Waterloo Pub crawl

5pm Friday, the best time of the week!  I usually drink around London Bridge but we thought it was time to try some new pubs towards Waterloo.  I've never really drunk that much around there and Ben and I wondered if there were any good pubs that way. 

We started out at the Charles Dickens, Union Street, its a good pub that has improved over the last few years.  It did used to be a bit dingy but its better now.  They have 5 good ales on tap and they are changing each week.  When we were there we had Oscar Wilde Mild the 2011 Champion Beer of Britain.  When it ran out a new beer was on tap within five minutes.  Brilliant beer change overs!  The staff were quick as well which I'm noticing more and more recently having been to so many pubs.  Good staff can make such a big difference. 

Next we went to The Ring on The Cut, a boxing themed pub.  It's a decent pub.  It didn't have much real ale which was a bit rubbish.  It has lots of cool boxing pictures.  It was also fairly modern in design, it reminded me a bit of The Surprise in Chelsea. 

Next up Jack Bar behind Southwark Tube station.  A trendy bar with young good looking people and loud music.  I had to queue for ages to get a lager while the tosser bar man fucked about putting bits of apple on glasses for some girls.  Anyway its not really my kind of pub.  I can appreciate the bar for what it is but it didn't really fit into the kind of pubs we were looking for. 

The next pub was definitely a good find and a bit of a treat.  I'd say the gem of the crawl.  The Kings Arms is located on Roupell Street which looks like a street right out of Victorian times.  I liked it in there, it had that feel of a local as soon as you entered.  The bar staff were good and had some good banter.  They had some good ales on tap as well.  Not as many as I had expected for a pub where the SE branch of CAMRA had their AGM.  It was good fun in there and I could have stayed longer. 

The White Hart just round the corner from the Kings Arms was alright.  It was packed in there, we managed to get a seat, although one was someones suitcase.  It did stink of mulled wine.  Beer was ok but being cramped up in the corner wasn't the best place to hang out.  Time to move on. 

The Duke of Wellington is a fullers pub just opposite the entrance to Waterloo Station.  I'd never been there before which I now realise was an error.  I regret spending time when in the Firehouse when I could have been in the Wellington.  The Firehouse is a really poor, badgers backside, goats nut of a pub.  The Wellington is never going to win awards, its a sprawling pub under a huge painted ceiling depicting the the Duke giving the French a good shoeing.  I loved the disgruntled expression that had been painted on Napoleons face.  Had a few pints of decent fullers ale in there and played the quiz machines.

Last up was the Hole in the Wall.  The pub feel just like a low division football leagues bar.  The front bar in particular has that feel. Its very 1970s.  The back bar is fairly no frills but they have some good beers and a seat so that suited us.  Having been several pints down by then it was time to head off. 

Overall I was pleased with the crawl.  It was a good evening and some good pubs were visited that I had no idea about. 

Old Bank of England

The usual suspects Woody, Ed and I met at Old Bank of England on a Thursday evening (the traditional city drinking day).  Located near the Inns of Court on Fleet Street you can not fail to miss it.  The pub has flames outside it and a huge pub sign.  Up some stairs to a tiled entrance way and you enter the pub.  The pub is similar to several other of the fullers London pubs like the Barrowboy and Banker and the Counting House off Bishopsgate.  A huge central bar rises up out of the floor surrounded by the oval shapped bar.  The central area behind the bar is really impressive rising up at least 30ft like a giant tower cake of mahogany.  Each cove contains a different drink or some advertising.  I don’t think my photos do it justice as I took them from a balcony that overlooks the whole bar.  We went up there to get a table.  The whole décor of the pub is decadent and rich.  Burgundy wall paper, huge oil paintings, and golden chandeliers cover the pub.  

The Bar

This pub may well be the flag ship of this form of fullers pub design because it seemed to have that little bit extra given to it in the way of detail than the other two pubs I mentioned previously.  It’s pretty spectacular for a pub in many ways.  

The beers on tap were the usual Fullers range and we stuck mainly to the Seafarers that evening.  We also had a pie each.  The pies in there were not bad.  I’d not say they were great but they certainly did the job of filling me up. 

