The Trinity, Borough

A fine pub. The sort of place you can happily sit alone with a book in the afternoon or evening and not feel neither watched nor ignored by the bar staff.

They also have big screen TV (only on match nights) if that's your thing, when there's a big game on the place is full, noisy and less pleasant (unless you went in for football, in which case you'd probably be very happy).

18 Dec 2007 12:15

The Globe, London Bridge

Worked here for a short while a couple of years ago, and from what I understand not a lot has changed. The place is rude, loud, expensive and if you order the ales (DON'T by the way) which you will probably feel like sending back, most of the staff (students from guy's hospital mainly) would like to change it for you, but the wrath of the landlady just isn't worth it. I once saw her have a stand-up row with a customer because he wanted his money back for a pint that was clearly off (vinegar). Barely an evening goes by without "smells alright to me", "no-one else has complained" or occasionally "that's what it's supposed to taste like". Several people go in excited about the Bridget Jones link (her flat was upstairs in the films) but come out severely disappointed, by all means browse the market, look at the outside of the place then cross Borough high street to go to a proper pub like the George.

I honestly can only give it one out of ten, and that's for the bar staff (the students) who are nice personable types when the landlady isn't yelling at them from a stool at the end of the bar, they don't know a lot about serving beer but then it's the landlady's fault for never setting a good example.

18 Dec 2007 12:09

The Rising Sun, Smithfield

Another solid Sam Smith's pub. Didn't find the staff to be overly friendly but they were polite, knew their beer and could tot up resonably large rounds in their heads without tapping away at the till for hours ... always a sign of a good place.

Haven't tried the food yet though I've heard good things. The old brewery bitter is pleasant, inoffensive but unremarkable but makes for a welcome pint (as does alpine for lager drinkers) for the thirsty student with only loose change to spare.

18 Dec 2007 11:45