The Tom Cribb, Piccadilly

Sitting in the pub right now, before the cinema. Tiny place, solid beer selection. Two barstaff, the young man was well-informed on the best choice for a bitter shandy, young lady made a little bit of a mess when pouring it - quite common. All good except she have me a glass covered in sticky shady :) I very politely asked if they could just wash the glass off with their soda hose. She looked a tad askew and reluctantly headed for the napkins, but the chap did helpfully wash it and voila, all good. So, nice pub, staff 50% professional and friendly, 50% not. (I usually expect a 'good evening' greeting if I offer one :)

But a solidly decent pub, especially in this neck of the woods.

14 Oct 2012 20:32

The Morpeth Arms, Pimlico

A bit bland. Looks great, but the crowd is exceedingly dull after work. Great during the day, though, but you must sit upstairs in the Spy Room and look out across the river. Comfy sofas, the light coming in on a sunny day is beautiful, and the beer is pretty good. Hardly anyone seems to know about the upstairs, which is strange.

6 May 2012 10:53

The Colton Arms, Barons Court

Another pub that I used to live near, and way off the beaten trail, and well worth tracking down.

The landlords are really the parents of the gentleman most often found behind the bar, but everyone's lovely, and the "no mobiles" rule creates a great place to chat and hang out. There's some top stories to be had here - ask about the dog; the landlord used to work at the Beefeater distillery and spent an entire evening teaching me about the making gin, and how to drink it (fantastic).

And to boot, my friend and I were once seating at the bar, and in walked a gentleman selling seafood; cockles, whelks, winkles and the like. Brilliant. You don't see that too often these days, sadly. Seek the place out, a pleasant route is through Hammersmith Cemetary from Barons Court station, and appreciate a good pub.

6 May 2012 10:49

The Victoria, Bayswater

Officially, this is my favourite pub in London. We've been coming here for twelve years and it's gotten better. Chris and Helen are outstanding landlords and their staff and well-picked, friendly and helpful. The pub itself is a Fullers, so the beers are decent enough, and well-kept. Food is usually pretty good, but the atmosphere is fantastic. The theatre bar and library upstairs are brilliant to hang out in, and many a quiet afternoon have I spent reading and nursing a pint without being bothered by a single soul.

We used to live close by and there's a good mix of locals, regulars (often skaters on a Wednesday or Friday night) and tourists.

6 May 2012 10:43

The Priory Arms, Stockwell

What a stonkingly good pub. Friendly, chatty landlord; staggering selection of beers, combined with great choices to have on tap (Delerium Tremens!), and excellent food coming out of the kitchen. Plus, adorable and well-behaved dog. Winner.

6 May 2012 10:38