Stonch lives in London, where he runs a pub.The London Beer Map
Last updated on Friday, 14 March 2008. If you have any suggestions for places to be included on the map, please leave a comment below. Thanks!
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Between us, we've got centuries of accumulated boozing knowledge. If there's anything worth knowing about beer in London, we've got it nailed down. With that in mind, it's time to make sense of it all.
Today, I've made a start on what hopefully will become a useful tool. It's a map of key haunts for the capital's beer lovers. You can zoom and move around London using the control buttons. Clicking on a blue placemarker brings up an information box, containing basic details of the venue and appropriate links.
To kick things off I've added 20-odd of the best pubs, bars, shops and breweries. That's just the beginning. What I'd like you to do is to suggest other places that should be added. Just leave a comment below. If I deem the suggestion worthy, I'll add it to the map. Let's set the bar high - everywhere that's included should have something exceptional about it. London deserves it.
UPDATE (15/11/07): One week on, and more than 50 locations are now included. The flags have been colour coded. Blue flags are pubs and bars. Green flags are breweries (including brewpubs). Red flags are beer shops.
86 comments:
Mistah Stonch-
Years ago, probably circa 1988 there was a pub called The Sun, somewhere downtown. It had an INSANE collection of cask ales from all over England. They even had Anchor Steam from San Francisco, and advertised it's gravity at 1.058. Do you have any recollection where this was? I understand it's long gone, but sheeet, that was a lovely place. Wood floors, chalk boards listing the beers.
Dog and Bell in Deptford is a superb boozer with a cozy atmosphere and an excellent and varied selection of ales. Can't recommend enough if you haven't been. Touch of the Wenlock Arms about it.
Jonathan - I've heard good things about the Dog & Bell so will add it to the map.
Whorst - I think you're probably talking about a pub that used to be called the Rising Sun, now renamed the Perserverance. If so, it was/is on Lamb's Conduit Street in Bloomsbury. Sadly it turned into an identikit gastropub a few years ago. An old boy I met at a beer fest told me it was once the best real ale pub in London.
The Old Mitre, 1 Ely Place? Certainly a cracking pub. Nice variety of guest ales and the Adnams is usually in fine form(not that Adnams is difficult to find anymore). I know it makes Holborn a bit crowded but a worthy addition in my opinion.
Now this is genius, nice one Stonch.
That's a negatory captain. Doesn't work for me - can't see nuffin in Firefox.
Matt - Ye Olde Mitre added. I was in there earlier in the week. They had a lovely dark bitter on from Fyne Ales. I needed to ask Scotty to take the sparkler off, though!
Mister M - I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps Google Maps isn't compatible with Firefox? If anyone knows about such things, please speak up! Also, if anyone is having trouble with viewing this, let me know.
holy crap, love the map. It will come in handy when I visit next month.
That all looks very handy. Can you work a URL for the pub's website...if they have that, I suppose.
Alan, placemarkers include links to the place's own website where there is one - sadly that isn't very often.
I'm continuing to work on this - just added The Seven Stars in Holborn and The Lamb in Bloomsbury. Keep the suggestions coming.
Works in Firefox for me. Seeing as you have put the Pembury on how about the Chesham Arms which is five minutes away. Worth a visit. Normally has between 2-4 guest beers on.
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/16/16902/Chesham_Arms/Homerton
I noticed the sultan was in there. Only 5 minutes walk from this pub is the Trafalgar, a small pub that has about 6 real ales on plus ciders and they do the odd beer festival too. 5 mins from both pubs is Nelson Wines, a shop with hundreds of good beers.
The Kings Arms, Roupell Street surely deserves inclusion. It's a great trad boozer on a well-preserved street. The Rose and Crown just round the corner is also worthy.
It's out of the centre - but the Nightingale in Wanstead is a brilliant pub. Always about six real ales, all well kept. Friendly punters, nice cosy and unpretentious interior with a real fire. In Leytonstone there's the North Star, a fine place with a nicely worn, utilitarian Victorian interior. Reminds me of the much missed Lord Rodney's Head in Whitechapel.
And how about my old local, the Pride Of Spitalfields, off Brick Lane? Keepin' it real ale in a area now drowning in trendy europiss and ironic mullets.
Stonch, I like your map. The Pembury Tavern is my local. Sometimes I've been in and they have less than six beers on. I suggest you change your writeup to "Up to 16 handpumps ...". Also, the food is fantastic because it's often delicious, and it's also reasonably priced.
