Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: London

  • London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – Ibis Styles Kensington (Again)

    London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – Ibis Styles Kensington (Again)

    I stayed at this hotel about ten times last year, and have done so again this year several times. I stopped posting about the hotel given that I had little new to say (not that this usually stops me to be honest…..), but thought I’d do a little update here. Nothing much has really changed at the hotel, although breakfast is no longer included in the room rate. It was just a takeaway bag which was lacking a little in innovation towards the end, and I suspect that quite a lot of the food and drink was just being wasted. It’s possible to pay for this takeaway bag, but I haven’t yet been tempted to do so.

    The free welcome drink offered to me lacks in excitement, they don’t even have Tiger any more, so I selected a bottle of Budweiser. I see this as useful, as I’m trying to lower my average Untappd score (I don’t want to sound like I enjoy everything) and this is a perfect way of doing it.

    My room rate was £22.50 per night and I was staying for two nights, making this really quite excellent value for money. The hotel is just a short walk from Earls Court underground station, so is convenient for central London. There’s also a Greggs around the corner for those who need food and drink, as well as the Bolton pub which is nearby.

    For that price I was entitled to a solo room (since that’s what I booked), but I was upgraded for what I think is now the fourteenth time in a row in this hotel. What they lack in decadent welcome drinks and welcome gifts, they make up for in room upgrades. I even had my own little corridor in the room, as can be seen in the above photo. As an aside, the staff members here are always friendly and helpful, with no change to that on this visit.

    And the rest of the room, which was air conditioned, clean and comfortable. I didn’t have any noise problems from either inside or outside the hotel, so I still like staying here as it feels a safe and reliable environment. It’s a series of houses which have been joined together and turned into a hotel, hence the rather strange shape of the rooms. I think it all adds character to the arrangement though.

    Richard was staying at the same hotel, and was on the floor above. He laughed when he discovered the lift was out of order, as he likes carrying his giant bag up two flights of stairs. And, as an extra treat, there was a football outside of his room. Someone must have known that one of Norfolk’s biggest football fans was staying there. On a more petty level, I was very pleased to note that Richard didn’t have his own corridor in his more expensive room (although he did have larger cardboard cups than I did for his drinks, so he had a win there).

    Anyway, for £22.50 per night, this remains excellent value, and highlights how there remain problems with so few tourists coming to stay in the city. I can’t imagine the prices will be anything like this again in future years, so I will continue staying in London for as long as they are……

  • London – Wandsworth (Borough of) – London and South Western Pub

    London – Wandsworth (Borough of) – London and South Western Pub

    As we were walking back to the railway station from the Brewdog in Clapham, we thought we’d pop into this new JD Wetherspoon outlet near to Clapham Junction. I don’t do the whole argument of “I don’t visit Wetherspoons because they don’t pay staff” as I’ve heard that piffle before, but each to their own, as I’ve decided to work through the Good Beer Guide and there are too many outlets from this chain in there for me to avoid.

    This pub only opened a few months ago and it has been converted from a Revolution bar, apparently at a cost of just over £850,000. They already have the relatively nearby Asparagus pub, which I rather like (but that one is more traditional than modern), and I’m not sure whether they’re planning to keep both. This one has more of a Lloyds feel to it, although I think that branding has pretty much gone within the chain now.

    There’s a history about the building outside (too few pubs do this….), noting that before the building was used by Revolution, it was constructed in 1935 as a flagship store for Hastings, a furniture showroom. The pub name is taken after the railway company, a nice nod towards the local area. We had a bit of a wait to get inside, although there was plenty of seating available so it just seemed to be a matter of managing numbers rather than it being particularly busy.

    Richard had already had his decadent cheeseboard at Brewdog, I went for a rather more affordable pint of Punk IPA with burger (classy, eh?…..). I did note that the pint of Punk IPA here is only slightly more expensive than at Brewdog, but it comes with a free burger. Anyway, they’re different places, and there are usually more exciting alternatives to Punk IPA for anyone who is at Brewdog.

