Acceptable or even GOOD pubs in London city centre?

Meeting a friend who lives west and figure centre is the only option. Is Soho the key here? Where? Ideally a nice bar with good beers and possibly food, though food not essential.

Somewhere where you can sing if the mood takes you, yet not the kind of place where one is coerced to sing. The kind of place where smiling is not frowned upon.

Unfortunately Soho is precisely the kind of place where smiling is frowned upon. It's not like in the old days when you could kick a Jeffrey Bernard in the street.

Haven't been to an FAP for centuries but the Glasshouse Stores is all right.

The French House, but be advised the beer is served in halves.

The Endurance

http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub1552.html

Much maligned by the FT crowd back in the day but I like it.

They're all good! All of them!

i.e. they fill up the pint then cut it up with a chainsaw, so make sure you attend wearing appropriate protective headgear in accordance with Nanny State Politically Correct Regulations (xxp).

Try around the Goodge Street/Charlotte Street area, there are four or five very good pubs around there and the place is generally pretty lively.

The french house is crazy talk as it is almost impossible to get a seat unless you have been there since oliver reed was in short trousers.

The French House is nice but TINY.

(xpost)

, dahling

xpost

The Endurance is forever scarred by horrible memories of Beth Ditto turning up to a FAP and pwning everyone at karaoke. ::shudders::

it was the KoC then, though, surely it has been purged by cleansing redesign?

I think the Endurance has gone downhill, if sis-pub the Perseverance is anything to go by: gastros where the salad comes out of a Somerfield bag.

Also there are a shit-ton of pubs around Broadcasting House that are reasonably OK but beware R1/6Music types. Great Titchfield Street etc. Ed, where was the nice one with the decent food your work people liked?

The best in Soho are probably the Old Coffee House and the Shaston Arms but both can get pretty rammed. Endurance has always been unbearably crowded whenever I've been in. Generally speaking Bloomsbury/Holborn are better for pubs than Soho though.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road as well, real old underground theatre club sort of vibe, homosexual old dudes nodding along to show tunes in the background, that kind of thing. Arrive before 8.30 though as it's members only before them, but it opens late.

Also the worst pub food I have ever ordered was in the Perseverance. Gastro my arse.

The septic crown, (the crown and sceptre) on foley street, is utterly heaving, especially early on. The King and Queen down the road is a good boozer that does and acceptable pie too.

Actually, don't go to Soho on a Thursday night if you want to sit down.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road

Haven't been there in years! I remember Sophie Ellis-Bextor used to be in there a lot.

And that woman who used to be in the yoghurt adverts

Last time I was there I spotted a guy who used to be a minor gay character in Eastenders AND a guy who used to be a minor gay character from Holby City. All we needed was one from the Bill and we'd have had the hattrick.

I saw Adam Ant there once too!

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road as well

that place is grand.

last time super hans was there, my friend went up to talk to him he asked my friend if he had any drugs lol.

We had a Shimura Curves aftershow there. After the first of the Ebony Bones support shows I think , IIRC. I don't recall much about it, though - beyond getting in a fight with Cowboy Jim. (Now that's a surprise.)

The plethora of Sam Smiths pubs in central London are not that busy, and cheap, and actually quite nice. The Blue Posts,the Cock or the Champion of the Thames or somewhere like that (there are actually a few different Blue Posts, which aren't Sam Smiths, but they're good too - I like the one on Berwick Street). If you do go to Holborn, as recommended by Matt DC, the Princess Louise is amazing - this incredibly ornate victorian restoration.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road

I like this too.

You could also do worse than the Social on Little Portland Street. It's actually a pretty nice place for a few beers and a fishfinger sandwich before the music starts later on.

lame tv celebrities hang out.

Samuel Smiths pubs are the key here; they are generally quite cosy and unponcey and always very cheap. I have a soft spot for the Crown on New Oxford Street, particularly in the summer when you can sit in that square type thing out back.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road

Me too! I only discovered it about a year ago.

