The Rake, London Bridge

Flying visit here for lasties en route to London Bridge station after a performance of 12th Night at the Globe. A superb pint of Hawkshead Windermere Pale and the various comments from brewers scrawled on the walls definitely an encouraging sign - in short I'll agree with zabadak on a tentative 7/10 pending a repeat visit with a little more time to perform a more "comprehensive quality control test" on their wares.

11 Oct 2012 12:11

The Maypole Inn, Long Preston

We booked and stayed at the Maypole arriving Thursday 21 and departing Saturday 23 June 2012 with our choice entirely based on the reviews below � this proved a very wise move indeed as this is an absolute gem of a pub - excellent ale, excellent food, extremely friendly locals and a very warm welcome from the staff who really couldn�t do enough for us. Sadly our attempt at the 3 Peaks was thwarted by extraordinarily inclement weather (I could�ve sworn I saw the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse galloping over the summit of Ingleborough but I digress), nevertheless this proved an ideal venue to dry out on the outside and get suitably damp on the inside � we look forward to returning for a rematch.

27 Jun 2012 14:56

O'Neills, Soho

My band play here every other Sunday night and I have to say it's very much one of our favourite regular gigs - fantastic atmosphere and really up for it crowd - great craic all round.

OK - the sheer size of the place, the West End location and the predominantly tourist clientele mean it's never going to feel like a cosy local (the Blue Posts is probably the closest you'll get around here) but we've always been well looked after - service quick and efficient, nice Guinness on the few occasions when I haven't had to drive (I find it a seriously "more-ish" beverage) and the door staff have always been perfectly courteous and very helpful when we're shifting equipment in and out (lugging guitars and amplifiers through a room packed to the gills with inebriated punters can be a stressful experience at the best of times).

Definitely the most fun you can have in central London on a Sunday night with your clothes on :-)

6 Feb 2011 02:14