recommend a good pub in central London........

that bit of fitzrovia is pretty much pwned by sam smiths bouzers, although the hope by goodge street is nice, good ale too. if you go south, the star and garter on poland street is nice (though small) and blue posts BERWICK STREET is nice too (not that there's anything wrong with the BPNS, just trying to pick out a few non-sams pubs...

this is why we gentlemen have clubs.

From the Champ, go east along Eastcastle St, turn left up Newnan St and then turn right along the little alley, try the Newman Arms. If that's too rammed keep going and you get into the Goodge St area: newly refurbed Duke of York, I like the One Tun, Steve is right that the Hope is good, and then the King and Queen is just a twinkle away from there. All winners.

It misses out a lot of pubs still.

i don't think they claim to be comprehensive either. it is, i think, still a labour of love, rather than anything else, and still phenomenally useful, for all it's quirks.

(also, Londoners, I have a vague plan of visiting your lovely city with my lovely other half between Christmas and New Year. I shall be looking for pub recommendations as soon as accommodation is sorted because I trust you more than I trust that mob)

This happened to me too, years ago. Later that evening, I got dumped. IS THERE A CONNECTION?

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/results.shtml?l=glasgow

but it's possibly more unreliable than fap...

i sort of like the way that fap sticks to london.

Also near Oxford Circus (it now transpires), the one where I first met some of you. Can't remember the name either. Something agricultural, I think. Staffed by Australians.

De Hems? pubs round there always rammed (still never been in)

shame about The Lyric

PJ i can't remember the name of that bouzer either

literary lot, ilx.

What is variety in the context of pubs? If you can sit down and the beer is reasonably cheap, what more do you pub connoisseurs look for?

location obv. but also range/types of beverages (+ food), mood (bright and spacious or dark and cosy?), clientele range (e.g. younger or older crowd?), range of features (jukebox, pool table etc.), sports-orientated or not (football on TV etc.)...

also the other thing you look for apart from beer and a seat is ATMOSPHERE, which can mean as many things as there are pubs. i mean, look at wetherspoons, they usually have spare seats and sell half decent ale, but they are SOULLESS HELLHOLES at best, to me, but clearly their clientele find it acceptable.

Women

Unfortuneately it has the disadvantage of being The Good Mixer.

Not too many pubs with pool tables in Camden

Pembroke Castle near Chalk Farm has pool tables upstairs iirc.

As does the Bull and Gate on Kentish Town Road, but no ales or food.

Bull and Gate not in Camden, bit of a trek to get there

the world's end has a pool table but it's the world's end

as does the camden tup which is slightly nicer.

much nicer, actually

Fifteen minutes from CT at a brisk stroll, or one tube stop.

xxpost

Forgot about the Tup. The food's ok there as well.

i'm shocked by my camden knowledge

Elephant's Head has a pool table IIRC. Not much chance of food, edible or otherwise though.

Plenty of weird rockabillys though iirc.

Thanks folks - the Grand Union's OK but a bit... shiny for my needs. Camden Tup, not a bad idea but the ever-present threat of football on the screens tends to put me off going there much.

Pembroke Castle? Not a bad idea at all!

My definition of Camden is extremely lax tbh, could also happily include Chalk Farm, Kentish Town, even Tufnell Park at a push.

Shame you can't include Hackney in that definition. The pool table in the Pembury is giving out free games at the moment.

in that case why not the big red in holloway?

4 pool tables plus is a good pub (not sure about its ales though tbh it's more a jack daniels kind of place

Certainly lots of pool tables. Clientele a bit like the Elephant's Head.

I'm not a fan of Big Red, too hectic.

The pool table in the Pembury is giving out free games at the moment.

hmmm...

have they fixed their bar billiards yet?

Was working on Sunday when we played but it had an Out of Order on when we left.

i love the pembury! but it's bloody useless if don't live nearby and you're tied to decent frequent weekend public transport, as are all the people i'm meeting.

...if you you't live nearby...

ARGH

good place to watch a match? thinking soho area would be best as ever...but none of the usual pubs I use there show football

i and friends watched the 2006 world cup final in Rupert Street

(yes, the gay bar)

that's a nice anecdote but unfortunately does not solve my problem

i just bought a tin of anchovies and some potato salad.

oh! you just reminded me of this really neat place, the Anchovy & Potato

can't quite remember where it is tho

the old coffee house on (i think) beak street is good. does get a bit rammed though.

HI DERE.

http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub148.html

It's not Soho but it is very central and has the advantage of loads of screens in visible parts of the pub. Bit concrete and estate pubby but I think that puts off the huge throngs you get in other football pubs.

Failing that:

http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub304.html

One big screen, two smaller screens.

I would avoid the Old Coffee House, a bit too busy in my opinion.

what about The Sun on Long Acre? have only watched a game in there once before tho

Not central but what do people make of the newly opened Job Centre in Deptford?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/09/job-centre-bar-gentrification-ironically-deptford

is there a general london pub thread lads

scum of the earth tbh, i hope they go under

has the bonneville closed yet?

Apparently its alright because other pubs are named after what they used to house

https://twitter.com/TheJobCentrePub/status/477494336368553985

the blurb on their website is like a self-parody

eclectic, vintage, quirky, vinyl

It's like something from a Harry Enfield sketch a quarter of a century ago.

http://f.cl.ly/items/0d1d3o132a0H0h1W3W0k/Untitled-2.png

revive! Can anyone recommend a decent regular or gastro-pub in the vicinity of the Tower of London? I suppose there will be a load of generic City Friday night boozers around there, but anywhere a bit better than that would be good...

I'd cross back over Tower Bridge, head for something on Tower Bridge Road or Shad Thames - the Dean Swift, maybe? But I don't know that stretch of Bermondsey too well now.

Yeah cross over Tower Bridge and head to Bermondsey Street. The Garrison is good, leaning heavily to the gastro side but good food and a nice atmosphere.

I've never actually been to a pub close to the actual Tower but I'm assuming it's all vertical City drinking and Great British Tourist Traps.

thanks guys, the Garrison looks very good.

dean swift is nice but kinda far away from the tower, even a few minutes after you get over the bridge. there is a draft house immediately over the bridge - functional, good beer, a bit devoid of soul maybe.

is the garrison the one with the kind of green astro turf in the backyard? that's a nice pub if so. i like it a lot around bermondsey street though i find the people who hang out there kind of braying/posh.

Dean Swift is ace and is really not that far from the steps down to Shad Thames from Tower Bridge. Lafone Street is about 5 cobble-streeted minutes' walk from the steps - I lived there in a garden flat during my first summer in London.

is the garrison the one with the kind of green astro turf in the backyard?

I think that's the Woolpack over the road, which can be okay but can also be hellish, especially on busy nights. Garrison is more laid-back, booking recommended especially if you'll be eating.

ah right - is the garrison like extremely gastro, more a restaurant? i may have eaten there recently enough.

anyone got any pub or bar recommendations around the New Cross Overground station area? Nothing fancy just not awful if possible!

Think I'd head for Beer Rebellion at Queens Road Peckham - 15 minutes' walk away or one Overground stop.

cheers! Ended up at the Royal Albert on New Cross Rd, a perfectly serviceable Antic pub.

That would have been my recommendation as well. I have a soft spot for the Marquis of Granby as well but I can see that's not for everyone.

the Marquis looks a bit more rough and ready right? Antic pubs are ten a penny these days but they do have the considerable virtue of serving good beer well

The Albert is probably the best of all of them, mind. Helps that it opens late and was actually a pub before they took it on, so it has the right look and feel.