Uk Barblog

The Abbey (St James Park - London)

The Abbey

So called because of its close promixity to Westminster abbey, this large gastro pub is in the basement of the offices above. Although new in December of 2006, it replaces another bar that stood in its place and it is a welcome surprise from what appears from the outside to be just another basement pub. A rather more grand pub that other such basement venues in the nearby soho this one really sets the standard with a large staircase down to a pit which serves as the base of the pub with a scattering of tables and an adjacent staircase leads up to another level with more tables and another smaller bar. On the bottom floor are the toilets, a well stocked bar and a fast service at around £3 a pint. Very nice decor and friendly crowd. I am sure that once people find out about this place they will begin to flock but at the moment the crowd size is managed very nicely, and weekends are normally very quiet around Victoria street if you are after a pint on a saturday.

Overall would be nicer if the food available was more up to standard but other than that it is easily the nicest bar on Victoria street - 7/10.

[last visit: Dec 2006]

The Victoria (Victoria - London)

The Victoria

A mere shout away from the shakespeare, this pub looks rather similar to its neighbours from the outside but within it is a heavily wooden styled accomodation with a short lane of oak leading to thick mahogany walls either side with a narrow slit of a bar serving ales at the cheapest prices but lagers at the average price of £3.20. This pub is quite a bit bigger than anything you'd expect from the outside and the service is fast and friendly although the selection of shots is rather disappointing.

During the week it stays rather empty- its the shakespeare over the road which seems to pull the punters where this stands rather a little more hidden but i'd say for the better- its nice having a large pub to yourself and a few select ears. Overall a 6/10.

Bag O Nails (Victoria - London)

Bag O Nails

A rather quaint and small pub sitting quite proudly on this buckingham palace road. I hear this is a favoured spot for her majesty as well and you can see why. It feels like a small traditional pub, doesnt get overcrowded by tourists and the bar staff are very friendly. The whole area seems to think that £2.81 is a good price for a pint of cider so the "bag" follows suite. Other than that there is little more to say- it is a very small pub with around 10 little tables and the bar staff are friendly. The place is generally badly lit- in the day the light pours through the narrow windows making it seem dusty and at night they have the faintest glow of candles which doesn't quite set the romantic mood.

Overall not particualrly impressed, it was friendly and has a spice of character but i couldn't drink here regularly- 4/10.

Cask & Glass (Victoria - London)

Cask & Glass

A small, very small, tiny, tiny tiny pub in Victoria, so small I missed it the first time I went round the streets looking for it, it is perched on a very quiet street corner and ther punters collect in the road outside. Within you will find 4 small tables and a bar which appears to have been fitted in something half the size of a decent living room. So ducking i ordered a round of four shots. The bar was a cubby hole occupied by a bar lady and the landlord. Neither spoke english and we got back shots in hlaf-pint glasses because they had no shot glasses and the Sambuca was in fact Uzo and the tequila was served on the rocks :S

It was expensive and totally awful, avoid at all costs if you can, it has character as the conversion in someones house but head north to the Phoenix for a serious drink, this is for tourists and wealthy tramps. A pitiful 2/10.

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Shakespeare Tavern (Victoria - London)

Shakespeare Tavern

The Shakespeare is a rather infamous pub in these parts, considered to be a sort of lounge/piano bar it is just a well decorated large pub witha  long bar set down in the heart of it and some stairs to the right leading downstairs and to the toilets. The music in here is varied, its starts off quiet and cheesy early in the evening but gets more moderna dn serious and loud later on. Pints in here at a standard £3 each and its a good pub if you decide perhaps one of the holes beside Victoria station are not to your liking. Due to the size you are always liekly to be able to find a seat but unfortunately it really pulls the tourists too. Downsides? Well the place is large but it is made up of lots of small room and nooks that making gettijng lost quite the possibility, there is also a wait at the bar and the staff are not particularly friendly, shots are also expensive at around £3 a piece.

Overall, it wasnt the champion of bars and it didnt even have the character of one, its a large expensive pub with available seating but I can't endorse any aspect of it so an average 5/10.