    I had a quick half pint of Urban Dusk from Redemption Brewing, as it cost the grand total of just over £1. Perfectly well-kept, at the appropriate temperature and all that. The service in the pub was also fine, everyone seemed friendly, with the environment feeling safe and well managed.

    The burger. There is a Facebook group now where people post photos of their meals (which I accept is ridiculous enough as it is for me to do here) and they then count the chips and post that total number. I decided even I wouldn’t be doing that…. For the money, this was entirely reasonable, but I won’t spend too much time describing JD Wetherspoon food.

    Anyway, I suspect this pub will end up in the Good Beer Guide in due course, although it’s too early for the current edition as they weren’t open at that stage. There’s more of a cafe style in the day it seems with its outdoor seating for those who like sitting outside inhaling traffic fumes. The reviews so far aren’t great, but I’m not sure that JD Wetherspoon are too much bothered about that since they’ve withdrawn from social media. For those who hate the chain, then that’s easy, don’t go, but, for others, this was a clean, modern and seemingly well managed JD Wetherspoons with a few real ales to choose from.

  • London – Illuminated River Bridges Walk

    London – Illuminated River Bridges Walk

    This post is just made up mostly of photos from a walk that I went on yesterday evening along the River Thames. It was expertly led by Licia, who I met on Des’s walk last week, and was on the theme of the Illuminated River Bridges project. There’s plenty of information about this whole project at https://illuminatedriver.london/, but in short, it’s an art installation along the river which currently covers nine bridges.

    The nine bridges are London Bridge, Cannon Street Railway Bridge, Southwark Bridge, the Millennium Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Golden Jubilee Footbridges, Westminster Bridge and Lambeth Bridges. There were plans to extend the project to Albert Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, Grosvenor Railway Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge and Tower Bridge, although these need further funding and that isn’t currently guaranteed.

    Licia led five of us (there were some no-shows, a problem becoming ever more challenging for walk leaders up and down the country, but that’s a different matter) along the route, which ended just after Westminster Bridge. I never knew that Westminster Bridge is green and Lambeth Bridge is red to reflect the colours of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The temperature was just right (for me) and there was quite a relaxed atmosphere along the River Thames and along the South Bank. Other than for the most ill-placed adverts that I’ve seen, promoting Nissan and it was a huge block of light and noise (the advert, not the car).

    We saw a seal merrily swimming along the Thames and it was nice to end the walk at the National Covid Memorial Wall, which is where I’ll receive my second vaccination in a few weeks (most precisely at St. Thomas Hospital which is above the wall, rather than at the wall itself). Des had led a walk that I went on last year which visited some of the other bridges in this project, so it was interesting to meander along this section of the Thames and it all went very quickly (the sign of Licia being a very good walk leader!) and I only got in the way about three times. The walk was free and was listed on Eventbrite, with future ones also being planned I think.

    Anyway, all very lovely, and, as usual, click on any the photos to make them larger.

  • London – Wandsworth (Borough of) – Brewdog Clapham Junction

    London – Wandsworth (Borough of) – Brewdog Clapham Junction

    I continue to work my way around Brewdogs in London, with Richard joining me on this visit as he was in the city for his specialist work purposes. I had wondered whether it’d be quite busy in the bar on a Sunday evening, but it was nearly empty inside (although full outside, where Richard and I had agreed we didn’t want to sit anyway). I hadn’t realised that this branch existed (lots of things seem to pass me by), but it’s been here since 2014.

    And welcome to Brewdog….. The decor was modern and typical Brewdog in style, all well maintained and comfortable. We were offered a table that was a bit high up and Richard worried he’d get drunk and fall off it (I think that was the reason, it might not have been though) so we sat at some lower down chairs to avoid any mischief happening. I liked how many power points had been installed throughout the bar as well.

    The beer fridge at the front of the shop.

    A couple of the third pints that I purchased, the Black Ball from the To Øl Danish brewery (on the left) and the Blue to a Goose from Wild Weather (on the right). Both were excellent, the latter had a very rich hit of blueberries (certainly the best way to get fruit into the body) and quite a sweetness to it.

