pubs...

back from vacation... the beer reviews are going to be slow coming, since i left my journal at the house and france and will have to get it posted back. for now here are a few of my favorites of the dozen or more pubs we tried in london...

the market porter - 9 Stoney Street, Borough, London SE1

our first pub of the trip, the market porter was also the only one to which we made multiple visits, mostly, because of the number and variety of real ales on tap. located on a corner just outside borough market this pub was filled on all three visits with a lively mix of tourists, locals, market shoppers, market workers -- it's allowed to open from 6 to 8 in the morning so the market workers finishing work at that our can get a pint -- and, since i wasn't the only patron making notes on the beer, a smattering of beer geeks.

the main room is large, and dominated by a big wooden bar with seating around the walls. lots of wood paneling, but it's light and plenty of windows help keep the space light. a small back room has some more seating and i think there was a dining room as well. unfortunately the notes for the beers we had there are in the book that i left in france.

the anglesea arms - 15 Selwood Terrace, South Kensington, London SW7

quiet and unpretentious on a residential street in kensington. during our one night stopover on the way back from france we stumbled on this pub while walking back to our hotel. we were heading back to pick up our bags and head to the airport and looking for some fish & chips. running short on time we saw the anglesesa across the street decided to stop in and have a look at the menu.

we found an airy bar with big windows, plenty of soft worn wood, chintz wallpaper that looked like it could have been pasted up by william morris himself, and a crowd that looked like they were mostly lunchtime regulars. as we sat drinking a pint of hogsback bitter and waiting for our fish & chips the bar staff confirmed our suspicions by greeting almost every entrant to the premises by name.

there was a good selection of real ales: a couple of adnams, brakspear special, and hogsback bitter and a selection of drafts. the fake menu chalkboards that we'd seen at so many pubs were missing, the daily menu printed on plain paper waiting for us under the ashtray. the beers were good -- some of our favorites of the trip in fact -- and the fish and chips weren't bad either.

the duke of cambridge - 30 St Peters Street, Islington, London N1

another accidental discovery, we stumbled across this pub while walking around angel with my cousin dan and his girlfriend laura, and stopped in for a couple of pints before getting dinner to kill some time and catch up. a big, light, and airy room on a corner with massive glass windows on two sides. serves a selection of organic beers and organic food. simples wooden tables with chairs and benches make for a great place to sit on a summer afternoon. website

more to come...