Plumbers arms (Victoria - London)

Plumbers arms

Dont ask me why but i expected a large pub, elaborate piping on the walls and a stronghold of tradesmen propping up the bar. No, instead its a tiny pub, barely able to hold 15 people and they spill onto the street outside. Still  its in a lovely quiet are aand could almost be in country. The tradesmen only appear to be trading business cards behind overspriced suit jackets and specs. I got the feeling this pub was owned by a number of others in the area as I bought my £2.80 pint. Its really not worth the money for the experience you are getting in this pub and the bar man couldn't understand what I meant when I asked him how much my pint was.

Overall it does get very cosy later on and doesnt pack much after about nine o'clock but it wouldnt be in my top ten even for the area. It lacks simple engagment for new clientele and way too inward for my liking. In all a disappointing 4/10.

The Phoenix (Victoria - London)

The Phoenix

The phoenix I am told was the most run down of the deadest pub in the back of buckinghma you had ever heard of until the recent revamp to a spruced up wine bar. It is indeed popular at all times of day and drinks retail at about £3 a pint. Naturally anywhere else this would be deemed expensive but the decor is white and finished and feels very professionally done. There is a good variety of beers and ciders available and the crowd seems to brew into thgis place is strange floods so that come 9 o'clock its almost empty where it can be rammed at 8. Outside you can find rowdy crowds of young professionals sporting their pints regardless of the weather and the toilets are of a reasonable standard.

Overall this is not the place to same the local ale but a real place to come to get boozey after work with a friendly crowd. A very tasteful venue but not to suit everyone. In all this gets a fresh 7/10. It is tourist free despite location and despite price it has the character which suits the younger drinker and city professional.

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BBar (Victoria - London)

BBar

A very small new style bar jammed in behind a subway entrance. it is in essence a wide room with a bar and a couple of very cramped tables. You can tell by walking in that the contenental beers and lack of tradtional selection means this place will be pricey and at £3.30 a pint it is. The bar staff here were appauling, one of the three spoke english and it was hard to get any sense out of her. This place is very dead as well. I've been in a lot of pubs in westminster and this place is very sad and empty despite the nice modern decor. Definitely a tourist trap for that unsuspecting European travellor so steer well clear or bolt out the door before the barman gets his english to gibberish translation book out of his grubby overalls.

This spruced dank abode gets a sorry 2/10.

The Talbot (Hyde Park Corner - London)

The Talbot

Ploughing the small belgravia streets the last thing you expect to find it a large and lively pub. Okay this place isn't enormous but it sports a far better bar than the others around the area. There is a good selection at the bar, the bar woman that served me was fast and efficient. The only weird thing was that the place felt much like a school dining hall. literally there tables were set up in rows down the pub filling the available breathing space seating about 8 people a piece. Out the front was a neat little beer garden with about 4 picnic tables with umbrellas and within a pint of stella came to £2.86 which is the general given price in the area.

Overall I wouldn't choose to come and eat in here. It is far better for a drink in the summer if you fancy one in the quiet roads of the poshest part of town getting boozey among some of the most expensive housing in the capital! So 5/10.

The Colonies (Victoria - London)

The Colonies

A very nice pub indeed tucked away behind some rather pricey looking houses just behind central victoria and quite as a mouse outside. The place is accessible from two roads and has wooden floors, outdoor tables on one road and a low ceiling. Gets rather busy come evenings but the bar staff are not very friendly and rather slow and useless. A pint in here costs about £2.80 and to be fair there is nowhere to sit so you ahve to make do standing in one of the two roads either side of this establishment. Gets rather busy at lunchtimes as well. It may not be as small as it looks from outside but it is still rather borrower-friendly but the atmosphere does liken towards a rather bolstered and friendly londer clientell, there are no snobs here to speak of.

Overall I would have to say that despite the size of the place and the attitude of the staff I did like this pub and would come back for another if the opportunity arose but be prepared for westminster prices and bring a map with you to find the place! Apparently closed on weekend though!! Boooooo!! So 4/10 for me.

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The Albert (St james Park - London)

The Albert

A pub that fancies itself as a grand establishment towered over by the urban scurry that is Victoria high street. Inside it can be found to be a clash of restaurant tables before a space followed by a small front bar which curves round to a sort of cafeteria style counter followed by more bar. You would expect this place to be rammed in the day but alas it is not. Cider costs 2.83 a pint and despite the mass of bar staff it seems too many cooks spoil one broth of a bar. James W points out to me however that the big windows allow the light to pour in and in doing so make the pub feel so much larger than it really is, that is until another punter awkwardly plants knees and elbows into your lower back as they squeeze past.

i was disappointed, i expected more, its an old sunday-lunch-pub and it could be a million times more successful with a pucker of character from the ditsy bar persons, still it suits a warm ale on a cold winter evening. Overall 5/10.