NO NO NO NO NO THE SOCIAL IS THE WORST PUB ON EARTH THIS IS PROVEN BY SCIENCE!!!

the social has dyson airblades in the toilets, which is a plus (and the fact that you have to walk through the stage area to get to the toilet also doubleplusgood). expensive drinks though.

There are four Blue Posts I think, there was a good pub crawl that encompassed them all.

Sam Smiths is fine with me but a bit short on music. The Social is fun.

Does anyone still call under-Phoenix place Shuttleworth's?.

when the endurance was the king of corsica it was brilliant. the endurance nowadays has a name that is apt that's what it takes for staying inside.

You could also do worse than the Social on Little Portland Street.

This is my default post-last orders destination in the WE. Free to get in, and the music's often pretty acceptable (your standard hipster funk/soul/hip-hop mix). The decor makes it feel oddly like a bar in Soviet era Russia.

Sam Smiths = Fitzroy. Gets busy, mind you.

And the Perseverance is the sort of place where they apply grill marks to the panini with Sharpies. xpost to chu...

Also the Princess Louise used to be nice but those wooden screens have ruined the vibe downstairs. Upstairs is nicer but there are better Sam Smiths pubs (Old Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street is the best). The Fitzroy is great but gets unbelievably crowded.

I have come round to Freuds in Covent Garden now, as far as bars go. It's the only place in town that actually feels like a proper New York bar.

After 7 years of me expounding on this fact he finally comes round.

another sam smiths = the crown on new oxford st (as opposed to the old crown also on new oxford street, or the other the crown that's on monmouth street, all within 50 metres from each other, so maybe not a good one to meet up at)

would like to hear Local Garda sing

Freuds: I go for lunch there most Fridays! VERY slow service. I've never been in the evening.

That Crown business is annoying

I am happy to report that it is still 1992 inside freuds and still the place in london where you are most likely to hear some Acid Jazz.

freuds is alright but once again lacking in the being able to sit down front. plus, lame bar staff. plus, people who defrauds your card in the bar tab.

I was never particularly anti-Freuds, but I like it now as opposed to being indifferent to it. The Crown is the worst Sam Smiths in central London, unless it's sunny and you get a table outside.

I have heard Local Garda sing. It mostly involved Frank Sinatra I think.

xpost to jamie t smith wow this thread is MOVING

xpost to matt dc wow this thread is MOVING

Oh man Freuds... ::drools::

Get there early or it's impossibly crowded but MAN those cocktails are worth standing up for.

Which one is the Sam Smiths with the Fleet running through its basement? Is that the Cheese? (I always get it mixed up with the Titty of Yorke which is not so good.)

freuds is ok, the cocktails are lethal

as far as other bars go, I like two floors on kingly street

dunno if that's too poncey for the old man pub crew here

someone bought 4 margaritas using my card :( did the barstaff care? like they gave a shit

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/91/916/Yorkshire_Grey/Fitzrovia

Once saw Tim Westwood outside this Sam Smith's pub off GPS, can usually get a seat upstairs if you're there by about 7, 1.90 a pint, vass wo' iss orl abaht

WTF kate cittie of york is fucking grand.

If you can get a table, the food at the Seven Stars just off Lincoln's Inn Fields is good, or used to be; haven't been for years.

will investigate, thanks. the volume of people around is crazy but the good places are less busy sometimes. i marvel at people queuing for burger king on kingsway, not because i can't fathom craving some fast food for lunch, i mean if you're hungover or something, but that these people are proudly waiting on the street announcing to the world that they're going to burger king for lunch, rather than finding a spot at the back, shovelling it in, then binning it tray and all and going to confession.

The White Horse on the LSE campus does standard pub grub and is v cosy at lunchtime, it gets heaving after work with thirsty university types though.