Great concept Stonch, The only problem will be when those little flags get so tightly packed that meltdown occurs.
Microbar - Battersea
Good selection of interesting beers.
megalomaniac
party7 - we can avoid overpopulating the map by maintaining a high standard. For example, just because somewhere is in the Good Beer Guide doesn't mean it should be on this map. There has to be something truly special about it. Usually that'll be decided on quality and range of beer, although remarkable pub interiors deserve a mention. We're a discerning bunch.
There's something quite similar over at BeerMapping.com, though inclusion there doesn't require the Stonch Seal of Worthiness and Exceptionality.
Now added:
Pride of Spitalfields
Trafalgar Freehouse
Nelson Wines
Microbar
A few other places have been mentioned, but I don't know enough about them to decide... if you let me know details of beers etc. for the more obscure places I can stick them on the map.
Cheers
edwards bar in ealing. great selection of trappist ales.
One of the old Young's pubs in Wandsworth should be added, The Spread Eagle is a magnificent gin palace!
The MAgpie and Crown in Brentford has four ever-changing ales on. It has to be seen to be believed, like being in a time warp.
Stonch - I think you've drawn your map slightly wrong - the scale seems a little off there?
How about Beer Circus in Croydon?
Stonch/Whorst
The Sun (never the Rising Sun) did indeed end up as The Perseverance eventually. Closed as The Sun in the early 90s and had a spell as a phoney Irish pub called Finnegans Wake after that. I can still remember the big board on the wall (just about the whole of one wall) listing all the beers. Unfortunately they weren't all always in great condition. There was a sister pub called the Moon just round the corner that didn't have such a huge range. It is now being used as offices.
Alastair
Beer Circus is closing. Might have already closed. Shame.
Not for the map yet (AFAIK) but one to watch out for. A while back Oakham Brewery bought a pub called the Mansion House on Kennington Park Road from Shepherd Neame a while back. It was closed for refurbishment last time I was down that way. Don't know whether it has re-opened yet - don't venture sarf of the river much myself.
Magpie & Crown now added.
I'm not sure any of the Wandsworth Young's pub deserve inclusion. The beer is hardly spectacular and there are equally impressive interiors across London. Maybe I'm being a little harsh, though.
I'd say the Lamb in Bloomsbury is the finest pub in that estate, so that's been added to the map.
You def. need to include the Priory Arms nr Stockwell tube: the south-of-the-river equviant to the Wenlock.
Palm Tree in Haverfield Road, E3 5BH, Bow: unique location (in the middle of Mile End Ecology Pub, next to canal), 2 always changing real ales (non macro; Mighty Oak, Harvieston, Elgood's, etc.); great fun especially on weekends with jazz and open mike (but only for accomplished singers)
also, the Victoria in Streatham Place, W2 2NH. Fuller pub but extremely well kept beer; only pub I know of where staff go to the cellar to get pint from there when ale is being changed; lovely Victorian (of course) interior; mix of people from posh locals to passing builders and all get along well
Or indeed the Star in Belgrave Mews SW1 - surely Fuller's flagship pub? - always wonderful beer & great interior. In every single ed. of the GBG.
Great site/map.
Here's my top 10 GBG pubs in London:
Anchor and Hope, Clapton
Calthorpe Arms, Bloomsbury
Compton Arms, Islington
Dog and Duck, Soho
Holly Bush, Hampstead
Market Porter, Borough
Rose and Crown, Stoke Newington
Star Tavern, Belgravia
Traveller's Friend, Woodford Green
Watermans Arms, Richmond
Re: Youngs pubs
The Brewery Tap in Wandsworth would have been an obvious choice when the brewery was open. Don't know what's happened to it since the brewery closed.
I'd certainly endorse the inclusion of The Lamb. But I've always reckoned the Buckingham Arms in Westminster serves the beer is best nick (not that I've ever been a huge Youngs fan) and is another one that's been in every edition of the GBG. I always recommend it to overseas visitors as they invariably want to try Youngs on cask and will probably be in the Buck House/Westminster area anyway.
Fullers pubs
I think a key issue is whether they always have the seasonals. Some of the nicer ones don't. Will be in the Victoria next week and hope to see the Porter - Fullers best cask beer by far.
