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. 

London Waterloo Pubs

Friday night and I needed a beer after work.  On the pub menu for the evening was the Fire Station at Waterloo.  I met up with a few mates including my usual pub chum, Eddy.  I felt a bit bad having suggested the pub as I’d been before and knew it wasn’t great.  But on the other hand it was on the list so I had to give it a visit.  

Fire Station Waterloo (not my pic)

The Fire Station is just outside Waterloo train station and I’d been there several times before due to its useful location for a cheeky pint while waiting for a train.  The pub is divided into three parts.  Most of the so called pub is actually a restaurant that you have to be eating in to sit there.  The other two parts are where the bar is and some sitting area.  The pub doesn’t have much character.  It was once a fire station and I’m guessing some of the original features are the same like the floor tiles but it’s not that interesting in terms of design.  It is probably a good thing they got rid of the fireman’s pole as that may lead to some confusion about the function of the pub!  The feel of the pub is very much wine bar rather than pub.  The shiny black tiled area that is the restaurant looks like a pizza express or other bland chain restaurant.  So the place is part wine bar, part pub and part restaurant.  Unfortunately it has not done any of these very well.  It would be better off just focusing on one and getting good at that rather than having three poor elements to make the whole.  

Ed and Catherine

As I usually do I like to sample some pub snacks, I asked for a pack of nuts and was told I would have to wait until they were heated.  I told them not to bother, I didn’t need some stupid hot nuts.  One of my mates got some later on and it was not worth the cost or the fact they were warmed up.  Pointless.  

Pub or bar I can't decide

The other problem is the price.  Don’t expect much change from a tenner if you get two drinks in there.  So pretty disappointing overall, I wouldn’t recommend visiting this pub if you are a fan of real ale with the 3 ales being fairly ordinary, I wouldn’t recommend visiting as pub lover.  Oh well let’s hope the next pub is better.