H is for the Harp

The final stop on FGH day was the Harp. I had been looking forward to getting to letter H as soon as we started this little adventure, as I had heard good things, and all signs were positive. Off the really beaten track, it's still nestled between Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, so I can't imagine it's often quiet.

The Pub

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Having been looking forward to visiting the Harp, unfortunately we were left somewhat disappointed and underwhelmed. Before I carry on, however, there is a need to caveat this. We arrived at the Harp at around 5:30pm, on a very hot day. We had already visited pubs F and G, consuming the beers listed on those blogs, and made the tube journeys between them. We did agree on the way home that after considering all of these things we may have been disappointed with any pub at that stage.
Anyway, the pub itself is a very narrow building, that isn't without charm, but felt fairly cramped inside. The bar is a little difficult to access, which perhaps contributed to the pub not seeming particularly welcoming. The selection of beer was OK, but I think I was expecting a little more variety than was on offer. The beer itself was served fairly well, on the basis of our pints, and observations of others. Prices were a bit steep, but not unexpected considering the location. There weren't enough tables for us to find a seat, so we ended up stood in the alleyway running behind the pub, which had been made relatively pleasant with the addition of some foliage and the odd 'shelf' to rest beers. Unfortunately there was an odour not dissimilar to nail varnish that pervaded the area, which wasn't ideal. Lastly, the Gents were on something of a precarious stairway, but were fairly clean.

The Beer

• Dark Star APA - Not a great deal to this, feeling a bit lacklustre with no punch at all. Our guest also had this, and wasn't enjoying it by the end, but that is partly due to his tastes.
• Apple and Pear Cider (poor notes mean that we have no idea where this was from) - This, whatever it was, was very cloudy, and very heavy. The odd sip was not bad, but none of us would have wanted a whole pint really.

The Verdict

So all in all an uninspiring visit to the Harp. Summed up by the response to the suggestion that we stay for another pint; a resounding 'No!' Perhaps the Harp is a victim of its own success, or it was all down to our frame of mind when reaching the third pub of the day, but we felt it didn't really live up to its reputation. Will we return to give it another chance? Quite possibly, but the time would have to be right.