Chris is right. One of Fuller's great strengths is the constantly changing seasonal programme they run through most of the year. The London Porter currently available is quite simply sublime. I've had at least a pint every day this week so I know what I'm talking about!
I've noticed quite a few of their pubs don't participate at all, however. It's usually the managed, rather than tenanted, houses that get them in, and they tend to be of the less appealing "Ale & Pie House" variety. I've spent a few hours in The Butcher's Hook & Cleaver on Smithfield Market - a cavern of a boozer - this week simply to get stuck into the Porter. I'd rather do so in somewhere more authentic...
For an exceptional interior (and exterior) how about the Blackfriar?
Also, some of the Sam Smith's pubs are quite interesting, but then the beer is no great shakes.
Thatcher's Britain!
Spread Eagle in Wandsworth has a great interior and when it was opposite the brewery you could get all their beers there and in particular those often only exported. Now sadly it's lost a bit of that magic.
One question, are we concentrating on beer selection only or interiors too?
Maybe you could colour code the little markers or do a separate map for pub interiors? In your own time of course !!
Chris O said...
"Beer Circus is closing. Might have already closed. Shame."
I didn't realise. Nightmare. I might go along tomorrow and see whether it's still there for one last session.
The Charles Dickens pub in southwark always has a good selection of microbrewed ales.
The Hole in the wall is a grubby place with decent beer, there are usually 6-7 ales on and at least two of them are not the usual.
What about the Lord Clyde? Top pub although not an exciting selection of beers. It's a shame the George in Borough is a shit pub.
If you're posh you may like the Anglesea Arms in S.Kensington/Chelsea it has about 5 ales on very often a few from Hog's Back Brewery, or at least it did last year!
Beer Circus probably open until the 24th of November according to latest reports (from Graeme, the owner). Catch it while you can.
I've added The Star Tavern in Belgravia due to it being the most celebrated of Fullers' pubs.
I notice no-one has commented on the omission of Brew Wharf or Bunker, both berewpubs but neither getting much love from me!
Bad news about Beer Circus. I've never actually been (due it being in faraway Croydon) but it sounded excellent.
I think I should add one or two of Sam Smith's better pubs - perhaps Cittie of Yorke and Olde Cheshire Cheese?
this proves something i've always known - there aren't many good pubs in west london
A vote over here for the Cheshire Cheese - I had an excellent pint of Old Brewery yesterday. The place was rammed because of the Lord Mayor's show, but it was easy to get a drink and the staff kept smiling. I'm also a fan of The Champion, Wells Street. Shame the Princess Louise is still shut...
Was in the Chesham Arms last night. Six hand pumps and were all Nethergate Beers with the exception of one guest which was from St Austell.
Pub seems to have changed hands and the Umbel Ale was far from perfect although the Priory Mild was spot on.
Still if the Pembury is packed solid like it was last night this makes for an interesting diversion.
You must add the White Horse on Parsons Green, always a great line up of draught and bottled Belgian beers in there. The Rake near Borough Market is another decent place.
I was in the Star Tavern in Belgravia on friday evening supping the excellent London Porter, I've been a regular here for over 20 years now, only downside is their filthy toilets, they have never addressed this particular problem.
The Bavarian Beerhouse at 190 City Road, EC1 would be worth including for decent German beer and grub.
For a Sam Smiths pub my vote would be for the Cittie of York (until the Princess Louise reopens). I was never too keen with the way that Sam Smiths extended the Cheshire Cheese.
On the theme of brewery owned pubs perhaps you might want one for McMullens (Nags Head or Spice of Life), Badger (Ship & Shovell?) and Shepherd Neame (Mabels Tavern is the most reliable for all the seasonals but not the most interesting pub). Oh and there's the Bridge House for Adnams, although I don't really like the pub much.
Another one that stocks a decent range of micros is the Edgar Wallace.
Impressive, especially the concentration around the Holborn area
I'd be very wary of including the Magpie and Crown. Filthy hole with poor beer unless it has changed recently. I'd call for reports before putting it in.
Chesham Arms, Cittie of Yorke, Bavarian Beerhouse all added.
I'll put some of your other suggestions up tomorrow. Keep them coming please!
West London does have a few gems, I'd say the Colton Arms near the Queen's Club (Greyhound Road W14 to be a bit more precise) is mapworthy. Run by a friendly father and son team, excellent session ales, quiet enough to get a seat and get served but plenty of locals to chat to. It's a pub you go into on Friday for a quick pint and emerge on the Saturday confused but smiling.
