The Fox, Kingsland

This place is truly dreadful. I have now given it two chances since I moved in down the road (and since it became my local). The first time I visited, I was made to feel totally awkward for walking up to the bar (since they don't make it obvious that it's mostly table service). The inexpert bar people all clustered around each other without really understanding what they were doing. The only "ale" was bottled Newcastle Brown for which they asked a mere �4.50. Bear in mind this is a mediocre, wannabe-gastropub (as the tatty A4 printouts adorning the windows tell everyone) on Kingsland Road well off the beaten Shoreditch track. I drowned my shock in the brown stuff, surrounded, as I was, by other local experimenters who were dining on the overpriced food.

The second time I visited, I was told that it was happy hour. The "happiness" involved me being expected to pay �2.75 for a Leffe (as opposed to the usual �3.75). This is Kingsland Road, for crying out loud. The barmaid let about 1/8th of it overflow without so much as an apology. Once again, I glugged away my displeasure and left.

Don't visit this place unless you are intending to vandalise it.

22 Mar 2007 15:38

The Euston Flyer, Euston

Pretty full of suits after work (as you'd expect on the Euston Road) but it's worth a trip. Very well kept ales and somewhere to keep in mind whenever you fancy a pint of London Porter (which I often do).

14 Mar 2007 17:19