The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak

This pub deserves all the praise it has received. It basically has it all one would want in a great pub. Well decorated and good atmosphere. Real fire for the winter and a small beer garden out back. The ale and cider selection is excellent, while not as large as say the Euston Taps it is very well edited and is more about british ales rather international micro brews. Good selection of real cider as well. And when you start to get the munchies after a couple pints there is a lovely pork bap to be had to fill you up and keep you going for a few more. The only down part is that it is quite a small space and it can get very busy. They also don't allow you to drink outside apart from the small garden in the back so if it's full you are going to struggle to enjoy your pint but nothing you can do about that. Although I have to say when I was there on a Monday night a group of people decided to make it a class reunion at the pub inviting 20+ of their closest friends for a pint.. not a good idea.. Please don't do that people at a pub like this unless you have somehow managed to pay to book it out, it's just too small to invite a few dozen of your closest mates, 3 or 4 is just enough to allow every one to come in and enjoy themselves. Lastly great touch having a real record player playing the music in the pub rather than MP3s coming from a laptop.

2 May 2012 11:53

Euston Tap, Euston

For beer selection alone this pub likely rates as a 10 in London but overall as a pub it's let down a bit by it's small space and atmosphere but it is what it is. It's a railway pub firstly so don't come expecting a warm cosy atmosphere with a fire and every one knowing your name. It's also been put in a very small building which they have done the best of with what they have. Most people take their beers outside and in the summer I imagine this place is going to have problems because it will be so full of people standing on the outside and passengers wanting to get in and out of Euston the police will likely give them troubles. It seems though they are trying to improve the outside as best they can. They are working with very limited space but they have nice tables out there and seem to be trying to expand the patio area as much as they can. For a pint on the go the selection is about as good as it gets.

2 May 2012 11:36