Two Chairmen (St James Park - London)

Two Chairmen

A small pub on a quiet westminster street . Inside it is half empty except for the few businessmen and toursits who have clearly got lost and are getting in a mug of brew before finding their wares. The downstairs room feels like a very casual lounge with a fireplace and wooden panels to seperate the areas of the room. The bar is badly stocked and runs along one side, the staff are not very friendly but the drinks are quite good at £9 for a bottle of wine. The stairs sit by the front door and wind upward into a very strange ciger room with large leather armchairs dotted about and a small bar of its own. The place has very little character of its own and is good only for a quiet drink in a very busy town centre.

Overall 4/10 but at least the alcohol isn't overpriced.

The Old Star (St James' Park - London)

The Old Star

Not you're typical pub, the old star looks small and dank from outside but within turns out to be a twisting turning array of split levels, hidey holes and secret booths. The ground floor is a multi-platform mess of small tables and a bar at the end opposite the doors. The bar is plenty long for a pub and the bar staff are friendly and accomodating with the average bottle of wine at £12. Towards the front windows is a great gap in the floor which are the stairs arcing downward into a smaller room which becomes passageways and large booths with seat over 12 people each. The food is amazing but begin drinking here and you could easily lose you're way. I never ventured upstairs but was aware it was there. I asked about the booths as well, the can be hired in advanced for a £20 deposit (0207 2228755) - ask for Martin & Sheila Priest. The only downside however is that they close at 6pm on a Saturday which of course is a big NO NO in pub world!

Overall I was impressed by the place but not so much by the table despoit, prices and opening times, so 5/10, proabaly no better place to bring a crowd in the week round here.

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The Sanctuary (St James's Park - London)

The Sanctuary

Most Pubs used to be Inns, or small hotels in England way back when. This little number has in fact remained an inn and is titled "The Sanctuary hotel" above its narrow pub doors. This has some drawbacks and advantages, mainly that the pub is susceptible to strange opening hours at random but also that there is always beer available upstairs if not down should you ask for room service at the reception desk. From being in the pub downstairs you would have no clue that there was indeed a hotel above, it is a friendly and busy establishment with a long bar and a good selection of drinks. It is relatively cheap for the area and there is the bonus of being about to take your pint outside onto the street for a change of scenery. Indoors the tables are a little close together which makes parts of the pub inaccessible and the service time at the bar is a little slow. However there is the added extra of a tab service (pop your credit card behind the bar) and away you go!

Overall 7/10. It is a very cheerful traditional pub which retains much of the charm of the last century without feeling too commercial or too exhibiting of its history.

The Speaker (St James' Park - London)

The Speaker

More liek a lunchtime sandwich shop than a pub. This place is very small -simply a long bar accompanied by a couple of tables. There appears to be a deli counter built into the abr itsead giving you a sad view of some rather grim cheeses while you tuck in your £2.90 stout. At least the food is cheap mind at £2.50 for a baguette. the place is family run with an old lady serving (very slowly) at the bar and there is almost no atmosphere at all even when it gets crowded it seems rather quiet, which probably reflects this back-of-westminster area.

It is just too small and expensive to go for a comfortable drink- overall 2/10.

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The Litten Tree (St James' Park - London)

The Litten Tree

A Wetherspoonsy pub with a club style twist inside - has a soft casino like glow about the place, luminating the young crowd of winers and diners. There are an assortment of fruit machines and the place is rather busy all day with the clinking sounds of cash being won on the slots mellowing in the background. The place does have a particularly commercial feel about it but this is offset by the slight arcetechural character of the stain glass dome in the ceiling . The place serves various cocktails from £7.75 a pitcher (5 shots) and food from £8 for 2 meals - so it is pretty good value value for money, especially for the expensive area surrounding it. The music is RnB and fills the room as you choose from the large assortment of largers and cider on tap. There are also screens for sports and apparently on thursday drinks are £1.75 all night.

Superb for the area and not hidden away either, definitely a place to hit on a night out 7/10.