    Richard ordered this, I can’t afford decadence like this. I haven’t seen them serve this in Brewdog before, but it’s a marvellous idea and the quality of the cheeses was very high. Richard was very pleased with the £10 that he paid for this, and they also have a charcuterie board as well. They don’t serve burgers here, just pizzas and these platters, because of the small kitchen. I prefer this set-up, although of course there’s a problem that I couldn’t get all you can eat chicken wings here (and nor could I bring anyone for their cauliflower wings)….. Having said that, looking at reviews they used to serve very popular Scotch eggs and sausage rolls, their loss is disappointing.

    I’ve had a run of excellent customer service in the Brewdogs at Canary Wharf, Ealing, Seven Dials and Brixton, but it was all a bit more muted here. No real engagement about the range of beers, but the service was always warm and polite. It was just very good, rather than the exceptional service that I’ve experienced recently in the chain. The branch is smaller than some other ones in the chain, but it was clean and organised throughout. The range of beers was a little more limited than some other Brewdog branches, perhaps given that they’re a smaller size. Anyway, all a rather pleasant experience (and Richard didn’t fall off his chair).

  • London – Southwark (Borough of) – The Barrel Project

    London – Southwark (Borough of) – The Barrel Project

    This is the Barrel Project, which interested me as it is the taproom of the London Beer Factory and they say that it’s a fluid space which is used for numerous different purposes. The brewery themselves are located in Norwood and they were founded by brothers in 2013. This space along the Bermondsey Beer Mile is in their words, “a joint blendery, conditioning area, and taproom for the London Beer Factory”.

    My phone didn’t like the lighting in the venue as the quality of the photos isn’t great, but they give an indication of what the interior looks like. It took a minute or so for a staff member to notice me at the entrance, and although that isn’t very much time at all, I know I stand awkwardly whilst waiting to be noticed. I don’t want to draw attention to myself as I’m British, but equally I did want to be noticed so that I could be seated. To deal with this dilemma, I looked at my phone so I appeared to be casually waiting without looking like I was annoyed at waiting. It’s a hard balance and challenging not to stand looking awkward…. Anyway, I digress.

    The main bar, a traditional style frontage which looks quite grand. The venue is generally well reviewed, although I noted the:

    “Sterile, gimmicky, the ‘craft’ beer scene at its worst. Can’t see it lasting”

    That was three years ago, and it seems to be lasting quite well…. I didn’t find it formulaic, it ended up feeling vibrant and on-trend for me without really needing to try. The nod towards a traditional style also works well with the modern elements.

    And another 1/5 review of:

    “Stag groups not allowed in”.

    Good.

    Everything else is much more positive in terms of reviews, with the atmosphere here feeling very relaxed and informal. Although being located in railway arches does make for a poor phone signal.

    To the left are some of the hundreds of barrels which are located here, along with the seating which goes all the way to the back of the unit. It was busy on the Sunday afternoon that I visited, with most of the tables occupied during the entire time that I was there.

    There was a printed menu for customers, but I did like that they’d still made the effort to chalk the beer list onto the wall as well. There were numerous different beers that I wanted to try, but I limited myself to 1/3 of three of the stouts.

    And the three beers, with the staff member very carefully remembering which was which, pretty useful since they’re all stouts that look the same. Not that it matters to anyone, but I can still remember the order, so I shall note that here as a nod towards my professionalism….. All brewed by the London Beer Factory themselves, the top one is the Big Milk Stout, then the one with the head in the middle is the Zia and then the one at the bottom is the Wonky Tonk. The first two beers were very acceptable, but it was the third one that interested me the most.

    I left the Wonky Tonk until last as I thought it would be the best, and it did work out like that. The description for the beer reads:

    “A three bean stout, dripping with deep chocolate, heady vanilla and roasted almondy tonka beans. Layered and luxuriant, this beer morphs as it warms, cascading through the strata of flavours. Relaxing you into that post-dinner armchair”.

