Pub Review - The King's Arms (SE1)

Some pubs you go to because they've got cheap drinks, others are popular with the opposite sex and others just have a certain ambience.  The Kings Arms has what I consider to be one of the best reasons to go ever; outstanding ribs at a knock down price!

I was first introduced to this pub a couple of years back and it was on the recommendation of the Tuesday night £10 ribs night.  My first thought was the pub looked like it was past its best.  The interior was pretty tired and it looked like a place on the down slope rather than on its way up. Then I tasted the ribs and all my misconceptions disappeared.  The serving size was excellent, the stickiness of the sauce was just right and the chips were top drawer.

Now you see them

Now you don't

It was not that long after that the pub actually closed and I was momentarily worried that I may never taste their ribs again.  The good news was that it was closed for a refurbishment and when it threw its doors open the refreshed pub was excellent.  Yes, the ribs were £1 more expensive, but the pub had improved significantly.  There is a good range of lagers on tap and the wine list is reasonable.  The big draw card here is the food though, the chefs are really doing a great job here.

Given it was shabby for a little while, but the refurb and menu are fantastic, it gets a big one thumb up from me.

This seems appropriate on St Paddy's day

Pub Review - The Old Doctor Butler's Head

This is the first of what will be a regular feature on this blog; pub reviews.  The UK is famed for its pubs and in London you'd be stretched to walk a couple of hundred metres without passing one.

To open things up, I'm reviewing an absolute cracker, one of my favourite places to be in the City of London; The Old Doctor Butler's Head.  This is an old school boozer, don't expect an extensive wine list here, but do expect a great range of ales as well has a handy array of lagers and what I think is the most important feature of a pub, genuine atmosphere.

While I could take or leave the fact that you've got a fruit machine and a golf arcade game flashing in the corner somehow it doesn't detract from the rather compact floorspace of this pub.  The dark timber interior helps to add to the ambience and feeling of cosiness and history.  It serves good quality pub grub over the counter and there is a restaurant upstairs if you're down for a bit more formal dining.

The crowd that is constantly in the lane outside speaks volumes, particularly on a Friday arvo.  This is a pub to come to with some mates for a chat and debrief, there's no music inside and not the type of place to chance your arm with the opposite sex.

As far as I know, it's just about the only place in the City of London that doesn't have 'Weatherspoon' in its name that you can find a pint of lager for under four squid.

So how do I rate this pub?  I give it a solid two thumbs up.

Dry January - Good idea or waste of time?

January is a time for fresh starts, new identities, new habits, a time of regeneration! One thing that is often part of the New Year's resolutions is dry January.  After all the excesses of Christmas (let's be honest, December) a month without alcohol seems like a sensible tactic both on the wallet and on the body.



As someone currently undertaking dry January, I can definitely attest to its effectiveness in keeping me fit and healthy both physically and financially...but Jesus is it boring! Those in London will also know that January is the month of bars bending your rubber elbow with great drink deals!

When the GFC hit back in late 2008, the gloom was broken in January 2009 with the Late Night London venues running 2 for 1 drinks for the month to get people back into the bars.  The deals have been rolling on ever since!

So if you arrive in London and think that dry January will be a breeze, think again.  Avoiding the pub in London at any time is hard enough without the siren like call of cheap drinks and cold weather to escape.

Have you done dry January this year?  If you have, how have you found it?