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The Greencoat Boy (St James' Park - London))

The Greencoat Boy

It looks a little larger outside than it is within- the pub grows downwards into the basement rather than upwards as it may appear. The place has a very taverny-woodlike finish to it with an atmosphere thick with old men and serious ale guzzlers. The place serves some summer cocktails at about £10 a jug and house wine by the bottle for the same. The food in here is basic but serves for lunchtime. It really is the kind of pub you could raise your voice in without looking strange- i wouldnt say its rowdy only perhaps with aheated atmosphere of serious discussion and prowess. The bar is served by a team of nice young bar ladies and there are a couple of rickety wooden tables and chairs outside by the pavement on the busy westminister roads outside.

Overall a 5/10. A pub with hcaracter but not the kind for young folk like me.

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Motion Bar (Embankment - London)

Motion Bar

An underground bar and club tucked away next to Embankment tube station. Entrance to the bar is via a staircase to the left of an updoor restaurant, past a cove of couches halfway down the stairs overlooking the venue then unleashed onto the lower levels. Before looking around we head straight for one of the bars (there are two in total) and find a jug of cocktail for £9 - a good deal for the area but it is happy hour after all. Its a failry young as i can tell by the candlelit lighting effects and between the arches there appear to be large tables which can be reserved for groups served by velvet couches in a soft red. The bar staff are a little clumsy however and seem awful out of place among the soft background music which thankfully one can happily talk over. Deceptively there is in fact no dancefloor though this doesnt stop many people shaking there thing in the spacious aisles. Afetr a couple of glasses of cocktail i realise how strong they make them and leave the way I came in and the crowds retreat and fill the club in waves.

Apparently quieter later on, will be busy at seven but thats probably for happy hour. Overall a top 7/10, i'm sure i'll be returning.

Marquis of Granby (St James Park - London)

Marquis of Granby

Sperating from the busy Grosenvor high street to find the entrance to this pub the air is filled with an eery silence as you get visions of the oldest old man pub in existence, but you will be pleasently surprised to find a rather busy, very atmosphereic lively establishment within. The place is crowded even in the day with what seems to be middle aged men only. It feels much like a gentlemans club with old style wooden furnishings, a low roof over the bar so that to get a drink you must stoop to be served. The drinks aren't pricey either at £2.50 for a double vodka and there are a few tables and leather seating to park yourself on but I am happy to stand and admire the elderly wood finishings and brass ceiling fans as I consume my pint. A gopod pubs to take a crowd for adrink ona  pub crawl but a little small to park a crowd on seats.

Overall a very comfortable 5/10.

Puzzle Bar SW1(St James Park - London)

Puzzle Bar SW1

A nice big bar which could almost be mistaken for a wetherspoons, the decor inside is simple and minimalist and feels cloned from the white washed walls of some pub creation engine. It certainly looks nicer outside than it is within with chrome tables and chairs to sit and drink at by the high street. It is rather football orientated with cheap tables and chairs within serving slap up meals in an open plan room. Clearly a good place to bring a crowd. The drinks are about £10 a bopttle of wine and £6 for a main course if your ordering food. The bar seems well stocked and the crowds get rowdy and quite rude. There is no music to hear of in the day but it does liven up at night and get quite busy, worth checking out for the younger folk. There are also games machines, a fuzeball table and a giant connect 4 to play with.

Overall it has pulled the worng group of people but if u bring a big enough crowd you could pull it up a notch for sure, 5/10.

Lord Burleigh (Victoria - London)

Lord Burleigh

Further down the Vauxhall high street stretching from Victoria to pimlico one stumbles on what appears to be a small pub crouching away in the shadow of hotels about the place. But going inside one finds that it is indeed small but flood lit with bright lights and wooden furnishings. The clientele are aging wealthy stuck-up persosn and with low soul music, it is as quiet as a mouse's whisper- at least during the day. The staff are friendly though and it doesnt feel as uncormfotable as other quiet locals. Probably the best place to sample a local ale .

Overall I found the experience to be expensive and even though it only had a shadow of an atmosphere it gets a 3/10.

The Old Shades (Whitehall - London)

The Old Shades

A rather long pub although narrow- the air is filled with light folk music and the strumming of a distant guitar as people around swig from pint glasses and indulge in cackling conversation. Its not over-popular though which means you may find a seat if you are lucky but the main gift of this venue is the fine decoration; producing a domed ceiling above the hugely stocked mirrored bar, boasting itself as the haven of dick whittingtons adventures. There are leather benches scattered about and a dim soft light cast over the place leaving it in a half-shadow.The place does good food and with wine at £9 a bottle and bottled beer at £2.30 each it is a bit cheaper than the pubs that sit either side of it. The problem is that it is only open til 11 on a weeknight and boasts 12 at the weekend which i think is unimpressive and inconvenient. Its not the place to bring a crowd either.