Service in there was decent even when it was really busy.  I’d go here again if I was in the area.  I can understand why it made it into the guide as it is a spectacular pub.  The location is also strong for city workers and tourists so it must get a lot of trade.  The only other point I would make is that if you are closer to either of the other pubs I mentioned you’ll be just as well off going in there.  Any one who has been to two of these or even all three will see what I mean as its like going into the same pub.  Still it’s a good formula and I commend fullers for doing a good job.   

The Churchill Arms

I met the lads, Woody and Frosty at Charring Cross.  Woody and I nipped down to the Princess of Wales for a pint while we waited for Frosty.  I had a great pint of Hook Norton Jackpot a beer I’d not had before.  Just a quick note on the Princess of Wales...  First impressions are of any other city pub with its fairly modern design but upon closer inspection you’ll find that they have a really good range of ales on tap.  Its actually a really good pub with good beer and knowledgeable staff.  I go there regularly and it never lets me down.  When I was there they had six ales on, Hook Norton Jackpot, Lancaster Red, Red Dragon, Brains SA, Pride and Doom Bar.  I’d recommend going there anytime.  

Frosty arrived and we headed over to the Churchill Arms the first pub on our walk.  We were pretty excited about getting there and seeing if it was as good as the book made out.  We were not let down.  Upon entering the put we could tell straight away it was good.  There was a warm bustling atmosphere and it was nicely full in there.  We got served so quickly Woody couldn’t even decide what to have that fast.  I didn’t blame him, the choice was good.  Being a Fullers pub they had their full range on tap, fresh up from Chiswick.  I had two pints of very nice ESB, Woody and Frosty were savouring the other Fullers selections such as Chiswick and Discovery.  

ESB

The pub is pretty big with a long curved bar.  We got a seat after 10 minutes or so.  Once sitting we could look up and really take a moment to observe some of items decorating the pub walls and ceiling.  The pub is full of different interesting, pub and Churchill related items.  There is so much it would not be possible to take them all in on one visit.  The outside is known as well for being decorated with flowers.  They had a few TVs too showing the rugby.  They are well set out though so if you did want a TV free pint you could sit on the other side of the bar.  This pub is definitely deserving of being in the GPG!  We were sad to be moving on but also excited to be on the way to another good pub guide pub.  I will be going back to the Churchill Arms.  

Churchill

“Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” Winston Churchill

The Cutty Sark

Still not been to adventurous, this pub tour is looking a bit stuck in the South East.  But what am I supposed to do if a friend (Ed Stott) who, for the purpose of this blog shall remain nameless or go via the pseudonym of ‘the Stoat’ wants to meet up for a pint in Greenwich?  

The Stoat and I decide to take lunch at the Cutty Sark.  We arrived at 1.30 and the place was almost empty.  No problem finding a table then.  The place seemed a bit drab and bare.  Two of the ales were off but there were three still left the regulars of Pride, Seafarers and Butcombe. We covered all three ales on tap and they were all well kept so I won’t quibble over the quality of the beer.  The Stoat went up to peruse the selection of English Tapas (bar snacks) and came back empty handed.  I was just about to berate him for this major oversight in pub etiquette when he raised a hand and gave me a knowing look and told me to "just wait".  A few minutes later a big plate of white bait arrived!  Good call that man.  The food was good and we followed up that snack with a proper lunch.  I had fish and chips that was well worth the money.  The fish was succulent, the peas were just right and the batter was crispy and golden.  

So the Cutty Sark has good food a few well kept ales and a decent view if you get a table upstairs in the window.   But I do have to wonder how that pub got in the Good Pub Guide!  Where has it fallen short?  There is no real character to the place, the bar looked under stocked and cheaply built at the back. It may have been built in Georgian times but it certainly is not all that old.  The piped music is what initially put us off the place.  Sitting in a half empty pub, you would like to be able to hear your mate easily enough but the music was right above us pumping out the Black Eyed Peas song about Lady Lumps.  My biggest issue with the Cutty Sark is that being from Greenwich and having been to this pub before I know there is nothing about it to give it that certain je ne sais quoi that most Good Pub Guide Pubs have.  I had raised my expectations this year seeing it make it into the GPG and was looking forward to this visit.  So after the long walk along the river I was bitterly disappointed to find not much had changed.  The outside sign looked weathered and unassuming and that would sum up the visit really, unassuming.  So if you are in Greenwich I wouldn’t bother wandering down past the powerstation just for this pub there are better pubs in Greenwich its self.