    That sounds decadent. And it didn’t disappoint, a rich and full mouthfeel with a delicious initial chocolate hit. A smooth aftertaste, almost like a liquid hot chocolate, but with slightly nutty and vanilla flavours. Really quite lovely, and I didn’t get bored of it either, sometimes these strong ABVs, and this was 11.5%, can get a little harsh by the end. I like beers with a real depth of flavour.

    This is the third attempt that I’ve made to get in here, they’ve been too busy before. However, I’m glad that I persisted, as the welcome was authentic, the interior is quirky and interesting, with no shortage of excellent beers to try. The service is friendly and knowledgeable, so definitely a recommended visit for anyone visiting the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

  • London – Camden (Borough of) – Euston Tap

    London – Camden (Borough of) – Euston Tap

    Continuing my mission to visit all the Good Beer Guide pubs in London, I haven’t been to the Euston Tap for many years. There are two parts of this, the opposite lodge is separated by a bus lane, and the other half now has the same name, although I remember that as the Cider Tap or something similar. The two lodges are both listed buildings (under the same listing) and they were built as detached structures to the railway station in 1870. They were built with Portland Stone and were designed by JB Stansby who was working for the London & North Western Railway. As is noted on the listed building record, this is all that remains from the 1870 railway station, given the destruction of the Euston Arch (and indeed, everything else).

    I won’t stray onto the matter of the Euston Arch, which stood here until Ernest Marples, one of the most incompetent, morally bankrupt, corrupt and deceitful of British politicians, ordered it to be taken down. I feel I’ve said enough about the odious, fraudulent and disgrace that was Ernest Marples, as it’s important to be balanced about individuals and not just see the bad in them. Anyway, I’ve digressed onto one of my favourite subjects, so back to beer, another one of my favourite subjects.

    The beer selection was chalked up on a board and I haven’t seen this in a while, with on-line ordering systems rather taking over during the last year. An interesting selection of different styles, although lacking in darker beers. Prices are reasonable given the quality available and also the central London location of being just outside a major railway station.

    It wasn’t very busy inside, although it was considerably busier outside. There’s a screen showing football to those seated outside, which isn’t visible to those who are located inside. This, speaking just for me, is the ideal compromise. Put smokers and football watchers outside to deal with either the cold or the wasps when it’s hot, leaving craft beer “connoisseurs” inside. Well, something like that anyway…..

    I opted for the Fruju pale ale from the Big Smoke Brew Co, which was OK, but I wasn’t getting the depth of flavours that I anticipated. There was a rich mouthfeel, and I note that the brewery mention they put added oats in to achieve this, a process that I hadn’t realised. There were some stoned fruit flavours, but the aftertaste was all a little weak, so I’d say this was just an average beer for me. But, interesting to try it.

    Overall, this is a bit of a local tradition in terms of pubs and absolutely recommended, not least as there’s a bit of heritage and quirkiness to the arrangements. The staff member was knowledgeable and helpful, it was a comfortable and clean environment, and although it’s small inside, at least there’s plenty of space outside and ideal for those who like bus spotting (I don’t, but I don’t judge, I knew someone who spent hours faffing about with Pokemon, and I rarely commented on that….).

  • London – Camden (Borough of) – Craft Beer Co. Covent Garden

    London – Camden (Borough of) – Craft Beer Co. Covent Garden

    I’ve got myself a bit muddled up (again) as I didn’t realise that The Craft Beer Co. had this bar, which they call Covent Garden, but I associate with being in Holborn (it’s actually between the two, so they’re completely right). This is relevant, as I muddled it up with the outlet on Leather Lane, which is also near to Holborn, and thought for some reason it was the same place. That boring little story aside, it means that I had to go and visit this bar I hadn’t realised existed to ensure that I didn’t miss out on anything. As an aside, it’s also in the Good Beer Guide, so that’s another one visited.

    Staffing engagement was excellent, with the team members being friendly, knowledgeable and keen to help. The bar was busy, but they found me a decent seat by the window, with table service being offered. There were plenty of team members around to assist customers, with the atmosphere feeling laid-back and vibrant.