Overall a 5/10. The prices prop up the fact that- it is too small for the gastro-pub it is trying to be.

Silver Cross (Whitehall - London)

Silver Cross

From the outisde this pub looks as big as the wetherspoons on the other side of the road but it most definitely isn't; its far bigger. It could comfortably hold about 400 people as the pub swings round a bar into a large living room like area on a plateau above the main drinking area and descends down to a huge basement with its dowen bar downstairs. I've read elsewhere on the net that this pub is bad but i disagree- its rather expensive at £13 for house white wine but the staff are friendly and there are quick serving times and the tables are all so big that its the perfect place to bring a crowd or a large group of work colleagues. The middle-aged crowd is reflective of the area and the place has a ruich atmosphere. Very popular during the day for food as well.

Overall a 6/10. I was honestly shocked by the size of the place.

The White Horse and Bower (St. James Park - London)

The White Horse and Bower

This venue looks small from the outside and within is just that- okay a bit longer than it looks from outside but thats about all. It has a silly bottleneck up the front of the pub making it difficult to squeeze past the bar to reach the seating at the back. The walls are cream and navy blue and its a crowd of middle class businessmen with lots of low tables and few bar stools. Its £11 for a bottle of wine but the place has little entertainment consiting of one widescreen tv and although the staff and friendly the place has no atmosphere and looks quite poor compared to the neighbouring pubs.

Overall a 2/10. There was very little variety on the bar to boot.

Willow Walk (Victoria - London)

Willow Walk (wetherspoons)

Just a short trot from Victoria Station lies a wetherspoons far superior to the one in the station itself. The pub is accessible from two high streets as it stretches accross the corner of this block of buildings. On entering you will find a rather small but comfortable passageway of small tables and sofas which gives way to a bar before reaching the opposing entrance. It is not overcrowded during the day and at £2 a pint you can invisage it exhuming with population at the 5pm rush hour.

Overall though it lacks music it has a relaxing air but as with most wetherspoons -it continues to lack character- 5/10

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Lord Moon of the Mall (Whitehall - London)

Lord Moon of the Mall (wetherspoons)

On entering this prestigious wetherspoons one finds themselves in a small hall with a high ceiling well decorated as if the room is a lot older than the rest of the venue which potters off into an array of traditional wetherspoons tables and then descending to a low ceiling bar area which sits opposite a string of fruit and games machines. The bar is rather busy and the clientele are not traditional of wetherspoons at all, they are middle-class in standing, civil servants rather than students- rather reflective of the Whitehall area. Towards the back is a small eating are which feels a little cramped and then the toilets follow a downward staircase.As ever this place is very cheap and far far better a wetherspoons than the moon under water in Leicester Square just down the road.

Thankfully no tourists either and although there is no music, it appealed to me at a rewarding 7/10.

The Clarence (Whitehall - London)

The Clarence

This pub feels like a cosy cottage once you are inside away from the bustle of the tourists outside. Its a rather square building but with secluded corners for that private conversation. It has a friendly atmosphere and tries to be a little sporty fudring the football season but fails, having no sign of a widescreen TV. You wouldn't have a clue this was in Whitehall, its so quiet and cosy inside. It has a good range of bitters and wine which are about £3.50 a pint and £11 a bottle a piece. They also do food but its not a great selection and the they have a gmaes mahcine and a gambling machine too as well as a cash point.

Overall a comfy 5/10, nice place for a lunchtime pint.

The Two Chairmen (Trafalgar Sq - London)

The Two Chairmen

Just out of sight of old nelsons column is a corner pub just set back enough from the busy high street of pall mall to be as quiet as hell.. It is a very small pub on entry with additional seating upstairs but this is dead. The only clientell look to be a couple of exhausted bookies in suits with undone shirts and loose ties and the place is paved with uncomfortable wooden seats. The staff are friendly, enter through the doors and the barman will rush round the bar to you to ask if he can help and with everyone looking at you you approach the badly stocked bar and feel so bad for the inhabitants that you buy a drink and its not cheap either. The place feels so wooden that i feel like i am in an oversized coffin or trapped in 1890 in a totally wooden bank in the old west. the only form of entertainment is a tiny TV in the corner.

