The Oxo Tower Bar, Southbank

Certainly popular: Packed this week at about 6.30, although thinned a little past 8pm. Bar staff coped well with the demand. Expect to pay �3.75 - �4.75 for a bottle of beer + there's an organic perry if you prefer the 8% stuff. Interesting bar snacks on a general "french toast" theme. Clientele mostly City wannabies and pleasant enough, apart from one mutton-dressed-as-lamb individual who clattered through our group on the way out without so much as an apology. It's an expensive place to have your drink spilled!

15 Dec 2005 15:30

The Spice of Life, Cambridge Circus

Paid a recent visit after a gap of several years. The makeover is an improvement - it's now light and airy rather than dark and oppressive as in the old days. Good beers, although still rather smokey. Especially attractive is the feature that the bar staff actually interact with the paying punters, rather than the usual West End habit of simply relieving them of their money.

7 Dec 2005 13:28

The Lord Moon Of The Mall, Whitehall

Excellent if draft beer is what you go to pubs for - several guest ales (and well kept) when I went last week and many at under �2.20 a pint. Good place for a few after work or as a base from which to move on to somewhere else for a meal out.

Now the bad points: The food is poor and I can only suggest the more starchy offerings as a means to soak up the alcohol. My friends' "greek platter" had the meagre dips already placed inside slabs of bread, making the dish one of compulsory sandwhiches. At nearly �8 this was about �1 per mini-sarnie. Also lettuce was the only garnish and that was limp (how do you excuse limp lettuce in September?). They have a non-smoking section which amusingly is 80% allocated to "diners only". Most occupants however were sitting there with drinks only.

So all in all a mixed bag. "Only here for the beer" might be its motto.

26 Sep 2005 14:52