The Seven Stars is unique and wonderful but gets insanely crowded due to its size. The food was great last time I went.

The Lady Ottoline up past Theobald's Road has excellent food and never gets especially full, although if you want to be sure of getting a table at lunchtime it's best to book. Might be a bit of a trek from your part of Holborn though.

Otherwise it's not a great part of town for pub food, although the upstairs at the Princess Louise is good for reading in.

I like the Polish bar behind Holborn station too, depends on whether you feel like bison grass vodka and pierogi for lunch I suppose. The Ship is there also, perfectly decent boozer but I have never eaten there.

The Ship is not exactly a good reading pub though, you might get lucky upstairs but downstairs is a really awkward shape. It's so narrow that it tends to feel really crowded even if there aren't many people there, and unbearable if there are. The Seven Stars is a lot smaller but better laid out, especially if you're on your own.

yeah true, quite dark in there also, although I think they did a refurbishment recently which might have improved matters

I'd say you'd be able to get a beer at the Polish bar. Plus, the food is perfect for winter.

oh yes absolutely, a fine range of Polish lagers, Zwiec on tap I believe!

Also I thiiink the Bountiful Cow between Red Lion Square and High Holborn does burgers at lunch. Nearer me, the Queen's Larder in Queen Square is by no means a gastropub, but does have what looks like a nice menu. The Scouser landlady is great (I know her because she is a neighbour who owns a dog) and she pays her staff London Living Wage, so even though I've never been, I'd recommend.

Anywhere nice near Hampstead?

you're really going for the tough assignments this week eh

had a nice drink in the southampton arms down towards tufnell park last week, narrow old-timey place with a good selection on tap and a garden

The Southampton is nice, as are a lot of TP/Kentish boozers, but only an estate agent would describe it as being in Hampstead.

Haven't had a drink in actual Hampstead for years, but I remember the Holly Bush being OK.

The Southampton Arms has a pleasingly rigorous policy on personal comfort, expressed in their refusal to countenance cushions or anything else that might moderate the pain of sitting on their rough-hewn bench seating. It's perfect for the artisanal beardos who go in there dressed as Eric Gill.

I should probably note that I've typed that without any idea of it being true or not. I last went in there about five years ago and enjoyed it. They serve good beer. But I was left with a lingering impression of affected austerity.

Yeah that's their aesthetic. Also has an aunthentic aroma of stale beer and farts on occasion. Still good though.

haven't been for a while but the bull and last, if not too gastroish

joy in austerity is not entirely what i associate with eric gill

xpost Their being cash-only sits well with this.

...has an aunthentic aroma of stale beer and farts...

Should get someone to chalk this up on a board outside the pub.

The Flask is probably a safe Hampstead bet.

Now distracted by the list of pubs in London category on Wikipedia in which some boroughs (all outer ones) have only one pub listed.

tx all for this enlightening discussion. Got a few choices to go with.

xp "Joy" has nothing to do with it.

It's an overgeneralization, but my instinctive response whenever this thread title bobs back up to the top is lmao, no

There are some good ones, but wander into a random pub in zone 1 and chances are it's going to be really really shit.

I really like the Spaniard's Inn, it's a bit of a trek, right up at the top of Hampstead Heath mind. But good for an after-heath pint.

The Hollybush is marvellous. The Flask is also very pleasant on a sunny day but likely to be mobbed with pushchairs as often as not. The real Hampstead gem is the Duke of Hamilton, nice old boozer, snug and characterful and very comfortable. It had a theatre upstairs although that ominously appears to have reopened as the 'Hampstead Lounge & Jazz Club', but hopefully they haven't fucked with the pub itself too much.

I think I actually hate the Southampton Arms, excellent beer selection obviously but it's too narrow for the kind of crowd it draws, generally uncomfortable and the management always give the impression of being complete pricks.

You're right about the size, but I've never had a problem with the staff. Crowd generally friendly too IME. I've not drunk there in the 2 years since I moved to Hackney, though.

