Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Good Beer Guide

  • Newcastle – Bacchus

    Newcastle – Bacchus

    Continuing on my tour of Good Beer Guide pubs in Newcastle, this is Bacchus Bar, which is designed to look like an ocean-liner. Something a little different I suppose….

    There was a friendly welcome at the door from the staff member, although I thought that the music was a little loud for my own personal preferences (which are, quite boringly, no music at all). I thought that the atmosphere was a bit muted, but it was a clean and comfortable environment. The beer selection was reasonable, a few different real ales and an effort has been made not to be bland. The staff were personable and pro-active, so everything seemed well managed and efficient.

    I went for the Stout 2021 from Nomadic Beers who are a small brewery from the Leeds area. Smooth, dark and chocolately, although perhaps lacking a rich aftertaste, but still very drinkable. The surroundings are a bit decadent, but that’s perhaps a little inevitable when you’re trying to recreate the theme of an ocean liner. There are normally around eight or so real ales on, but they’re down a little at the moment due to current circumstances, but there was still no shortage of options and most beer styles were available.

    This is an interesting and long-standing addition to the Good Beer Guide, although I suspect that on Saturday evenings it can all get a bit raucous for my liking. It does though seem to have been serving decent beer for some time, their web-site notes that it was a CAMRA pub of the year runner-up in 1995, so it appears to be something of a survivor. It’s run by a small chain, Sir John Fitzgerald, which I haven’t heard of, but they have numerous pubs in this area. This isn’t a pub I’d have thought to have gone in without the Good Beer Guide recommendation, but I’m pleased that I did.

  • Newcastle – Mean Eyed Cat

    Newcastle – Mean Eyed Cat

    As I’m in Newcastle for the day, I thought that I’d visit a few of the pubs in the Good Beer Guide and I started with this micropub near to the Haymarket metro station. When I went in it seemed to be quite busy internally and externally, but there was a friendly welcome from a member of staff who said that there was space in the rear garden area. That sufficed me as I wasn’t sure that I could get in at all on a Friday evening.

    The friendly staff member told me to have a quick look at the beers at the bar and she’d then come and take the order. I took one look and decided instantly, it had to be the Cherry Trifle from Brew By Numbers. A cherry imperial stout is one of my favourites and I’m a fan of Brew By Numbers and have been working steadily through their beers, as well as having visited their taproom in London. There were a range of beer styles there though to cater for most tastes, all nicely balanced and thought out.

    As it was a walk by photo this is a bit blurred unfortunately, but there were some cask options as well which looked tempting. As I wanted to meander around a few pubs, I had decided just to have one drink here, but not because of any shortage of options. The decor was sufficiently quirky to make it interesting and the whole atmosphere felt inviting, somewhat different to its previous use as a newsagents.

    The rear garden wasn’t the most salubrious of environments if I’m being honest, but they’ve made it bright and colourful. The beer was good, not quite as rich as I had expected, but it didn’t taste its 10% with the flavour being sufficiently moderate. The cherries were there though in some form, with a bit of vanilla in the taste as well. I was perfectly pleased with this smooth and slightly decadent beer, but I wanted a slightly more powerful punch from the cherries.

    Anyway, back to the pub itself. Not being inside meant I couldn’t quite get the same experience of understanding how the regulars interacted and the like, but I always felt welcome and the environment was on-trend without trying to be. The beer selection was thought through, the staff were friendly and I’d most certainly visit here again. Indeed, a few of us have decided a trip to Newcastle in November 2022 will be a really good idea, especially as the Head of Steam and Brewdog here are currently closed, so a revisit is required. This pub is though a quite worthy addition to the Good Beer Guide in my humble view.

  • Edinburgh – Bow Bar

    Edinburgh – Bow Bar

    It’s been a little difficult visiting the local pubs in the Good Beer Guide, as many of them have been closed or are operating on heavily reduced hours. It transpired that Bow Bar has only just reopened as well, due to a staff member having Covid-19 last month, which must have been a blow after they were finally allowed to open. However, they certainly seem to have been honest and open about the situation, and everything is back to normal now for this bar.

    There was a very friendly welcome from the staff member at the door, she was conversational and welcoming. I did wonder whether this small bar might be a little cliquey, but it absolutely wasn’t, there was a nice relaxed atmosphere inside.

    There’s an interesting decor in the bar. I would normally meander around and take a couple more photos, but under the current situation, that wouldn’t be sensible.

    I don’t drink whisky as it’s too, er, powerful in flavour, for me. I like beers that have been in aged whisky casks, but the whisky itself does nothing for me. There were some tempting options here in the whisky month that the pub was running, with I note numerous flavours similar to those that can be found in beers. There were some very decadent options as well, so I can imagine Richard might well have been tempted by them (especially the expensive ones). It’s great to see such a wide selection available for whisky drinkers though, a few customers were drinking through some of the options on this list.