    Another outlet in the chain earlier in the week didn’t have an up-to-date beer list, but they did here. I’m happy with this beer selection, a nice mixture of different beer styles.

    As an aside, that’s the bar’s licence taped to the window on the right of the photo. At least ten people came to have a look at it when I seated there, I assume thinking that it was a menu. I liked that the bar remained busy throughout my visit, as although it’s a central London location, these are tough times.

    I only had one drink here today, as I was on a mission to get food elsewhere, but I went for the Atomic Crush from Amundsen Brewery. It’s a raspberry, peach and vanilla pastry sour, which is becoming one of my favourite styles of beer now. I’ve been well advised I think to have got a taste for this beer style, with Amundsen being a well regarded brewery from Oslo in Norway. As a beer, it was excellent, with a strong raspberry hit, then the sourness bites before the more subtle flavours of vanilla and stoned fruit become evident.

    I noticed a negative review from three years from an angry person who said they looked forwards to the demise of this chain (they might have a long wait) which had some drivel about watering down beer. I like how the bar replied:

    “The above could not possibly be referring to our pub where we sell the finest and largest range of quality beers in the whole of the UK at very reasonable prices.”

    Nice  🙂

    I remain a fan of this chain of bars, all on-trend, well reviewed, exciting and offering something new every time. I’ve checked (more carefully this time) how many more bars I have left to visit in this chain, and it’s just the Brixton one. I’ll fix that omission this week. Definitely recommended, and I’m very pleased that it’s in the Good Beer Guide, and this is a different sort of bar to the usual ones listed.

  • London – Camden (Borough of) – The Swan

    London – Camden (Borough of) – The Swan

    On my continuing journey of Good Beer Guide pubs in London, this is the Greene King operated (yes, I know) Swan near Holborn. It all looks welcoming from the exterior, well, other than it’s got a Greene King sign on it. I’m not sure how old the building is, but unlike its neighbour, it’s not listed.

    An interesting pub interior and a very friendly staff member came over to welcome me at the door, so it was all efficient and inviting. The France and Hungary football match was showing and I was asked if I’d like to watch it, which I thought was nice to check. It wasn’t that busy in the pub, although it was a little busier with customers sitting out the front. I liked that the football was showing for those who wanted it, but without the volume being so loud that it meant everyone in the pub had to listen to it. Life is a careful balance as they say (well, they might do, I don’t know).

    The app told me that Greene King IPA was available, but I was hoping for an alcoholic drink and I’m glad that I checked, as the staff member told me that there were a couple more options to choose from. I don’t want to moan (but, yet here we are….) but Greene King are meant to be a brewer of beer (and Greene King IPA) and they have hundreds of products listed on their app, but they don’t bother listing the ales (other pub companies seem to manage….). They hamper their staff unnecessarily, but I was pleased to note that they had the N1 from Hammerton Brewery. That’s a perfectly decent beer and a nod towards sourcing from local suppliers, so this pleased me. It was well kept, at the appropriate temperature and was nicely refreshing, as well as being reasonably priced.

    Some of the interesting decoration in the pub, which was clean and organised throughout. Given the friendly welcome, a choice of ales and a quirky environment, it probably justifies being in the Good Beer Guide. There’s also traditional pub food available, and that seems to be well reviewed, so this is a safe choice for those wanting food and drink in this part of central London. In terms of service though, that was excellent here, so how lovely….

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Theodore Bullfrog

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Theodore Bullfrog

    The Theodore Bullfrog is a Youngs pub located near to Charing Cross station and I have no idea why it has this name. CAMRA note that there has been a pub on this site since 1690, originally known as St. Martin’s Tavern, but that the current building dates (which does look a little out of place given the neighbouring buildings) from 1959. I understand from reviews that it’s usually a busy location, but, yet again, pub numbers are suppressed at the moment given the lack of tourists and commuters in the city.

