The Garden Gate, Hampstead Heath

Good to excellent pub. The low (4.0) rating is a real puzzle as the beer, staff and layout are all fine. It has the added advantage of a huge beer garden. Never tried the food - I am usually just passing through here for a pint or two on my way to the excellent Indian (Curry Paradise) nearby.

11 Sep 2007 13:53

The Somerstown Coffee House, Euston

The low rating for this place is ridiculous. The beer (Bombardier and Wells IPA) is fine, the staff are charming, there is a good atmosphere, and the food is excellent and reasonably priced. If you are a smoker (as I am) there are plenty of tables out front and in the garden.

If you dislike this sort of pub and really want a taste of an "Old Somer's Town" pub, then go to the Cock Tavern, 100 yards away, where you can have your fill of keg lager and old, red faced alcoholics in dirty clothes.

10 Aug 2007 15:40

The Market Porter, Borough

Went here for the first time recently and had lunch on a wet Monday. Can't fault this place, which must be one of the best pubs in London. Excellent range of beers, well kept, charming staff, decent pub food, and a good atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

1 Dec 2006 11:36

Smithy's Wine Bar, Kings Cross

I don't understand the negative rewiews below. I look in here every couple of weeks for lunch or an early evening pint and it seems to me unchanged in the three years I have been doing that. The food is excellent, good value for the quality, and is certainly the best available in this area. The staff are fine, and the beer is perfectly okay. Someone below mentioned a big TV screen. There isn't one now! Maybe it went up for the football in the summer. This is more of a wine bar/restaurant than a pub but also fine as a place to have a few pints. Recommended.

16 Oct 2006 11:12

The Crown, Islington

This place is okay but I am not sure why it is so popular. The food is not bad, but nothing special, and is very expensive for what you get. �10 for a small hamburger and chips is taking the piss. Very crowded at weekends. The regulars obviously like it but I am not quite sure why. Plenty of outside tables and air con inside so it makes sense in the summer, but you will need to get there early to get a table.

9 Oct 2006 12:38

The Driver, Kings Cross

Excellent pub with the best food (apart from Smithys) in the area, and the prices are very reasonable too. Timothy Taylor Landlord and London Pride, as well as a really good wine list. This is my office local and I eat lunch here at least once a week. Good bar staff.

9 Oct 2006 12:30

The Angelic, Islington

Very good pub. Good atmosphere, charming bar staff and attracts a lively bunch. Can get a bit crowded in the early evening and on Friday and Saturday nights but you can usually find a space at the bar. Decent Bombardier and there is another cask beer whose name I have forgotten. It is one of those bare floor boards pubs so it can get a bit noisy. Excellent fresh fruit juice concoctions if you are into that sort of thing. The food is no more than okay, and is quite pricey for what you get, so it is not worth making a special trip for that. Actually the last time I ate there the food was horrible, but the chef might have been having an off day.

9 Oct 2006 12:24