Me neither? When I lived in Hampstead I liked The Well at the residential end of Flask Walk/corner of Well Walk. Bull and Last is probably my favourite pub bordering any part of the Heath.

It's an overgeneralization, but my instinctive response whenever this thread title bobs back up to the top is lmao, no

there are loads actually, you just need to know them which takes a bit of time/effort. weirdly the kings cross/bloomsbury area is particularly good - i have a lecture each wednesday night on grays inn road, if i'm early i go into the queen's head, after class we go to the harrison. the norfolk arms is also nice.

This is always useful: http://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?action=index;format=map;cat=good%20beer%20guide

i have a lecture each wednesday night on grays inn road, if i'm early i go into the queen's head, after class we go to the harrison. the norfolk arms is also nice.

The Calthorpe Arms is worth adding to that list, still feels like a proper local even now.

this is probably a long shot, especially at this time of year if the weather is good, but are there any pubs nearish Liverpool St that will be:

a) fairly quiet on a Friday night (!) - i.e. not packed and music not booming loud
b) dog-friendly

I'm supposed to be meeting up with one of my best friends who I haven't seen for 6 months and we live on opposite sides of London, so London is the best place for us to meet up without one of us having a long train journey, but my friend's husband is out of town this weekend and their dog gets anxious if she's left at home alone. we might just reschedule but both of us are busy at the moment and this Friday was the only day we could both do for several weeks

Maybe try the dear old Artillery Arms? I don't think you'll find anywhere particularly quiet around there, not that I know of, anyway. If I were you I'd be hoping the weather's good because that will draw a bunch of people out onto the street to complement their Friday night beer with the fine bouquet of taxi fumes.

I was about to recommend The Water Poet because I know I've seen dogs there (the front might be quiet enough) but it's closed permanently. Boooo!

Pride of Spitalfields

I was wondering if they let dogs in Pride since they have cat(s). And it's pretty small inside.

I would also say meet at Bedales Wine in Spitalfields Market. The have seating outside the main store in the part that should allow dogs.

The Artillery Arms is really close to where I work, so that would be a plus, except I'm working from home that day and coming into London after work, but I know where it is so that is an advantage for me at least

thanks all

You probably know better than I do about how rammed it gets on a Friday night, in that case; whatpub says the Artillery's dog friendly for whatever that's worth. I haven't been to Spitalfields on a Friday in ages, and that's partly because my perception is that everywhere gets unpleasantly busy unnecessarily early.)

not really, I never go there, and I usually work from home on Fridays! but there is another pub closer to my office that I have been to on Fridays that is usually not that busy so we can always go there if the Artillery is no good

Any nice pubs around Blackfriars?

The Black Friar is worth seeing, if only once. https://pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs/41

the black friar is fine. and i was always intrigued its exterior even when i’d never been in.

It's nearer Cannon St. but The Banker is decent (after the initial post-work rush at least) with actual river views from inside

I used to work around there and as a result I’m fond of a few of the ordinary pubs, just alright ordinary places to go and have a beer - the St Brides Tavern and the Cockpit both spring to mind. The Black Friar is an amazing one-off that may be better to look at than to use but I love it.

Go very much west of New Bridge Street and you’ll be drinking next to lawyers.

I'll pass on that.

Thanks for the recommends!

I should know this but I'm just no good at North London. Where's good for a drink before The Roundhouse on Saturday? Ideally dodging a bit of the crowd, but I don't expect miracles.

The Queen’s, the Engineer, the Pembroke and the Lansdowne - all good pubs in Primrose Hill. All 10-15 minutes’ walk away from the venue and unlikely to be full of pre-gig drinkers. All with decent food if you need to eat, too.

Perfect - thank you Suzy

What's a good gastropub in the Kings Cross area?

Tamil Prince, a little way into Barnsbury but not far from King’s Cross at all.