BITE user comments - zaparoski
Comments by zaparoski
Another local of mine. This pub used to be called the Roebuck and is next door to where Charlie Chaplin was brought up. It still retains a Victorian splendour, although somewhat altered, and is frequented by locals, students and bohemians. The ambience is friendly and laid back and there is good ale on tap i.e. very good Bombadier. Upstairs, there's a cosy room where alternating Tuesday nights of live jazz and salsa is played with enthusiastic relish. The standard is very good and you'll be snapping those fingers before the first sip.
11 Mar 2005 12:39
The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden
This pub is has always been a favourite of mine, however, lately, there has been a gradual deterioration in service. Last saturday lunchtime, I ordered two pints of Youngs Special from an attractive barmaid who presented me with what can only be descibed as a half measure. On requesting that she fill to the correct pint measure, she rolled her eyes and puffed and blowed as if I was asking an unreasonable request. Her reply was that it should have a head on it. I let her rudness go and watched her pour another punters pint. Same thing. He complained as well. Now I'm not sure if it's a policy of the management to save beer ergo, more profit, or it's just the ineptitude of this particular barmaid, but this is just the sort of growing apathy I'm seeing insinuating its way into all our cherished waterholes. That said, this pub has good ale and certainly retains an 'old world' atmosphere.
21 Feb 2005 09:12
Charlie Chaplin, Elephant and Castle
Alas, this notorious pub has a chequered history. In the early days it was frequented by gangsters and pushers. Nowadays, by dossers spending their dole cheques and housing estate overflow. It's location is perhaps unfortunate in being inbedded within a corner of the ugly shopping centre and next to a dingy cinema. The decor is mock Western saloon bar and reeks of stale ale. The only redeeming quality being that it's cheap: and I've got this one on my list when I retire and can't afford the other pubs down the road.
6 Jan 2005 10:47
The Rocking Horse, Clacton On Sea
I was introduced to this great pub by my Rocky Horror Show pal Val. There is an interesting mixture of young locals, Goths and oddballs. The overall feel was friendly and a little on the seedy side, but that added to the hard edge live band frontier atmosphere found in many seaside front bars. The bands vary; the ones I heard were hard rock.Beer was reasonable and service quick. My only critisism being the toilets. The last time I experienced toilets like those was in an Afghan village cess pool.Bring your own paper!
4 Jan 2005 18:18
The Walkabout, Angel, Islington
The only other Walkabout I dared to venture into. I have a suspicion that aliens have landed years ago and have opened Walkabouts as a front for brain experiments. Shaun of the Dead part II.
4 Jan 2005 14:41
This is a theatre pub that is set back from the road. There is a spacious bar that winds around to the theatre entrance at the back. The standard of fringe plays is quite good. Limited choice of beer but the service was satisfactory. There is a wide crossection of types frequenting this pub: locals, bohemians, Irish and others. Celtic sport is well represented on the big screen. Gets busy on theatre nights but not so busy that you have to wait too long for a drink. There are outside tables with benches overlooking the busy main road.
4 Jan 2005 13:54
Now, as a snobbish grumpy old man, I'm not too fond of establishments that try to emulate authentic outback bars with their in your face machismo, flagrantly obnoxious ladettes and plastic glasses full of a limited choice of beer. But then, the level of masochism is at least one notch lower than the Punch & Judy. It's X-pat trying too hard to be X-pat.
Strewth! I bet the bars in Wagga Wagga are nothing like this mate.
4 Jan 2005 12:22
The Churchill Arms, Kensington
After drinking in the Uxbridge,Hillgate and Windsor Castle, this pub is a nice conclusion to a sublime summer crawl. The Thai food is excellent and will complement all that real ale burgeoning to burst your bladder. This place is busy, really busy!
4 Jan 2005 12:01
The Hillgate, Notting Hill Gate
Another pub which manages to keep its Edwardian flavour against the current trendyfying craze that is plagueing London these days. The decor is interesting and spacious. The locals are affable. Choice of ales is good.
4 Jan 2005 11:44
The Windsor Castle, Kensington
Imagine if you will that you are in the belly of a galleon. The smell of old wood, wooden benches, wood everywhere. Little trap doors to enter the next bar and low ceilings to boot. No, you are not a mariner scurrying to canon in the Victory, you are a boozer in the Windsor Castle. OK, so I exaggerated. Beer, food and garden are good. This pub, along with the Uxbridge Arms, The Hillgate and The Churchill Arms are the jewels in the crown of Kensington beer culture. One of the best pub crawls you could imagine.
4 Jan 2005 11:26
The Uxbridge Arms, Notting Hill
To maintain the honour and glory of the British Empire sah! This gem is one of a few old world pubs situated within this area. A last bastion of Albion. The decor is authentic as are the locals. Whato! The beer is superfluous and the bar wenches buxom. Hand me my bugle......hoorah!
4 Jan 2005 11:09
For some reason, I love this pub. Apart from the cheap real ale aspect (also a good selection of wines) there is truly a wide cross section of Camden life frequenting this pub: suits, local grumpy old men, ladettes and couples. The decor is basic but seating is adequate. The kind of place to meet up but not to stay the term: unless you intend just to get very drunk for a minimum outlay.