I'm also a fan of the Tabard at Turnham Green, the only place in London I've found a decent pint of Tetley's (mainly because the staff can use a sparkler) and they are always spot on with their seasonal ales. Nice looking place inside with a sunny courtyard for summer. Also one of the only pubs I found this summer to reject Discovery and put on Fuller's Summer Ale.
JP - the only place I spotted Fullers Summer Ale this year was in
The Falkland Arms in Great Tew, Oxfordshire. I wonder why Fullers bother brewing it at all, when they don't seem to want to sell it.
Chris O - I suppose I probably should include a Badger and Shep Neame pub. I'm not so sure about McMullens though. For one thing, there two pubs in Central London are both diabolical, and the one up in Camden is just a backstreet local, albeit a pleasant one. Secondly, I really don't get on with their beer at all.
For Badger, I think I prefer The Mason's Arms in Marylebone and The Shaston Arms in Soho to the Ship & Shovell. For Sheps, I think most of their London pubs are decent. The Betsey Trotwood is my local one, but I like The Rugby Tavern in Bloomsbury too. Agree that Mabel's is the most reliable for beer but definitely not the nicest.
St. stephens tavern carries the badger brews as well. On the three or four times I visted they were in good condition. Also have very friendly staff.
The Edgar wallace was also nice with I think 5+ taps on... but you may have to watch out for those pesky suits...
Heh, I found Mabels quite by accident. Nice lil place...
This way you end up with an overpopulated map with the highest density in your neighbourhood. (Quite good neighbourhood, though). You should focus more on the purpose of the map.
As a real-ale-tourist to Britain I want to spend my valuable drinking time in pubs where I hope to find well-kept pints of real-ale. A good
selection isn't bad, either. Diversity is good: Fuller's, Youngs, Adnams and Landlord are great, but it's nice to find something from breweries you've never heard of.
Bottled beers sometimes are good substitutes. Even Wetherspoons are interesting: You know what you find if you are hungry - and normally the beer selection is adequate - and seldom mistreated.
Going to a pub with an authentic old interior usually gives me a good drinking experience - if the beer is OK.
You have got some of these points in one of your comments.
For myself I have maintaned a list - and a map-plot based on the following:
All GBG- and Cask Marque(CM)-pubs in London with postcode starting with E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W and WC.
Special markers for ex-GBG-pubs.
In addition: Visited pubs with special qualities, breweries and large beershops.
-The pub is in the national inventory of pub interiors with outstanding historic interest.
-The pub is in the appendix of the national inventory of pub interiors with outstanding historic interest.
-The pub is in the regional Guide for London (ISBN 1 85249 204 X)
-Grade listing
When I started, the GBG-pubs were too few. Therefore I had to include the CM-pubs as well. With the addition of the historic ones - and "pubs with special qualities", I will now remove the CM-only pubs and believe that the number will be handy.
How to present the pubs?
The Google-map approach you have chosen is "almost there". You loose some dimensions by not being able the put the names of the pubs on the map (at a certain zooming level) and using markers of different colors for information carriers. For most of us "tourists" a printout of such a map is the way to navigate central London.
If you rely on others to provide most of the information, the maintenance will be possible to manage - and consistent. Always operate with "pubs with special qualities" but keep that portion low.
Your approach is great - but we all have to look out for better solutions. A glimpse of the future we can se at the website of The Dove in Ipswich: http://www.dovestreetinn.co.uk/pages/beers.php : An online access to the casks!
My list? http://realale.home.online.no/Lists/Publist.htm . In addition to what I have mentioned above, I would have added your bunch of Sam. Smith pubs and brewpubs in London as well. This information is not available elsewhere!
Keep up the good work. Your information about real-ale-pub-life in London is of great value!
I've made my own London beer map, which you may want to look at.
It's designed to print out and take with me on trips. The idea is to use it both before you go, to get an idea of the best places, and to use it while there. Typical scenario is "we need a break, where's the nearest good pub?"
Thanks for your input fellas!
Although the map shows high concentrations around a certain area - the WC and EC postcodes - that's because they're Central London, not because I live there! You'll also notice there's a cluster in SE1 (Borough).
This simply reflects that the stand-out beer spots aren't evenly distributed across the city and it's suburbs - hardly surprising. Of course, there are places across London that may not have a place on this map, but are nevertheless great locals with top well-kept beer.
