K is for the King's Arms

K was a surprisingly difficult letter to find a suitable pub for (cue abuse for missing 'obvious' choices!), and we were hosting a vegan and wanted to eat, so after a quick search we found ourselves heading south of the river to the King's Arms on Roupell Street, close to Waterloo

The Pub

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Tucked away on a Victorian street, the King's Arms is just far enough away from Waterloo to be missed by the masses, but near enough that a discerning visitor to make the short walk to a 'proper' pub. Removing the cars from the street would make it feel like a century ago, and entering the pub almost feels the same at first. It would seem that the front part of the building has not changed much for many years, and the dark furniture and plentiful décor adorning the walls made it seem homely and welcoming.
It was very busy when we visited, but we even managed to find a table, and didn't feel too cramped even though four of us had squeezed into a small corner. Studying the bits and pieces on the walls led us to learn that numerous Hollywood celebs are 'regulars', so we kept our eye out for any of them too, but didn't manage to spot Kevin Spacey or Ben Affleck.
Service at the bar was fairly swift, despite the number of punters, and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. There was a reasonable selection of standard lagers, and a good selection of ales, maybe a touch on the expensive side, but certainly not surprisingly so. A couple of them weren't served quite as we would have expected, but there was nothing so drastic that we needed to complain about it.
After a first drink we headed through to the back of the pub, where a large room also serves excellent Thai food. South-east Asian cuisine in London pubs has become something of a cliché, but the offerings here were both excellent to eat, and reasonably priced.

The Beer

• Theakston's Black Bull - I started with this, and found it a little bit dull, and lacking in depth. A little bit soapy rather than fruity, giving rise to comparisons with dishwater. It did, however, improve as it went along, although there was very little prospect of me ordering another pint.
• The Theakston website features a very clever set of sliders, to help you find the pint that would be best. An interesting novelty.
• Truman's Runner - Chosen by our guest, Kate, for two reasons; the low ABV (4.0%) and the picture of a large bird on the pump clip. An autumnal ale that had a hint of berries, was mild without being bland, and wasn't too overpowering. Fairly dark, and all in all a good balance. It also seemed to be an ideal choice for this pub.
• Pilsner Urquell - Lager Boy had to plump for something we have already covered, so see our entry for the Island Queen. This time served in a more traditional nonic glass.
• Dark Star Partridge - A delight. Beery, but not over the top, could be called a 'proper' beer. Eminently drinkable, I feel as though I could happily sit and drink this all day.
• Sharp's Ale of Kings - More of a bastard prince, and not as good as brewery-mate Doom Bar, and a bit wishy-washy. Also served a little bit cold, and was more lively in the glass than anticipated. Too many condensation nuclei perhaps.
• Brains Rev. James - Lager Boy chose this for origin reasons. Having eaten a Thai curry he struggled to really give a review, so described it as 'fairly middle of the road'. With a hint of citrus, the Rev was not disappointing, but also nothing special.
• Lime and Soda (not a beer!) - Our other guest, Sophie, was on the wagon for the evening, so had a soft drink. The lime and soda was served with lots of actual lime (almost a whole lime's worth of wedges) and wasn't too strong on the cordial, which was a positive. There was also no scrimping on the ice, so it stayed cold to the end.

The Verdict

Having taken a bit of time to make a choice about where to go for pub K, we were very satisfied with the King's Arms as our eventual choice. Good beer, good food, good staff and a good pub provide an excellent combination. Will definitely consider returning either when using the station, or for drinks with friends who work in the area.

J is for the Jolly Butchers

A Monday evening saw us arrive at the Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington with a couple of guests in tow, and full of enthusiasm as the pub was highly recommended. Pub J also saw us move back towards the North, following a few more southern jaunts.

The Pub

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Two words: TOP TRENDY. Not that being trendy is any sort of problem here. A great beer selection meant we were immediately very happy with the Jolly Butchers. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly, without being pushy, and the prices at the bar were reasonable. The pub itself is a very open space, which is definitely a positive, but if we were really picky it maybe lacks the intimate corners of a more traditional pub. Despite this, it felt atmospheric, and a bit bohemian. I was personally not convinced by the illuminated Brooklyn Lager signage on the wall behind the bar, and the whole group were a bit disturbed by the moon-faced woman adorning one of the walls, but we are being picky here. One of our group commented that a bit of music would be a good thing, although we agreed that it probably wasn't the right sort of room for it, as the noise level was fine to have a conversation. The toilets added a certain something in terms of the fixtures and fittings, and were clean and tidy. On the Monday evening of our visit there was an eclectic clientèle making the place feel busy, but not rammed, which was helped by the reasonable amount of seating available, with a range of table sizes. We commented that a couple of sought-after sofas were almost expected in this sort of establishment, but the lack of them didn't lessen our experience at all. On this occasion we also partook of some food from the open plan kitchen in the corner of the room. This was an excellent decision, and we were impressed by the standard and value of the couple of platters we shared.

The Beer (and Wine)

• Kent Brewery Beyond the Pale - 'Top of the Hops!' A light and fresh beer, although taste-wise it's clear that it's on the strong side. Very much enjoyed, but certainly not for Lager Boy.
• Hacker-Pschorr - 600 years of brewing excellence have been put in to produce this classic example of Teutonic efficiency. Lager Boy referred to this as Franz Beckenbauer.

A side point here: if Lager Boy and I were to go on a double date, the Beyond the Pale and Hacker-Pschorr would be our ideal partners.

• Bavo Pils - A crisp and clear Belgian Pilsner, which regular readers will be aware meant it was right up Lager Boy's street. At 4.2%, he suggested it wouldn't be a bad choice to stick with for a session.
• Arbor Ales New Zealand Pale Ale (not listed on the link) - A little bit limey and extremely floral, with a dry, almost chemical, aftertaste. It was served clear and cool, but is not my favourite offering from Arbor.
• Glass of House Red - a good choice of house wine,approved by both of our guests.
• The Kernel IPA Scanners - Served very cold, which was a surprise that I never became completely convinced by, the Scanners is a strong (6.9%) IPA that has a hint of fruitiness, but remains dry and crisp. A big tick for this one from me, although I wouldn't want too many at this strength.
• Hopf Helle Weisse - very wheaty, and almost a bit sweet. Certainly a good one for Lager Boy, who enjoyed this cloudy German offering very much, but equally not for me. David Hasselhopf?
• Glass of Chilean Red - Not as good as the house red!

The Verdict

We were very happy with the Jolly Butchers as our choice for Pub J, and left disappointed that we had chosen a weeknight for our visit, as there were several more beers that we would have liked to sample, and it was an ideal place to do just that.