recommend a good pub in central 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

Bob Six, I salute you you have encapsulated 5 years of ranting in a single phrase.

which is a GOOD thing obv.

How does this manifest though? Is there a significant difference in the clientele (may well be, can imagine SS range putting certain mindset off due to 'unrecognisable' branding)? Something about the decor? Neither allow music even just as background ambience so I find both lacking atmos somewhat.

My central London pubs are all within 10 minutes' brisk walk of Charing Cross, so anything up CC Road towards Soho is generally fair game. My favourite? Went to an awesome one next to Foley's bookshop quite recently, but have completely forgotten the name. :-( The Cambridge Arms, when not too busy, is pretty good as well.

Though, for me, it's more about a pub *looking* like a pub - dark/rich colours, dark wood, stained or frosted glass, lots of corners and hideyholes. Hence why SS is a cut above Wetherspoons for me.

does this place jagger towers in surrey?

juke boxes are different i guess, and if and only if accompanied by pool table.

ken, you play pool? prepare to be destroyed (if ever I come to a fap)...

correctamundo!

passantino, now you know where to bomb. ;-)

No, Dadismus, that's not it. The one I'm thinking of was more in the Regents Street/Conduit Street area.

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.