I'm a big fan of the King's Head. Again, this pub was really close to my old work and I've had a…read morefew business lunches in here and casual after work drinks. The pub itself is gorgeous, it's a beautifully decorated place and is quite big too. There's a restaurant in here along with a big bar, lots of seating and they have events here too (comedy nights etc). The last time I was in here was for a lunch meeting. We were served pretty quickly as the place was quite quiet. The food was absolutely superb - a huge plate of traditional fish and chunky chips wrapped in crispy batter with a bit of side salad. Yum, yum, yum! The prices are the usual about £7-£10 for food and the standard £3-£4 for a pint. I was hardly thinking of the prices when I was in here though, this place is pretty awesome - highly recommended!

Kings Head is situated right in the heart of Crouch End almost opposite the clock tower. It has a…read morecozy and friendly feel to it with candles on the tables. There is low piped music in the background and lots of different styles of seating from sofa's to cushioned chairs, and small square and round stools. The bar is well stocked but what stands out the most in this place is the food. You order at the bar and you collect a bottle with your order number on it. I ordered Nachos (5.00) which came baked in a brown terracotta dish stacked with salsa, soar cream, cheese and jalapenos, they were great and too much for one person. My friend had an ultra chunky burger which she said was superb. Downstairs they have live music and comedy which you can check out at downstairsatthekingshead.com. I must go back to check it out.

This place has always struck me as a tad trad chocker with people you wouldn't really want to…read moremeet, boring decor, not much to offer. But speeding past this Sunday, the place looked buzzy and the chalkboard outside tempted us with promises of jazz and roast dinner. Weak at the knees at the mention of beef and yorkshires, we decided to defect from our previous destination and give The Railway a go. I'm pleased we did; the atmosphere was really wonderful. Against an artful backdrop of retro wallpaper and vintage furniture, a saxophone/piano duo tinkled away in the corner, people played board games and read the papers and food was served with a smile. We ordered a trio of roast beef which proved tasty yet unpretentious and we drank a great Rioja. There were some downsides in the form of puddings which tasted more M&S than homespun and some staff who were a little too efficient in clearing away plates. We also had to put up with a few less than musical punters who thought they were on X factor sunday afternoon in the pub is not the place for 13 year olds warbling Annie tunes. But on the whole The Railway provided a superb Sunday experience which I will hasten to repeat.

sexy crowd, lots of beers to choose from. Make sure to take advantage of the happy hour prices and…read morepub grub... really great fries here. :)

We found this place on a walk back from Brompton Cemetery. The atmosphere was great, as was the…read moreservice. Food (roast beef and toffee cake for afters) was top notch. I highly recommend it. Not far from Brompton Station. Nice beer selection as well.

The Pembroke, formerly known as The Coleherne, was for many years one of the most famous gay pubs…read morein the country. It was purchased by Realpubs towards the end of 2008, since when it has undergone a major refurbishment and been re-branded as a 'gastro pub'. The interior has been redecorated in a mixture of dark browns, golds and creams, with loud 'feature wallpaper', old leather sofas and wooden chairs and tables, with a dining area at the rear and less formal seating at the front and on the mezzanine. It's taken it about as far away from its previous incarnation as it's possible to get, if at the expense of its character - with this sort of décor you could be in just about city centre in the UK. The one positive is that it now serves real ale in the form of Adnams, with the possibility of a guest ale. I've not eaten here yet, but the menu is familiar gastro-pub fare: modern British/European cooking, with prices to match: starters from £4.50-£7.50, mains from £8.50-£17, desserts £5-£7. The old dingy toilets have also been replaced by swanky new ones in the basement, which seem to be kept spotlessly clean. Bar service isn't bad, but it's still early days and it's pretty quiet, so we'll have to see how it goes. Update 27-01-2009 Well, what an experience. No Adnams, but they had Deuchars IPA on instead, which is a very nice pint. Clearly, their beer supply is still settling down. One downer: they served the beer in old-fashioned handled/dimpled glasses, so say if you want a straight glass. We also had to ask for every pint to be topped up. (At over £3 a pint, I don't want to pay for an inch of froth). But, more oddly, some of the old Coleherne crowd seem to have returned, alongside the more generally more mixed clientele. I got my bum groped by some punter as I walked out at the end of the evening - something that hasn't happened in years - even though I was clearly with my other half. Clearly, for some, old habits die very hard

This has been my local for best part of a decade and in that time, like most things in life, there…read morehave been changes; I've seen faces, regalia and hues come and go, but one thing has remained constant. The place is a veritable centre of the community, it's a good honest pub, it's central, the atmosphere is vibrant and it just gets it right. Under the current (2007-9 so far) landlord from the good old UsofA, Ray, things are about as good as they have ever been. He has a great eye for the details, keeps the lines clean and the staff eager and committed. There are screens with sport when it's a sporty occasion, there are themed parties when the season calls for it (we even had one for the inauguration of Obama) there is live music and comedy. But the best thing it's a great space for meeting and socialising just like a good pub should be without all the modern mores of pretension to greatness or gastronomy. A pub of the old school that knows how to thrive in the modern world. Hmmm, a quick reread and I think I may have got a bit effusive, but who cares, I love the place and there's no shame in that, just don't tell my mum I spend all my time in a pub!!

