M is for the Market Porter

Birthday drinks in order for pub M, the Market Porter, as I reached the grand old age of 30 21! Unfortunately, after a surprise week in an amazing house on the edge of Dartmoor, we were riddled with the lurgy. Hopefully this hasn't affected our view of the pub too much.

The Pub

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The Market Porter is situated immediately next to Borough Market, and opens early in the morning to cater for traders for a couple of hours. Having been to this pub a couple of times before, this was the quietest I had ever seen it, although previous visits had been summer, a weekend, or both.
Five of us in attendance - a special occasion after all! - but just a couple of drinks each as all had some degree of the lurgy. We also wanted to eat, and since the pub serves food during the day only we had to go elsewhere to satisfy our hunger.
While appearing to be a bit of an 'old man boozer', the Market Porter has maybe lost a bit of the charm it once had, although it has doubled as a bookshop in one of the Harry Potter films. We couldn't quite put our finger on why we felt this way, but it does point to a bit of a refurb that hasn't quite done the pub justice, and left the whole place feeling a little sparse. There were apparently, however, some entertaining animal facts to be found by reading the graffiti in the ladies.
Part of the sparse feeling came from the relative lack of seating for the amount of space, although having seen the pub when it's heavingly busy it is understandable that as much space is kept available as possible.
Prices were as expected, if not a little cheaper, for the area, and the staff were very good in answering questions about the beers, and dealing with a disjointed round as we all arrived at separate times. A good number and range of beers were on offer, and they were served well.

The Beer, etc.

• Bateman's Yellabelly - Darker looking than it tastes. Fairly floral at first, but a much deeper taste develops the more of it is drunk.
• Pontypridd Otley O1 - An intriguing aroma, a little like a farmyard. However, taste was refreshing, with floral notes. My notes from the day say 'limericky', but I have no idea why. Otherwise not a lot to say about this one.
• Lime and Soda - Fairly standard, but very strong on lime.
• Gin and Tonic - Like a Gin and Tonic.
• Market Porter Autumn Ale - Chosen since it is Autumn. Surprisingly refreshing, and a pleasing colour. Inoffensive, but at the same time unexciting.
• Red Wine (house) - Considered to be 'alright', but smelled 'a bit rank'.
• Ilkley Wit Marie - One for Lager Boy, we thought. We were not quite right. He didn't hate it, but certainly wouldn't go back again. It was a bit limp, needing something to pep it up. A little bit like a Hoegaarden that's been left out for a while.

The Verdict

The Market Porter is certainly worth visiting, and you're almost guaranteed to find a beer that's for you amongst their selection. The downside is that the atmosphere is maybe lacking something. Was this because we were afflicted? Try it, and let us know what you think.

L is for the Larrik

On a Monday back in October we headed to the Larrik, tucked away just to the west of Marylebone and just to the east of Paddington. An early evening start this time, as I had unusually been working in central London for the day.

The Pub

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As I was strolling towards the Larrik I was expecting to find a busy pub, as I was arriving at the end of the workday. Clearly nobody has told the workers of Marylebone/Paddington, as when I arrived there were only a handful of other punters in evidence, and it turned out half of them were staff who appeared to be planning a menu change or somesuch. Surprised, and almost a little disappointed, that I could immediately wander up to the bar, I perused the relatively meagre selection of ales, made a choice and requested it. The barman was not particularly upbeat or talkative, which might have made me feel more at home, but I paid (almost £4 for a pint of standard ale) and went to take a seat and wait for Lager Boy.
While waiting I took in the surroundings. The pub was pretty much one large room, very open, although around a quarter of the floorspace was curtained off, which made sense while it was so quite. Everything seemed very clean, with pale wood furniture, candles on the tables and fairy lights around the not unsubstantial windows.
Once Lager Boy had arrived he informed me that one wall of the pub housed a big screen for rugby matches, and the pub attracted quite a crowd for those. We also observed the music being played at a sensible volume, adding something to the ambience. The pub also started to fill up a bit, although was by no means busy at any stage. At one point a few children with masks and collection receptacles came in to 'trick or treat' everyone - ten days early and a complete lack of effort. They were soon turfed out by one of the staff, who remained friendly with them, avoiding too much of a scene.
We also had some food, which we were both pleased with, and was good value for money for a London pub.

The Beer

• Sharp's Doom Bar - This was my first, and I was a reasonable way through it without really thinking about it, and it was only when Lager Boy arrived that I realised it wasn't quite right. It stayed a bit cloudy and almost tasted weaker than I would've expected. Not quite right.
• Staropramen - As expected. Refreshing for Lager Boy after a long day at work. Well chilled and had a suitable amount of liveliness.
• St Austell Tribute - Initially served short,  my request for a top up was well received and the barman was much more talkative and friendly on this visit to the bar. Cleared much better than the Doom Bar, although a reasonable amount of sediment remained at the end of the pint. A sweeter beer, feeling very smooth at the same time, slipped down fairly easily.
• Beck's Vier - Standard delivery of a standard lager. A safe choice, especially considering it's a school night.
• Leffe Blond - A choice out of 'leffe-field' as the ale selection had been exhausted already. Not a regular choice of mine, but it was Lager Boy's round and I had allowed him free reign to choose. A good finisher on this occasion with a strong, almost orangey taste. Very enjoyable.
• Budvar - A pragmatic choice for Lager Boy's final tipple. A classy Czech number, which is a non-standard standard lager.