    The staff member mentioned that I could watch the football if I wanted, although, as might be expected, I didn’t want to. I was given a nice table well away from the action, just as I like it. As I write this, from nearby Trafalgar Square, there are huge numbers of Scottish fans around, I’m not sure I understand the excitement of coming without a ticket to watch the actual match, but I don’t think I really understand football and the atmosphere behind it. I do have some tentative visits to football matches in Spain and Poland later this year, which fall into my “we’ll see how this goes and I’ll likely dislike it” category, but who knows…..

    Anyway, moving on from football, this is a large pub, with the ground floor being on slightly different levels, and there’s also an upstairs dining area as well. A few customers were dining at the pub and the menu is traditional pub fare, at quite high prices even for London. The price for half a pint of real ale (how decadent of me….) was reasonable and in keeping with their local neighbours (I mean the local pubs, not random people living nearby). The reviews are a little mixed, I think with the food pricing causing some issues at times, but I noticed this review:

    “The barmaid upstairs was awful, I had a guest list of 20 people under the name of James and she was rude to everyone. She was argumentative, conflicting and unaccommodating, I won’t be coming back.”

    Perhaps the pub’s response tells the whole story here…

    “Hi James, i’m very sorry but we don’t allow our customers to consume alcohol brought in from outside the pub.”

    It’s evident that the beer selection is usually somewhat more exciting, with five different real ale options and some craft beer choices sometimes available at least. I was left with the only option of Youngs London Original, which was fine and entirely well-kept, but, unfortunately unexceptional. I mentioned in my Brewdog post the other day how that chain might have difficulties in some areas, but it’s a country mile ahead in others. It’s evident from my visits to Youngs and Nicholsons pubs over the last few days that both chains are struggling on a wider level and I do wonder whether they’ll be forced into closing more locations over future years.

    Anyway, I liked the environment of this pub and the staff members were friendly and the pub seemed spotlessly clean. They were using their own log-in system rather than the NHS track and trace, but at least they were checking details to comply with the rules. It was all fine, but there was nothing overly exciting to tempt me back…..

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Princess of Wales

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Princess of Wales

    The Princess of Wales, a Nicholson’s pub located between Embankment and Charing Cross underground stations. It’s a new entry to the Good Beer Guide this year and CAMRA claim that the pub is named after the wife of Edward VII rather than Princess Diana. The pub disagrees, noting on its web-site:

    “This historic pub is named in memory of George IV’s secret first wife. When still Prince Regent, he secretly married Catholic widow Maria Fitzherbert in 1785. The marriage was declared illegal at his father’s behest, because George would have been ineligible to reign with a Catholic wife.”

    Anyway, I have little concern over who the pub is actually named after, and both individuals can perhaps share the honour. When I entered, the welcome was prompt and friendly enough, with the pub being moderately busy. Football is on tonight and so pubs are perhaps busier than they might otherwise be.

    The real ale selection is usually more substantial, but today they just had London Pride and Nicholson’s Pale Ale on, neither of which makes my heart beat faster. As far as London Pride goes, it was fine and I got my 25p off a half pint as now seems to be the norm on the Nicholson’s app. On that point, the staff member seemed just slightly confused that I wanted to order via the app, but that was because I wanted my 25p off. Every penny counts…..

    Incidentally, with the photo above, I didn’t crouch down below the bar to avoid detection or something, it’s just that the pub has in these Covid times put tables below the bar and that’s where I was sitting. There’s quite a food menu available and I think that there’s a separate dining area upstairs, although this remains a relatively small pub.

    OK, this is a pretty terrible photo, but the environment was a little dark and it’s the best that I have. It was all clean and organised, with a variety of customers, from football fans to people waiting for a train. There was some trouble with Scottish fans trying to cause issues outside, although that hadn’t spilled over into the pub. Staff members weren’t thanking customers as they left, despite it being a small pub and they could have done. It doesn’t much matter, but it’s a nice touch when staff do offer some sort of farewell.

    As it stands and based on this visit, I don’t really see anything to justify this pub being in the Good Beer Guide, the beer selection, the environment and the welcome weren’t anything particularly notable. However, these are difficult times, so perhaps it can be much better.