I'm hoping someone might get inspired to do a pub crawl on the basis of this map. The location of the flags suggest many possibilities.
I quite like the Carpetner's Arms on Seymour Place by Marble Arch. I've been told that it's the same ownership as the Market Porter (i can't verify this). They usually have six or so guest ales on cask. It's one of my "locals" when I'm in London. should be on the map.
mattb,
I'd heard that the folks who owned Market Porter had other properties but was never able to suss out what they were! thanks for the 411!
Surfadelic23
Junction Tavern near Tufnell park always has a good selection,Deuchers plus 3 guests.2 tring beers and an adnams last friday.Nethergates Old growler seen here as well sometimes,very rare for london.Food is a bit poncy but the beer is always good!
Prague on Kingsland road offers a great selection of Czech beers and one of my favorites, Czech Dark Budwar on tap. Grrrowl
http://www.fluidfoundation.com/venueDetails.aspx?VenueID=18967
Just took a visit to Kris Wines after reading about it on the London Beer Map. Wonderful store! What a find. I was looking for Belgium triples (continuing a current phase of exploration) and walked away with very happily with
1. Gouden Carolus
2. St Feuillien
3. Kapittel
4. Abeerlsen
5. Petrus
But that list could up much higher. All priced under £2 too! Excellent. Top job!
I'd be very wary of including the Magpie and Crown. Filthy hole with poor beer unless it has changed recently. I'd call for reports before putting it in.
I was in the Magpie & Crown on Sat (prior to a pleasing 2-0 win at Brentford) and the beer was on form - I only had the Grand Union but it was very nice - no complaints from my mates on the other beers.
On the downside, the landlord is a MonkeyHanger and will get his H'Angus out if you ask him nicely.
Our visit was preceded by my second visit to the Red Lion at Isleworth - always worth going out of your way for.
Carpenter's Arms, Junction Tavern and Bar Prague all added now.
This is a brilliant application - cheers
The Palm Tree, Mile End, now added.
Stonch, in your description of The Palm Tree should it read "... Mile End ecology park ..."?
You're right. Now corrected.
[I'd erroneously written "Mile End ecology pub - my my mind is addled.]
Whorst
The Sun pub was in Lamb's Conduit Street, diagonally opposite The Lamb (Youngs). It is still licensed premises, but nothing like the old pub. The owner had a much smaller bar around the corner, called The Moon. So when the Sun went down you could move on to the Moon.......
I have a request for information. Some years ago (between 10 and 20, I'd say) I saw a TV serial which featured a pub that had etched glass dividing screens from about waist high and above reaching up to the ceiling. To move between areas of the pub, the characters ducked down below the screens, which has always fascinated me. I have never been able to discover the name of the pub so I wondered whether anyone out there could respond with details. Is the pub still operating and if so, is it worthy of inclusion on the map (if it's not there already!)?
As an ex-Londoner who's relocated to the Stockport area, I can:
1) Confirm that The Sun in Lamb's Conduit Street was a real haven for all live beer fans in difficult times and
2) Sympathise with Mr Stonch's Old Tom related problems. Mind you, 90p a half is a fantastic deal - they're asking c£3 a pint here in its heartland. Having said that, we can get Sam Smith's at £1.26 a pint in a pub that would tick all the boxes for inclusion on your map if it was in London (The Queen's Head aka The Turner's Vaults).
Eldridge, The Windsor Castle on Campden Hill Road (by Notting Hill Gate) has access hatches you have to duck under to get between the wooden divisions that separate the bar into different areas. Perhaps that's the pub you mean?
Stonch, the Chesham Arms is at 15 Mehetabel Road (not 5). BITE has the wrong street number too. The pub has six handpumps but only two were on on Tuesday evening (two Nethergate beers).
Thanks, Chris, I've corrected that. Shame there were only two beer and not six, but as they were from Nethergate you can't really grumble!
There's a very good beer shop in Brockley - Mr Lawrence. My writeup is here and their website is here.
Stonch, I think you should add The Claret Free House (a mile from East Croydon train station). Six handpumps, all of them in use late afternoon today (Thursday). I tried Dark Star Espresso Stout and a Slater's beer. They have a board listing future beers (20+ beers). There's a beer festival every six months (next one is in March).
Kate / Chris P: thanks for the suggestions. Both have been added to the map. Cheers!