The Verdict

A surprisingly quiet pub, which appears to look after lager better than ale. Staff were a bit hit and miss, but the food was good, and reasonably priced. Not the place to seek out new talent, drink wise, but a place to nestle with old flames.

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.

I is for Island Queen

It was a more difficult to find a suitable I pub than we were expecting, but the Island Queen fit the bill. We headed there unaware that Tuesday night was quiz night, so we have no idea whether it is always as busy as we found it, but the fact that it was heaving was no bad thing. The Island Queen is also, apparently, a unique pub name in the UK.

The Pub



Trendy photo taken from the outdoor seating
area just after sunset

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We found the Island Queen to have a trendy clientele and staff (with the standard(?!) Aussie barman and Irish quizmaster. A very leafy location, with the canal just around the corner, and a number of tables and chairs out the front that were well used throughout the evening by us and others. Tables and chairs aplenty inside too, although none to be had when we were there, so we sat at the bar once we moved indoors. Prices were a little on the steep side, especially with a couple of other decent looking puns just around the corner, but this part of town is probably generally a bit more expensive than most. The quiz, which we did not participate in officially, but joined in with nonetheless, was actually a pretty good one, and wasn't dragged out. We didn't partake in any food beyond a packet of posh crisps, but those who did appeared to be satisfied. It appeared that they stopped taking food orders when the kitchen got really busy, and started again later in the evening, which may have been irritating had we planned to eat, but did seem like a reasonable solution. The beer was well served, although one of my beers was a bit colder than I would have liked. The staff were all very good, and took care to check around the busy bar to make sure nobody was waiting. They also had an 'IQ likes' board up above the bar, which we were amused by, despite thinking it was perhaps a bit cheesy.

The Beer

• Ilkley Mary Jane - A light beer, Mary Jane goes down fairly easily. It's quite floral, but that gives way to a pleasant bitter at the back of the throat, and is an enjoyable journey.
• Pilsner Urquell - Need we say anything? A trendy rocket-shaped glass, a top pilsner, served cold and consumed to the delight of Lager Boy.
• Sharp's Doom Bar - Fairly ubiquitous, along with its neighbour Tribute, which I think I prefer, although this is also very good. Definitely a proper beer, and my kind of beer too.
• Veltins - A quality beer, and a good one to return to when needing or wanting a safe haven.
• Fuller's Honeydew - Win! Clear honey aftertaste, refreshing and a delight to drink, although served a bit cold for me. I also think the bottled version (as drunk here) is sweeter than the keg version that I have enjoyed previously. This is also an organic beer, so well done Fuller's.
• Stella Black - Very smooth (just like silk!). Lager Boy felt sophisticated drinking this, in a very trendy glass. We agreed that we wanted it to not be Stella, as we would have then enjoyed it more.

The Verdict

We were very happy with our visit to the Island Queen, and would happily return to give the food a go, take part in the quiz, or just have a couple of drinks. We would be even more likely to do so if it wasn't 'off the beaten track', although this is perhaps part of what makes it a good pub.

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.

G is for the George

After the Faltering Fullback we headed to the George, partly on guest Gary's recommendation. Just a little way down Borough High Street from London Bridge, this is a National Trust property, and the last galleried coaching inn to remain in London.

The Pub

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Being an old coaching inn, the George seems to go on forever, but the bar is relatively small considering the size of the pub. There are plenty of tables both inside and out in the large courtyard set back from the road. The courtyard has good views of the Shard, which led to a number of puns from both Lager Boy and guest Gary - the best/worst of which was something about shard-enfreude.
The staff were good, serving punters quickly and in order, and swiftly sending packing the couple of less-than-salubrious characters who made their way into the courtyard to panhandle. The drinks were slightly on the expensive side, but that is unsurprising given the location, and the popularity of the George as a post-work drinking venue. More disappointing was the relatively small selection on offer, especially considering the potential capacity of this pub. Lager Boy particularly struggled...

The Beer

• Bulmers Cider - Lager Boy was unsure what to go for with a limited selection, and ended up going for something known and refreshing, since it was such a hot day. Apples, that is all. Guest Gary and I were keen to point out that it was not an Estrella.
• Greene King George - A guest beer, that was maybe served a bit cooler than normal on a hot day. This was a real beer, strong but refreshing. definitely a solid performer, and served well. Guest Gary, having frequented the George in the post-work crowd on occasion, described it as an old friend.
• Growler (not sure of the brewery, and Google has not been my friend in finding out) - Refreshing for an ale, this is definitely a 'one with lunch' beer rather than a session beer. A lingering toffee aroma and taste are not unpleasant, but maybe limit the number of these one would want in one sitting.
• Greene King London Glory - Not for Lager Boy, and somehow not as enjoyable as I was hoping. Maybe too bitter a bitter for me, especially on this day.
• Estrella - Quite simply Spain's best lager.

The Verdict

Generally a pleasing pub, ideal for a revisit when in the area, although perhaps a bit disappointing in terms of the beer selection. Good for a big group, and possibly even as a date venue,