BITE user comments - glennquagmire
Comments by glennquagmire
Tiny ancient boozer; all dark wood, uneven floors and low ceilings.
Very good Adnams on the pumps. Tiny jetty out the back where you can stand over a bend in the Thames with Docklands to the East and the Tower of London and then the London Eye just visible to the West. Unfortunately you can't smoke out there which is the only advantage that the Narrow down the road has.
Shame about the tourists.
Go on a summer's evening at high tide.
11 Jul 2009 19:16
Best pub in Camberwell, Dulwich or Brixton.
Clientele is a mixture of alcoholics, art students and the lucky residents of Camberwell Grove. No music but can be loud nevertheless. Moira and her dad run a tight ship, but they're genuinely very decent people - when I told them I was leaving the area they bought me a pint! Also, on St Patrick's day they throw on half-decent free Irish Stew; walk in and get your fill.
At its best in winter when the two fires are on full tilt. Summer and you can watch the street gangs and King's mental patients amble around Church Street from the pavement outside.
Great variety of beer and arguably one of the best real ales in the country: Shrimpers.
If you take your girlfriend there, and she likes it, marry her quick.
11 Jul 2009 18:40
The Duke of Wellington, Aldgate
Small pub on a corner of an estate with the city 500 yards away.
Lit up from the outside it looks like a charmer but inside it's dreary: two darts board - one with an electronic scoreboard - TV's in the top corners - had stade-side racing on one and Davis Cup tennis on the other. Asked for a Pride which was unavailable, IPA also unavailable so it was a Guinness - 3 quid. East European bar girls were miserable.
Landlord made an appearance to change the Pride. Body weight symptomatic of a lifetime's booze and fags (nothing wrong with that).
Only people in was a faceless, grey city couple throwing arrows.
Smoking garden to one side.
All said, I couldn't see the charm here but might try it again.
11 Jul 2009 11:13
Carpenters Arms, Bethnal Green
Another of the Kray's boozers: this is where Ronnie got pissed before he shot that bloke in the Beggar.
Boxing gloves replaced with a carpenters' plaque behind the bar.
Now run by gay French Eddie, the beer selection here is the best in the area: Adnams and Timothy Taylor on the pumps and a world-wide selection of lagers, ciders and beers available on tap and by bottle. The lager could be colder though. It's not cheap but barring the cellar temperature it's high quality. Oysters on ice available throughout the evening or a French variant of a ploughmans - the Saucisson Sec is sourced from an artisan in Brick Lane market but it's worth it for the butter alone - a salty death-sentence. Enormous pork scratchings out of a jar available too. It's only missing a pickled egg. Cosy smoking garden at rear.
I even pulled in here once.
Should be more like this.
11 Jul 2009 10:52
Called the Blind Beggar after a 13th century cockney riches-to-rags legend the pub is laced with history - but you wouldn't have thought it visiting.
Recently refurbed it's not modern but new. Average.
That said, it's now run by an ex-military Brit; the bar staff are pleasant - sort of place they do shots behind the bar on a Friday night. Worth a visit to see Nadine: hopefully she'll dump her boyfriend soon.
Big concrete smoking garden to one side.
Abbot and Pride on the pumps. Walkers crisps too.
11 Jul 2009 10:33
Back to glennquagmire's profile
The Narrow Street Pub & Dining Room, Limehouse
Surprisingly shabby and uncared for in places - bar staff were removed.
I'm not surprised Gordon's had to sell his Ferrari.
Clientele were mixture of Friday night boozers and overdressed diners - clearly a big night out!
Didn't eat but the menu looked overpriced.
Great for views down the river and you can smoke too.
Beer was OK but left feeling like I'd just exited a Wetherspoons for the middle classes.
Poor.
11 Jul 2009 19:29