Overall a 2/10 to be honest it would make a better shed than a pub.

The Kings Arms (Victoria - London)

The Kings Arms

A charming pub tucked in the corner of buckingham palace road, a stones throw from victoria station. The place is busy but not packed with people and there is a fruit machine in the corner alongside a jukebox. The bar staff are not very friendly and drinks are about £2.50 a pint. The place is decorated with antiquities of old and the toilets are very small and up a flight of stairs. Nothing particularly special about the place, good for a one-rounder but of course very little seating in this central london location pub.

Overall a less-than-average 4/10.

Duke of York (Victoria - London)

Duke of York

The duke of york is a large pub opposite victoria station packed with businessmen and women and although it is such a large place it becomes too crowded to even stand in very early on in the evening. Unfortunately being so close to the station the place becomes full wiuth backpackers and travellers of all kinds very quickly but I cant understand why- the beer is £3 a pint and the staff are unfriendly- dont expect to get served either as waiting times are up to twenty minutes just to quench your thirst.

Overall a dry-mouthed 3/10, perhaps it would be better during the day, it seems such a nice venue its just ashame its too crowded.

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Stage Door (Victoria - London)

Stage Door

You get the impression that stage door has been here for some time- well established lets say and trying to meet the needs of everyone who pops through their doors. For £10 you can get about three and a half pints in this very crowded but friendly pub opposite the stage door of the Victoria Palace theatre. The crowding leads to a rise in heat which makes you buy more cold beer so its a cunning ploy and as there is no seating- or not much, you slump on the bar and ask for another drink. A good variety of lagers though and good sized singles for your mixers. Overall a pretty nice place with clean toilets and a cool atmosphere but could be bigger and perhaps cheaper.

Overall 6/10

The Cardinal (Victoria - London)

The Cardinal

An independent brewery supplies this pub in the back streets of Victoria where it meets pimlico and the streets are quiet even at the busiest times of day. Independent unfortunately means that all the bears, wine and spirits are not branded and therefore asked for a customary Fosters or Carling will leave you with a light beer and a smile, and its not cheap either, about about £2.50 a pint. The staff are friendly and the decor is of striking 1930's in style, with high ceilings and strange lighting with a rounded bar downstairs and a small bar upstairs. The place gets very busy of an evening and I do not recommend summer visits as it can get very overheated.

Overall the friendly atmosphere is overshadowed by the fact that i feel faint from the heat- 4/10 on this one.

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The Iron Duke (Victoria St - London)

The Iron Duke

Does what it says on the tin, a no frills pub for the crowds of travellers that pour through its doors, its all attitude and no character. They have tried to polish off the style of a classic pub but fail, instead producing an ornate lounge of alcoholics and businessmen tongue-locked with their mistresses with hundreds of people coming in through the front door with suitcases and leaving through the back, using it as simply a corridor. It attempts to improve with a second level but the tables are tightly packed and it is still overcrowded, plus the fact that you cant get served and when you do its expensive.

Not great, not even if you are sporting a suitcase- overall 2/10

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The Wetherspoons (Victoria - London)

The Wetherspoons

Overcrowded and smokey this jam packed bar is situated elevated above Victoria Station and draws in travellers like a magnet. Inside you find no seats but backpackers majestically propped on suitcases and seventy people screaming at the bar staff to get them drinks. The place winds to the right as you go in to reveal a second bar and then empties onto a balcony at the back overlooking the rest of the station. We find a seat half a mile away and take our drinks with us, so far from the bustle and lack of music we have still bought the smoke with us and wonder how on earth a wetherspoons can be so expensive.

Overall a very shocking 2/10. But it must indeed be an oasis for a thirsty traveller stranded at Victoria Station.

Cafe au Laif (St James Park - London)

Cafe au Laif

I happened on this place recently which displayed an oversized hookah pipe in its window and I took it upon myself to find out more. This innocent luncheon cafe serving basic coffees and kebabs also sells shisha at £6 a go. This is by far the cheapest shisha bar I have found closest to the centre of the capital and although the place is cramped the staff are friendly and the shisha smokes well.

Overall a smokey 4/10. Its a shame its so food focused and small, would much prefer a larger place with more comfortable seating!