    There is a beer board, but it’s at the other end of the bar. The enthusiastic staff member checked whether I was a whisky or beer drinker, before carefully explaining all of the different beer options. I have a problem that I can’t remember a list of options, I just stop the staff member when they tell me a beer that sounds interesting. I liked the enthusiasm of the staff member as well, she must have to repeat the beer list a lot, but she remained helpful and willing, seemingly to genuinely want people to get a drink they’d like. Never scripted and never routine, I like it, although I did wonder whether it’d be easier to just have a print out of the beers they had. But, it was a good way to allow the staff member to engage, so all was well.

    My new drinking partner who spent the entire time ignoring me and looking the other way. I have some friends like this to be fair and it’s very annoying when I want to tell them about craft beer. The bar has put these giant teddies on some seats to aid social distancing, a really nice idea. Non confrontational and adding to the atmosphere, rather lovely. I did name the teddy, but I won’t put the name here….

    The beer that I chose was the Mochaccino Stout from Pilot, which is a micro-brewery from Leith, in Edinburgh. It had a rich flavour and had a smooth chocolate and coffee edge to it, although the aftertaste seemed to dissipate a little quickly. A really pleasant beer though and for some reason, it seemed appropriate for the bar that I was drinking it in.

    Looking at the reviews, the bar certainly seem to be doing something right as they’re nearly all very favourable. There are a few really idiotic comments levelled at the bar and they do sometimes reply in quite a punchy manner. I like that, genuine complaints treated with respect, but idiocy dealt with accordingly. Like the person who felt appropriate to leave 1/5 as they wouldn’t let his 17 year old daughter in, even though that is what the bar’s licence states.

    And someone who complained that they didn’t serve Guinness. I love the bar’s answer:

    “I see you have edited your review to now complain that we don’t serve Guinness. If we wanted to serve something that tasted like Guinness, we would serve Guinness. However, we support smaller independent breweries, and we have an alternative stout for the dark beer drinkers. If you don’t like it, that’s not our fault, and I don’t see how you can get so upset over it. It’s just beer at the end of the day.”

    Someone also complained that they paid £5 for a pint. The bar’s response was moderate, adding “PS, we are not Wetherspoons” at the end. Fair play, there’s a place for JD Wetherspoon as far as I’m concerned, but there’s even more of a place for brilliant little independent bars like this who focus on great customer service and beer from small, local breweries.

    I really liked this bar, primarily because the service was personable, pro-active and simply welcoming. This is certainly one of my best pub experiences of the year so far that isn’t in a chain (well, in a Brewdog) and it absolutely deserves to be in the Good Beer Guide. It’s in a touristy area of Edinburgh, so I imagine they get a real mix of locals and visitors from further afield, but the welcome seemed authentic to all. All very lovely.

  • 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) – 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.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Cross Keys

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Cross Keys

    This cornucopia of foliage outside this Covent Garden pub makes for quite a memorable welcome for customers (and no doubt an Instagram opportunity for many), and it proves to be just as quirky inside. A Good Beer Guide listed pub, it’s an independently operated venue (I think) which is a little unusual for the area, which seems dominated by chains such as Nicholsons and Fullers. The pub dates to 1848, when this whole Endell Street area was modernised, so there’s some Victorian heritage here as well.

    The welcome from the staff members was immediate and genuine, although I got the impression that the staff were just keen to get more customers in. This was yet another quiet pub in Covent Garden, but I understand that in more normal times it would usually be difficult to get to the bar, let alone get a seat. The decoration is quirky, indeed somewhat quirky, but I liked that, and there was plenty to look at around the pub. Perhaps some people might think that it’s slightly dingy and needs a little bit of a clear out, but I’d hate for a pub such as this to be modernised and made to be all barren and sterile. The downstairs toilets were also an exciting expedition down some quite steep stairs, but it all adds to the character of the arrangement.

    The staff member apologised that the pub doesn’t have any real ales on at the moment, but he mentioned some other options, which included the Reliance Pale Ale from Brixton Brewery. I hadn’t had that before and it was an acceptable alternative, not unreasonably priced. The pub had a comfortable feel, although I suspect the staff were just struggling with how to be trying to run a pub with so few customers in it, but that the service was attentive for everyone who did come in. I think that they serve food at lunchtimes, although I didn’t particularly look for menus, but reviews suggest that it’s sandwiches and pies which are all entirely acceptable. There’s also an outside area which gives the pub a little bit more space, but this isn’t one of the largest venues.

    For anyone with a limited amount of time in Covent Garden who has the ability to visit just the one pub, I think that I’d recommend this one. Something very British and authentic about this, and it’s quirky enough to feel really quite different to the pubs in the surrounding area. Friendly service, a comfortable environment and a reasonable beer selection, all rather lovely.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – White Swan

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – White Swan

    I’m having a rather lovely time meandering around Covent Garden this afternoon, an area that normally annoys me (and indeed a chugger has managed to annoy me by jumping in front of me and nearly causing a pedestrian traffic accident by trying to impede my progress – I have complained to the charity involved because I’m post-annoyed about it). Anyway, other than that, the atmosphere here is relaxed and, most importantly (for me), not too busy.

