Acceptable or even GOOD pubs in London city centre?

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.

60 new answers in half an hour. Must be Londoners talking about pubbage!

If you can be bothered to go to Holborn, the Lamb is my favourite pub round there:
http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub77.html
Modesty screens!

Seconded

Snob screens, my friend.

Hark at you!

would rather be in a pubbage :(

Yeah the Lamb is a belter of a pub. That area is very good for pubs generally.

One day I will organise a Fancy A Gastropint here. Everything about this place is amazing.

also had fun times at lord john russell. nothing remarkable though (apart from that dark budvar craziness)

ha ha, it is called The Peasant! I need to take my brother there.

also further out east jerusalem tavern in farringdon

the peasant is indeed good, haven't been there in a while.

I find it depressing that this is happening but the figures are miniscule, 1% of pubs subjected to it. Also who's to say why - the article suggests it's class-related but I wouldn't say too many of the areas it mentions are newly well off, ergo maybe it's more to do with changing habits or attitudes.

Don't disagree this is shit for the pubs involved just thankfully doesn't look like it's too many.

@Sekforde just now. What a lovely place.

A friend had his 40th there, lovely pub. Not sure why so many brilliant London pubs all live in the slightly east outer edge of the centre, from Bloomsbury out, but it's defo a thing. Maybe older places have managed to survive based on the work crowd in those areas or something.

In Deptford's Dog & Bell right now and due to Belgian beer and roast I'm obliged to say that this is also fantastic

As the main pub thread: https://thefencecapitalletter.substack.com/p/capital-letter-4

I hope you approve of Jimmy McIntosh.

Don't know him

He wrote the guide you just shared!

As in, besides being the author I don't know what else he has done.

The guide seems pretty fine. Found it via Bluesky.

Kind of bemused how there is so much content like this, again, or still.

Gotta have content.

I keep seeing the Cockpit (the one near St Pauls Cathedral) on best pub lists. As far as I could tell, it seemed particularly unremarkable apart from being in an historic area. A lot of this 'best pubs' content does seem to be endlessly recycled - I was just reading the Telegraph's list of best pubs a couple of weeks ago. I no longer understand the finer points of pub connoisseurship, I guess.

current trend is for "old man" pubs. Cockpit has tatty carpet, red velour seating, obsolete brewery (Courage) branding. unremarkable then, fetishised now.

I think people also reckon the pints will be cheaper in old fella pubs.