Southern Cross, Watford

The Snow Patrol of Watford pubs. You won't love it or hate it, you'll just find it bland enough to not get in the way of your pint.

23 Jul 2008 14:20

The Horns, Watford

Friendly down to earth music-focused boozer, protected from Watford's central Strip by four lanes of passing traffic. Nice place to visit all year round, but probably comes into it's own in the summer months when you can spill out onto the large patio outside.

Bands on 3/4 nights a week, usual a mix of local bands and decentish tribute acts. The landlord also seems to be a close personal friend of Cockernee Geniuses Chas n Dave, so they're normally on a couple of times a year. Gertcha.

22 Jul 2008 14:15

Bar Bodega, Watford

Like a breath of fresh air after the meat market Ibiza-but-with-worse-weather style vibe of the rest of the 'Cafe Quarter'.

As mentioned below, possibly a bit pricier than other nearby places, but as with all things you gets what you pays for. In this case, it means a pleasant laid-back atmosphere, a decent drinks range and attentive bar staff who can tell their olives from their elbows. Can get a bit crowded later in the evening, but you can always escape to the nice little outdoor courtyard at the back when the weather is nice (i.e. between about Jul 31st and Aug 2nd)

One final plus point is that the original frontage has been kept, which means it could still pass as a bank from the outside. The upside of this is that the more educationally challenged members of Watford's drinking community don't realise it's a bar and walk straight past. This is a good thing.

22 Jul 2008 14:08

The Black Horse, Ireland

Fantastic gastropub, and an great find in the middle of the Bedfordshire countryside. Far more geared towards eating than casual drinking now, but the tasteful makeover inside has created a cracking place for a quick pint, bar snack or full-on sitdown meal. You certianly won't feel out of place if you're just popping in for a drink, particularly in the summer when you can plonk yourself down in the large garden outside.

Went for Sunday lunch (book ahead, it gets packed) and can highly recommend. The food was great - a notch above average pub grub in price but well worth it. The fact that the place was completely full speaks voulmes about how well this place is run. A great example of a country pub that has evolved without losing it's charm or character.

21 Jul 2008 13:37