    This is the Good Beer Guide listed White Swan pub on New Row, operated by Nicholson’s. CAMRA note that this was once one of the many early morning pubs at Covent Garden when it was a market and had a special licence for the porters who worked there so they could get a drink. The building dates from the seventeenth century and it was at one stage a coaching house for visitors to London, so yet another pub with some considerable heritage. For several years, until 2012, it was an Irish themed bar operated by O’Neils and, to be honest, I’m not sure that this was an ideal usage for such an old building.

    I love a pub with a history sign outside, it suggest that some quite exciting things might lie within! OK, I accept that I might need to get out more…. Anyway, as this signage states, the pub was used in a novel written by Dorothy L Sayers.

    The interior of the pub and as can be seen, this is another pub not exactly heaving at lunch-time. It was a little busier outside, but it’s fair to say, this was a heavily under-used pub for the time that I was in it.

    The bar area which all feels quite traditional. I had a little bit of a wait to get in as the pub felt slightly understaffed, but the barman was friendly and helpful when I called out to check that I could just go in. It was a very comfortable environment, and also considerably cooler than the previous pub that I had just sat outside, so that was reassuring to me.

    There was a choice of four real ales available, which are seemingly the the same ones that are offered in nearly every other Nicholson’s pub, it’s not really very creative. But perhaps times are hard to get the appropriate supplies of beers flowing throughout the pub chain. This is half a pint of Wainwrights, a beer that was perhaps a little past its best, but I think it’s quite a bland beer anyway, so it’s hard for me to judge when that best was. The service though remained attentive and helpful throughout, although there were only two customers (including me) sitting inside the pub, so that likely made managing things a little easier. I purchased using the app, which gave me 25p off my half pint again, so the pricing was entirely reasonable and I didn’t encounter any issues with it today.

    Apparently the pub is showing the Euro football matches, but is leaving the volume low or not on at all, something which seems to me to be a perfect compromise. I understand that football fans might not entirely agree with that though, but there we go. The pub was serving food, and has a restaurant area upstairs, but I’m not sure they had many customers for that when I was there. A decent pub though, aided by helpful service, although I would ideally like a more decadent beer selection to keep me amused and to want to come back. For the heritage alone, I can see why it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Lamb and Flag

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Lamb and Flag

    This is a bit lovely, one of the oldest pubs in the area, perhaps dating to as early 1688, but the timber frame is no later than the mid eighteenth century. Former customers include Charles Dickens, Karl Marx and John Dryden, so there’s some considerable history here. I partly treat the money I spend at these places (which is hardly a decadent spend as I’m only buying half a pint) as an entrance fee to see these remarkable buildings. For those who are craving my riveting comments on craft beer, I’ll be visiting other locations more suited to that later today, in a desperate attempt to cater to my huge audience of about three.

    Some have claimed that the pub is perhaps the oldest in London, although I’m quite sceptical about that. But, it’s heritage is undeniable, although as often with these things, the pub and its licence can move about a bit as buildings were reconstructed and developed. It’s known that there was a pub around here, and very likely this building, from 1772 and at that stage it was known as the Cooper’s Arms. The pub changed to its current name in 1833 and it was another location where boxing matches were held frequently judging from the newspaper reports. More recently, in the late twentieth century, there were theatrical performances that took place upstairs.

    There was another friendly welcome at the entrance to this Good Beer Guide listed pub which all complied with track and trace. I had a quick meander around the pub and took a photo of the beer options whilst I was walking by.

    I had a bit of a dilemma here and I looked very British and awkward in trying to find where to sit. There was a large group in the rear of the pub which I didn’t want to disturb, and it was a restaurant area upstairs. So I temporarily moved to the front of the pub, but didn’t want to take that table of four as that seemed greedy. But I didn’t like the high table that I had acquired for myself, so I placed my order and then faffed about a bit pondering where to go.

    I then decided to go outside, before realising all of the tables were reserved, so I shuffled back inside like some confused idiot. Actually, I’m sure the member of staff thought exactly that, but she didn’t show it. I mentioned that I hadn’t realised they were reserved, but she politely explained they actually weren’t, it was just to ensure that customers got the attention of a staff member before self-seating. So, I shuffled back outside and sat in the blazing heat. I didn’t feel that I could back inside without the staff member fearing for my sanity. My phone warned me it was over-heating, my trusty Chromebook switched off three times in some sort of part panic and part strop, whilst I just melted. I pretended to passing pedestrians and customers that I was enjoying the lovely hot weather, but I feel I made a bit of a mistake here (I’ll add that I’m currently inside another pub which is very cold, so myself and my devices are recovering fast).

    The beer that I ordered was Oliver’s Island from Fuller’s Brewery, which was average and unexceptional. It was well-kept and yet again at the appropriate temperature (I see little reason to say more than this for generic real ales) so I was suitably refreshing in the tropical London heat. The beer cost £2.50, but as I mentioned earlier, that’s sort of partly an admission fee to feel part of the heritage of a pub where I can sit where Charles Dickens sat. And since I kept moving about inside, I probably covered quite a few bases in that regard.

    Other than I nearly combusted in the heat, this was a clean and comfortable environment. Relaxed, informal and friendly, I liked this pub and find it remarkable just how quiet Covent Garden is at the moment. It’s a pub that is worth visiting though, a little bit of London history.