Barley Mow (Victoria - London)

Barley Mow

Halfway between Pimlico and Victoria this large corner pub sits proudly on the highstreet awaiting its punters. Inside the room is rather large with two platforms either side of the circular bar. The atmosphere is rather too smokey for a food-serving pub and in fact doesnt serve up particularly good grub either. The price is reasonable for pints at about £2.50 each and there is no long waiting time at the bar even when it gets busy. The bar staff arent friendly though and the pub, although popular, doesn't seem to have any true character.

As such its rating stands at 4/10. Apart from the size nothing to entice me in on any night out or for any lunchtime again.

The Strutton Arms (Victoria - London)

The Strutton Arms

A bold pub set ona  cobbled street corner. This small looking pub is actually quite busy and cosy inside. this means limited seating and unfortunately long waiting times at the bar. The staff are helpful and the range of drinks is substantial (at least they do cider on tap). Other than that little else appealing. The prices are quite high and so is the food (though it looks very appetising). Not bad for a lunch but you couldnt bring your mates inside as its just too rammed.

Overall a medioca 4/10.

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The Feathers (St James' Park - London)

The Feathers

The feathers is a large old school pub with fine ale and good times. The drink prices are reasonable for the area- asking a £2.50 odd per pint and more for bottles. The toilets are substantial and the waiting times at the bar are quick. The bar staff are quite friendly but don't expect a chat- this pub can get busy at weekends and being opposite the tube station its  dead quick to get to.

Overall, plain ordinary and traditional without the poison of local stares so 5/10.

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The Slug and Lettuce (Waterloo - London)

The Slug and Lettuce



Located next to the london eye this high street pub is clearly looking for the businessmens wallet and I was a businessman last time i entered its abode. The glass front doors tempt you into a world of hard varnished floors and similarly other polished customers who seem to glint with the very money that pours from their pockets. There is a lot of space and a fast service at the bar. Eliquent toilets and seating is acceptable. The problem is of course the prices. £3 a pint at the very least and a good five pounds for a bar salad, so its a bar for rich, anorexic tourists. The only plus would be that you could get bladdered here and stagger onto the london eye (that great big ferris wheel) only to lose your stomach 100 feet in the air, great!

Heres a 4/10 for you Mr pub.

The Old Monk (Victoria - London)

The Old Monk
The old monk is a busy pub down a cobbled street and down a flight of stairs. It is pretty hidden away but reveals a crowd that know how good it can be. The style is of an old up market pub atmosphere similar to an ember inn but more expensive. The cider doesnt appear to be on tap at first glance but it is, similarly the music only kicks in when you least expect it. Its unique in that you can look up and see people walking down the street above you. It does get overcrowded however but is a remarkabley popular haven in this part of town.

it did fall short of fantastic however, it was convieniant for me at the time but is popularly viewed as a 6/10.

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The Orange Brewery (Victoria - London)

The Orange Brewery
My last visit here was mainly for the food but out came the drinks as well. Theres plenty of seating even on a busy lunch hour in this bustling part of town. The drinks are a fairly good price but I cant put my finger on what chain this pub is part of. There are long waiting times at the bar and you do feel like they have tried to cram as many chairs in as possible evn though there are no 'bums on seats'. The worst part was that the food took almost an hour to come out and it felt badly managed. Sayign all this the drinks kept coming.

Overall 4/10. Don't bother eating in here!

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The Sundial (Victoria - London)

The Sundial
This pub was a favourite with work colleagues a while back now mainly because this pub will do you a decent tab. When you arrive you find yourself decending below street level into a courtyard with picnic tables before entering the pub. Inside you find some slot machines and a tiny family run bar with couches to the right, booths to the left. It was quite cramped but serving times were fast and outdoors on the streets of Victoria and Chealsea are a bliss to behold in the late summer months.

Overall a 4/10 , due to it not meeting my taste in size or pocket in spend.

The Belgravia (Victoria - London)

The Belgravia
I cant claim to have drunk in here, only having eaten outside but it is very good value for the Chelsea area. Inside I'm not sure where you could drink becuase its quite tiny and the pricelist for drinks was also quite reasonable at about 2.20 a pint. The food however did take a long time to come out and bits of it were cold (oh look at me all fussy and such). Anyway the drinks, cos we're reviewing drinks here, were well, ok i suppose. I know I wouldn't chose to drink in here anyway thats for sure.

Overall 4/10