The Prince Albert, Battersea

I went to the Prince Albert with a group of friends for the first time in a couple of years and it was a bit of a shocker. The beer was reasonable but the service was rock bottom. One of us was charged �3.65 (three pounds sixty five) for a pint of Pepsi!!! When he asked why this he was told "we are a pub, we are here to make money". Fair point, they are a business but that's not a reasonable answer to a reasonable question. Nor a reasonable price for a soft drink...? Prior to this we had ordered a couple of bowls of nachos and when they came, one was just a pile of all the smashed, broken bits from the bag with a few whole ones and the topping covering them. It will be another couple of years before we try it again.

4 Dec 2007 22:02

Wodka Bar, Krakow

In a town full of fantastic bars, this is the best one that I've been to during recent visits to Krakow. The 2 minute walk from the NE corner of Rynek Glowny takes you away from the tourist masses and into the great relaxed atmosphere of this (very) small bar. There is a selection of good bottled beers on offer but the main draw is the Vodka. There are a LOT to choose from, with a wide variety flavoured by both fruits and herbs. The barman was very helpful and took the time to guide me through a tasting session that included Cherry, Honey, Cranberry, Ginger, Wallnut and Absinthe based vodkas and we had hardly begun (though having been to other pubs first, I was on my way to being finished). If you want a bar where you can talk over the jazz/blues in the background and not have to shout, enjoy a couple of drinks and relax, I've not found better. Brilliant. Just don't tell everyone - you won't all fit.

22 Mar 2006 17:15

Bar Ha Ha, Kingston Upon Thames

I work in Kingston and have been to a number of work do's in here. I now avoid it on principle, EVEN IF FREE BEER IS ON OFFER (sadly true).

It's a truly soulless "bar", with a great location but nothing else going for it. There is no beer on offer - only badly kept lager, sold at sky high prices. Poor service and uninspiring food further lower my estimation.

This is the ONLY bar I refuse to go to. Learn from other people's mistakes and go somewhere else. There are good riverside pubs a couple of hundred metres up and downstream of HA-HAs, give them a go instead.

7 Mar 2006 09:58

The Porterhouse, Covent Garden

Great atmosphere, fantastic choice of beer - all of which are chemical free = slight hangover, if any - lots of tables/seats (you still need to get there early mind), friendly and knowledgeable staff, live music most nights. This is simply the best pub I've found in central London (after many years of searching).

Only caution: few beers, of which there are well over 100 on any given evening, are less than 5% and none are cheap.

7 Mar 2006 09:43