East Dulwich Tavern is the first pub that greets you on Lordship Lane from the Peckham end. It's a…read moresizeable building that looks the part, with large doors that open out on to the street and benches outside. As such, I was initially a little sceptical about the service that my friend and I might receive - was there a danger that a pub with such a prime location might feel that it didn't have to make an effort? Thankfully, those fears were quickly dispelled. After installing ourselves at a table with a prime view of the World Cup football (I counted no less than three TVs in the pub - pretty impressive), a staff member came over soon to take our orders. Table service? In a pub? Apparently so! Their range of beers on tap were pretty decent, with Cornish ales, US wheat beer Blue Moon, Grolsch Weizen and Apple and Pear Cider alongside the likes of London Pride and Timothy Taylor Landlord (their Fruli was off). The food however, was the jewel in the crown. My friend and I both ordered fish and chips, which was cooked to perfection: the fish in thick crunchy batter; the chips, roughly cut with skins. There was even a smattering of mushy peas in there. Yummy. I followed this with a Strawberry Eton mess, which quickly turned out to be the best such mess I'd ever had: cream, meringue pieces and fresh strawberries, all drenched in strawberry coulis. Doppel yummy - so good my friend quickly followed suite. In all, a very satisfying experience: friendly, attentive staff, fantastic food, good range of drinks, large, spacious venue and table service! What more could you want?

Let's face it, there ain't all that much in the way of a local boozer and so The Hope comes as a…read morebit of light relief as a stop over on the way home at the end of a day at work. It's a cosy pub across from Wandsworth Common that serves good beer and wine and has a good selection of spirits. It has a fantastic atmosphere and is quite stylish without being stuffy or pretentious. Regulars tend to vary from being bright young things to your more mature serious types. There is a great selection of board games if you're that way inclined although I don't see too much of that going on. Mostly it seems to be a meeting point for groups of friends to drink and be merry. Being located across from the common is an added bonus over the summer where large groups of thirty-something friends tend to gather and make the most of what good weather there is. There is some seating outside and it's generally buzzing on anything resembling a balmy evening. Defo recommended for regular visits. Nice!

Busy pub but not that great…read more Outdoor seating is on the intersection of two busy roads, so noisy and dusty. It's not in the common as its across the road. Limited non alcoholic drinks. Only soft drinks and Firefly. Crab and avocado on toast was so-so. The avocado slices were unripe, they should have used another.

It's probably been well over 20 years since I last visited this pub ... I no longer live in Stoke…read moreNewington, and there's just too many drinking holes to choose from on my rare visits. This was actually one of the last nights of the Daniel Defoe in its current incarnation. A friend invited me along to see The Elasticated Waste Band play a great send off gig for the departing landlord - what a party!! A real sense of community and a reminder of the rougher Stokey of years gone by - no yummy mummies in sight! Apparently the DD will be converted into a gastro pub - but at least it will still be a pub the next time I visit.

This really spacious pub is notoriously understaffed for its size, and can get really crowded on…read morethe weekend. It has a lovely beer garden which is a pleasure to sit in during the summer. They also have a good selection of wine, as well as very tasty nibbles. You can relax here with a game of pool, or try out the great food in the evening. Kids are not allowed inside, which is perhaps one reason its so popular on the weekend! Its a great pub to visit with friends. Also, Daniel Defoe lived just across the street!

Such a beautiful outdoor area! This is a lovely stop for lunch, an early dinner, and/or some…read moredrinks. The prices are a bit high, but the food is pretty good.

Visiting my cousin who lives in the area and came to the Ranelagh for dinner on a Sat evening of a…read moreBank holiday weekend. The weather was sunny and warm where most people were sitting outside. We managed to get table outside. They were a little under staffed so it took a while to get your order of food and drinks. Children friendly place and they even had a bouncy castle. Ordered the fish pie which was very good. Great washed down with a bottle of white wine. Very nice pub, people serving as well as the customers were all very friendly. Would definitely come back!

Came here for Sunday roast. Was actually quite intimate since we got a room upstairs just for our…read morefamily. Everything was great. Served warm and large portions. My cousin had the vegetarian roast, I think it was a nut roast- surprisingly good! The staff was really nice and accommodating.

It's harder to find a decent bar in central London than it is for a rich man to enter the gates of…read moreheaven on his yatch, wearing loafers. Seriously, central points are best avoided in any city of the world I find, but there is something extra painful about the bars and clubs in central London, maybe because I live here, understand the rubbish that people say and know there are at least a thousand better places in any other direction on the compass. This is why the Phoenix is such a winner. The bar staff are attractive in a cool, beardy and understated way. Not to objectify them, but a pint is so much tastier when poured by someone with good arms. My favourite thing about this pub though is the music. The last time I went in on a Tuesday afternoon they were playing a tranquil collection of underground hip hop and electronica, not Celine Dion's greatest hits or Westlife: the usual selection of shit music courtesy of the clueless bar staff in central. They also do club nights with decent DJs on Fridays and Saturdays, have a £10 a bottle wine night on Tuesdays and open mic nights on Sundays. The food is of decent pub grub standard, they have the genius and cunning to sell a fish finger sandwich for £4.10 (over priced but essential eating). There is a cosy relaxed atmosphere here and a great selection of beers and wines, in this pub it is almost possible to sit back, relax and forget where you are.