outdoors on the terrace by the Thames.

The Sir Loin Restaurant, above The Hope, 94 Cowcross Street. Duck, Pork and Beef, all roast, all fresh from Smithfield meat market and never frozen at any time. Upstairs at the Sir Loin you pay twice the cost of an average pub meal, but the food is good. Downstairs in the pub are joints of pork and beef ready for carving to go into sandwiches. Monday to Friday breakfast 7 to 9.30, lunches noon to 2, no evening meals.

The New Market. 26 Smithfield Street, opposite the south west corner of Smithfield Market. Nearest tube Farringdon. Meals Monday to Friday 6.30 am to 8 pm, and Sundays noon to 5. Closed Saturdays. From 6.30 a pub for Smithfield meat market (but open to you if you want a pint at seven in the morning). Useful for evening pub meals. Good for visits to the Museum of London, St Bartholomew the Great, St Bartholomew the Less, St Etheldreda's, and St Paul's.

The Shakespeare. North of the Museum of London, at the southern end of Goswell Road. 100 yards from Barbican tube station. Lunches and suppers Mondays to Saturdays: last orders 8pm. I've not been enough to get a feel for the clientele. Good for St John's Gate, the two churches of St Bartholomew, the Museum of London, the Barbican (where in-house meals tend to expense) and St Paul's.

The Hoop and Grapes, 80 Farringdon Street, north of Ludgate Circus. Nearest station City Thameslink. Lunches and suppers Mondays to Fridays and lunches Saturdays. Used by young office people, partly due to the light and modern decoration and furnishing. A pleasant balcony in summer. A small place, so often full for Thursday and Friday lunch. Good for St Pauls cathedral, St Brides church and St Anne and St Agnes church.

There are several restaurants for lunch in Leadenhall Market, on the corner of Leadenhall Street and Gracechurch Street, but only one pub, the Lamb. It has no choice, but only roast beef and full trimmings, and the vegetables are mixed, and frozen. It would be useful if you're at the market, the Bank of England Museum, the Monument, or nearby 17th century churches. Used by city gents.

The Market Porter, on the southern side of Borough Market, nearest tube London Bridge. Good for visits to Southwark Cathedral (older and better looking than St Paul's), the Globe, the Old Operating Theatre, Hay's Galleria, HMS Belfast, and the George Inn (fine for a pint, but pricey for meals). Good cheese shop next door and cake shop round the corner. On the third Saturday of each month the market is well used by stalls offering gourmet food (venison, real pork pies, Portugese fish, and so on), and the pub offers a Saturday lunch that day. Used by Southwark dealers, traders, and financiers.

The Anchor Tap half way along the eastern side of Horselydown, just east of the Tower Bridge Road, which runs south from the Bridge. Marked in summer by fine hanging baskets of flowers. The landlord is American. Open twelve to nine Mondays to Saturdays. It doesn't reach the level of other pubs in this note, but is useful for visitors to the Tower, Bridge, Design Museum, and Tea and Coffee Museum.

The Mitre, next to the great church of St Alphege, Greenwich. I'm not sure whether they admit children. If not, no matter. Nearly as good are the two pubs that have outside tables in old Greenwich Market, a hundred yards away. No tube: nearest station Greenwich, 15 minutes by train from Charing Cross main line station - or an hour by boat from Embankment. Good for all the pleasures of Greenwich.

If anybody knows a pub in the West End that can offer food this good at moderate prices I'd be grateful for an e-mail: you'll see that I've not yet found one, and tend to cycle along to the Devereaux.

TheWetherspoons and the Ale and Pie chains both serve meals with little flavour. I think factories make them.

SB_Travlr

Wow, Ben, thank you -- a very impressive list! I've been cutting and pasting like mad to take with us. If DH can't find anything that suits him from all those options, then it probably doesn't exist... ;-)

DAX

Tagging for my next trip

gforaker

Oh, Yeah! I have to bookmark this great thread. The wife and I plan on visiting this next January.

What about The Windsor Castle Pub? I enjoyed it last visit or is it just considered a tourist trap?

ElendilPickle

Thank you, Ben and others, for this wonderful list!

Lee Ann

annhig

Ben - I'm truly impressed. But when do you find the time?

ben_haines_london

Dear Ms Higg,

Thank you. I retired in 1993, and travelled twice a year until 2005, when my feet went badly out of order. So now I draw on people who write to this forum, on Google, and on memory to re-live my travels in my own house. Also at times I have the pleasure of visitors from the nineties. This very August I give tea to ladies of my age from Weissbaden and from Belgrade. Breakfast tea, cucumber sandwiches, and chocolate cream cake. The lady from Belgrade says that the end of Yugoslavia was due to US policy. O dear.

Ben Haines
[email protected]

MarchMadness

This is FANtastic!!! I will be defintely offering up a toast to Ben and all for these great reviews!

Here's to Ben and all of you for helping make my future pub crawl/walk so special!

What are considered the "best" ales and beers in London. I enjoy Guiness, Smithwicks, Harp, Black and Tans, Half and Halfs, IPA (shipyard is good)in the Boston area.

Will be staying in Covent Garden in Sept. and going to a couple of shows. Any good gastro pubs for a pre or post show dinner?

Cheers!

zupermaus

ggod grief, this is quite a question, youve got over 8000 pubs to choose from.

anyway, heres my 2 cents on Notting Hill:

Id heartily recommend the Windsor Castle on Campden Hill Rd, a quiet and leafy residential sidestreet but very popular with locals. Its haunted (you can ask for George? was it, their resident drinker who many see in period dress near the front and who are told later that hes not just the resident character but the resident ghost too). Its very old too with small kooky rooms (modern day pubs are now one big high ceilinged auditoriums) complete with 5 ft high doors, especially on the way to the toilets (very creepy). Also theres a great beer garden in summer or even benches on the street itself.

Another pub is the loud and trendy Prince Albert on Pembridge Crescent, round the corner from the tube entrance. The Cow (the first and a very good gastropub), and any on the Portobello Rd market route are great especially on market days when the places are packed with characters and buzz from the street.

http://london.openguides.org/index.c...Castle,_W8_7AR

Anniissa

Following a brief period as gothic horror-style theme pub called the Bell Book and Candle, the pub on Ludgate Hill was refurbished last year and is once more known as Ye Olde London. It is conveniently close to St Pauls and clearly refurbed to pull in the tourists. Far too much of a theme pub feel to it really. I have not eaten there myself but have heard routinely poor reviews. With so many geniunely historic or interesting pubs in the near vicinity (Cheshire Cheese, the Blackfriar, the Old Mitre Tavern in Ely Place or the Seven Stars on Carey Street) it seems such a shame that this is many a tourist's experience of a London pub.