4 Jan 2005 10:42
There should be a law passed to ban tourists, indifferent bar staff and cultural globalisation from certain pubs. Alas, the invisible hand of maximum profit at the expense of quality reigns supreme. I knew the Anchor in the old days when the ghosts of Wren, Boswell and Shakespeare were still haunting the dark narrow alleys of the Clink. Days, when the Anchor was still used by the market boys and locals. Days, when real ale was the norm and a Plowmans lunch was filling. Suffice to say, stay clear from this pub.
4 Jan 2005 10:17
his pub oozes nostalgia. You could imagine yourself in 1888, reading about Jack The Ripper in the Camden Gazzette gazing at the fog outside and listening to the street pedlers cries and the clippety clop of the horse drawn carts, winding their way to the local meat market. Suddenly, someone strikes up a chorus of Daisy, sung out of tune by gin soaked harridans and working men with grime on their faces. Ahhhhh, what happy soot laiden memories.......forget about the service, soak in the atmosphere!
4 Jan 2005 08:19
The Sir Richard Steele, Belsize Park
I stumbled into this pub during a crawl which started at the heights of Hampstead working my way down to Camden. This place is a gem. Lots of little nooks and crannies to indulge your anonymity whilst surveying the various touches of art (mock Baroque ceiling mural)and enjoying the reasonable choice of real ale. There is a beer garden that extends to the high street. I found the locals and staff amiable: but then, I was well behaved.
4 Jan 2005 08:03
This pub, along with the Elephants Head, The Stag (now demolished) and The Constitution were a staple Camden pub crawl on a Saturday afternoon/Evening. Each belongs within its own universe. The Devonshire Arms is not as Goth as some I've seen and certainly was relaxed about dress code (last time I was there was Jan 2004). All that was required was to wear all black. I'm not a Goth, Moth, Sloth or any other stray that's wandered off a Mad Max set, but I still liked the friendly atmosphere in this pub. Beer is limited but the Guinness was good. The music was rather predestrian for Satans children. I was expecting to hear Cannibal Corpse or the like with Goths whipping each other with cat o nines, in between Bloody Mary's and Campari and petrol...but hey, this was Camden Town, not the dark backwaters of the Forest of Dean during Summer Solstice. No sacrificial virgins within sight, damn! Anyway, if you want an easy, friendly, darkish place to ponder existential angst, then this is the place for you.
31 Dec 2004 12:28
This one is very dear to me. I've been frequenting this pub for over 25 years and it has managed to be consistent in keeping its Victorian decor and atmosphere for all this time, resisting the current trend to tear out the soul of ye ol' England in order to attract the younger set. Oddly enough, the younger set are now searching out pubs like this and I say good on 'em. If you study the pictures and objects covering every conceivable bit of wall space, you might find it an education in Victorian/Edwardian mores. It gets busy and smokey but the hustle and bustle of media wannabees is electric. The choice of real ales is limited but always sound.
31 Dec 2004 11:27
Whereas my other local, The Prince of Wales, is a little on the expensive side and a patrician pub, The Ship is cheaper and caters for us plebians. It still retains a cosey Edwardian feel with a few naval paraphernalia thrown in to remind us of its theme. These locals are truly a happy lot (if this were Portsmouth, they'd be a shanty or two bellowed in the sloop bar, aaarrgghh me beauties) and the bar staff are attentive and smiling. There are tables outside surrounded by adequate flora to shield one from the rabble on the street. Why, Charlie Chaplin's father probably drank a dram in this establishment, he only lived up the road.
31 Dec 2004 07:54
The Prince of Wales, Kennington
This is my local and I suppose my bias will shine through, however, if we concern ourselves with location and pub grub, I can safely say the Prince can't be beaten within the boundaries of royal Kennington. Due to its popularity, the bar staff can be a little pushed (they have to double up to help out in the kitchen on occasions). The real ales are superfluous. A little bit of Surrey in Cenral London.
30 Dec 2004 12:34
Love this pub. If you sit at one of the window tables, you will see every conceivable tribe passing by (why, I thought I spotted Lord Lucan on one occasion). The atmosphere was a mixture of friendly tourists, punks, teddy boys, locals and goths. The bar staff are jovial and attentive. Choice of beer could be better but that's vindicated by the overall joy of being in the umbilical cord of Camden Town.
30 Dec 2004 12:15
It has been sometime since I have been to the Mansion House and I was pleasantly surprised to see a vast improvement to it's previous non descript style/ambience. Although it was almost deserted (it was lunchtime Boxing Day after all), it still impressed me with regard to the excellent menu and choice of beers and spirits. The open fire was decidedly magnificent and cosey. I feel that this pub could be a great asset to Kennington, which has a dearth of good drinking holes.
30 Dec 2004 11:27
The Angel, Angel, Islington
'And full of disgusting, unhygienic and socially uninhibited old men'.
I do my best to get around.
Returned there the other day and was pleasantly reassured of how tacky it still is. No pretension here, just refreashingly earthy Dickensian grime fine tuned by the GOBs (Grumpy Old Men)to create a seedy atmosphere of pure delight. It would be improved with stale straw and piped farm noises.
3 May 2005 08:44