Acceptable or even GOOD pubs in London city centre?

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.

Yayyy! London! That's where WE live! Yayyyy!

I have a hard time believing that those margaritas were not consumed by you, Ken.

ha ha (xp)

There are some atmospheric little pubs tucked away in The City. Can't remember the names of any of them right now, unfortunately.

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.

― ILX Systern (ken c), Thursday, 2 October 2008 14:05 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Pay by cash and tip, fule, like the man says it is most like new york. A pound a round or so into their tip jar done so they notice does wonders for upping the lethality of the drinks.

The Cheese is better than the Cittie of Yorke but the latter pub has a cool sort of Harry Potter dining room feel. The Cheese is more the sort of pub you go to if you're planning a revolution.

For atmospheric pubs tucked away in the city you can't beat the mitre off holborn circus.

why would i be drinking cocking margaritas when i was perfectly having 6 x japanese slippers?!?!?!

I think you paid the drink with midori in tax.

What Ed says is true. I've been knocked flat by Special Coffee in that place on account of this.

Also, The Mitre, although it's technically not in London at all, but in Cambridgeshire. Again, gets very busy, but clears out fast as it's mostly the afterwork crowd.

x-post with Ed, ha ha.

I think this is why I dislike the Tittie of Yorke - it just reminds me of boarding school lunch halls. Which is not a voibe I wanna be feeling when I am drinking.

Pay by cash and tip, fule, like the man says it is most like new york. A pound a round or so into their tip jar done so they notice does wonders for upping the lethality of the drinks.

― Christopher Blix Hammer (Ed), Thursday, 2 October 2008 13:08 (42 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I could have fucking tipped them if they didn't let fuckers order 4 margaritas on my card. Anyway tip them? Bar staff in NYC are helpful, sometimes, even friendly! These guys?

Also, The Mitre, although it's technically not in London at all, but in Cambridgeshire

???

I would add Bricklayer's Arms on Gresse Street (sort of off Tottenham Court Road, or down from Charlotte Street) to the list of decent Sam Smith's pubs. Can be a bit quiet, but I like that.

Bricklayers Arms has the advantage of DARTS.

Freuds staff can totally be friendly! Once they gave me and a friend chalk and let us draw all over the slate-topped tables.

I think we were on teh Alex James Drinking Tour - which also reminds me, The Cross Keys, the laundry pub, hurrah! (Is nice to sit outside, but strange theatre types inside may invite you back to their place to "come up and look at my etchings.")

this is true, it is on the site of tha palace of the bishop of cambridge and reverted to cambridgeshire at some point during the dissolution of the monasteries, the residents of Ely place, round the corner pay their council tax to cambridgeshire county council.

xpost

If we're talking Soho and Sam Smiths, then it has to be the John Snow.

Actually, Kate wins. The Cross Keys is the best pub in the West End, hands down.

Must. Go. To. Pub.

Actually, fuck it, take your friend to Waxy O'Connors. Then the Intrepid Fox.

The weird stuff all over the walls is totally what makes the Cross Keys.

Yeah totally, real bric-a-brac feel to it. It's dark and warm and snug as well, which I always like in a pub.

Yes, I've been in that Cross Keys pub before

The Pillar's of Hercules has a very decent beer selection and I love DJ whelie Bags wednesday night pop quiz.

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.