Beer Guide London Visits – 22/03/2024

Welcome to what I hope will be the new style of post when covering my Beer Guide London visits. I am planning on writing as much as possible of each post whilst I am actually sat in the bars, although this may drop off as the day goes on…

If I can achieve this, and more importantly, maintain it, then it will be a much more contemporary view of the London beer scene. The number after each bar name is made up of the visit number on the day followed by the cumulative number of Guide entries covered. Where it as a research visit of somewhere not yet in the Guide then it will appear as (3 / x). I’m also going to note down what I drink in each place so that you can get a snapshot of the sort of offering they provide.

Tate Modern Corner Bar (1 / 1)

A large space which is part of the Tate Modern. Mixture of cafe and bar which conveniently opens before 12:00, unusual in London. The dozen taps serve a great selection of beers from the likes of Verdant and Yonder. Another bonus is that they are happy to serve 1/3s.

Drop Project – Haze – 4.6% (Draft)

Ye Olde Mitre (2 / 2)

Historic London pub hidden away down a small alley. Owned by Fuller’s with a good range of cask ales available. Two small rooms and an outside courtyard with seating. This is one of the real gems in London that is worth seeking out, but note that it is closed at weekends.

Bristol Beer Factory – Vibelake – 4.0% (Cask)

Craft Beer Co. (Leather Lane) (3 / 3)

The second branch of this excellent group of bars and one of my favourites. Tucked away in the back streets it always has a calm, welcoming atmosphere. As with all of the Craft Beer Co pubs there is always an excellent selection of beers which, more unusually for a ‘craft’ bar, has a rough 50/50 split between keg and cask.

Squawk – Hoatzin – 6.0% (Draft)

Ninth Ward (4 / 4)

A quirky New Orleans themed bar that has a really good beer list. Opening hours can be “flexible” but it is definitely worth checking if you are in the area. The thing to remember in here is that the beers are listed on blackboards behind you as you stand looking at the bar.

Whiplash – Slow Life – 4.5% (Draft)

Holy Tavern (5 / 5)

Small multi-roomed pub that probably looks older than it is. Formerly the Jerusalem Tavern, and St Peter’s Brewery only London pub, it has recently changed hands. As well as the name change they have started opening at weekends too, and have also increased the food offering. Plenty of St Peter’s Beers still available alongside guest beers.

St Peter’s – Ruby Red – 4.3% (Draft)

Aldgate Tap (6 / 6)

Newest member of the ‘Tap’ family and housed in a striking pavilion close to Aldgate station. The usual good selection of beers that you associate with these bars. 16 on tap of which two are cask.

Adnams – Evening Gleams – 4.2% (Draft)

Kill The Cat (Spitalfields Market) (7 / 7)

The Brick Lane bottle shop has opened this second venue in the bustling Spitalfields Market. It’s very impressive with 10 excellent beers on tap alongside a great packaged range. Can be tricky to navigate your way around the market, but persevere, it is definitely worth the effort.

Beak – Pineapple – 5.6% (Draft)

Jackalope (8 / 8)

In many ways a typical London mews pub, tucked away in a residential area, but this place stands above the majority by having a really good beer list, 4 cask and 14 keg. Keen to showcase both London breweries alongside the best breweries from elsewhere. Now part of the “Tap” family of bars this place is well worth a visit.

Adnams – Jack Brand Ease Up IPA – 4.6% (Draft)

Royal Oak W1 (9 / 9)

Corner pub in Marylebone that is clearly very popular. The draft list is OK, but not as good as it once was. They do, however, have some cracking bottles in the fridges, enough for them to stay in the Guide for the time being.

Budějovický Budvar – Budvar Tmavý Ležák (Dark Lager) – 4.7% (Draft)

Globe (10 / 10)

Another corner pub, there are a lot in London, in Marylebone. This was a Guide entry in the past but dropped out due to a deteriaration in the beer list but we are glad to report that things have turned around and it is now back in the Guide. Handy for Marylebone station as demonstrated by how packed it is at 17:00 on a Friday night.

New Bristol – Everything Everywhere – 3.9% (Draft)

Heist Bank (11 / 11)

This pizza place in the up and coming Paddington Basin area also boasts an above average beer list. Focus on London breweries with some others across the dozen taps. Another big plus is the serving of 1/3s without minimal markup on the standard pint price.

Hammerton – Tint – 4.3% (Draft)

Bear (12 / 12)

The Bear is the latest bar in the Craft Beer Co family and is a cracker. A fantastic bar in a perfect location close to Paddington station and with the usual excellent beer range. The one thing I love above all else about the Craft Beer Co people is that they will always warn you when you order an expensive beer. So many places will pour it and then expect you to pay. Definitely a tick in the box for customer service here.

Siren – Maiden 2023 – 10.0% (Draft)