I am an old man at heart, and spend my days seeking out old man's pubs around the capital. They aren't common, but they are there if you know where to look. I used to use BeerintheEvening.com as my advice site, but it has gone downhill recently. Favourite pub: Carpenter's Arms. 12 Seymour Place, Marylebone, London, W1H 7NA. Map. Last time I was in here a couple of weeks ago there were 8, yes eight (!) guest real ales on tap. Who needs beer festivals?! Grumpy landlord knows his beer and pulls in barrels from all over the UK, including delights such as RCH beer from Somerset, which otherwise one only sees at the GBBF. He also knows how to pick some lovely friendly barmaids to make up for his temperament, mostly of the Eastern European variety. The problem used to be the pub being incredibly smokey, this of course has all gone away. It can be fairly busy when there is sport on in the evenings, when things spill outside to the pretty hanging baskets and pub benches on the pavement. There is also the Mason's Arms (without sport) about 20 yards up the road if this is the case. I haven't tried food here before, but looks like standard Brakes grub, and I feel it's not really a food place. Who needs food when you're in one of the best ale pubs in the whole of London?! Mason's Arms Spaniard's Inn Clifton Hotel George Inn Magpie 12 New Street, Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4TP Blackfriar 174 Queen Victoria Street, Blackfriars, London, EC4V 4EG Museum Tavern 49 Gt Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1B 3BA Queens Larder 1 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AR Sherlock Holmes 10 Northumberland Street, Charing Cross, London, WC2N 5DB Salisbury 90 St. Martins Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4AP Old Bank of England 194 Fleet Street, Fleet St, London, EC4A 2LT Knights Templar 95 Chancery Lane, Holborn, London, WC2A 1DT Ye Olde Mitre 1 Ely Court, Off Ely Place, Holborn, London, EC1N 6SJ Enterprise 38 Red Lion Street, Holborn, London, WC1R 4PN Old Red Lion 72 High Holborn, Holborn, London, WC1V 6LS Old Tea Warehouse 4-8 Creechurch Buildings, Creechurch Lane, Houndsditch, London, EC3A 5AJ Old Red Lion 418 St John Street, Islington, London, EC1V 4NJ Ship 11 Talbot Court, Monument, London, EC3V 0BP Swan Tavern Ship Tavern Passage, 77-80 Gracechurch Street, Monument, London, EC3V 1LY Butchers Hook & Cleaver 61-63 West Smithfield, Smithfield, London, EC1A 9DY Cheshire Cheese 5 Little Essex Street, Strand, London, WC2R 3LD Chamberlain Hotel 130-135 Minories, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 1NU Zero Degrees Microbrewery in Blackheath |
Pubs and Nightlife |