I was over in London for a few days with the family and in between museums and art exhibitions I managed to fit in a few beers. Coincidentally Barry Fitzgerald was in London at the same time and he was heading to his friend’s new spot. Apparently Stacey Ayeh has been working on opening a place for quite some time and encountered a few obstacles along the way, thankfully he got there in the end. Bouldr Bar is the spot for his Rock Leopard beers, at the moment it’s just open Friday to Sunday. I particularly enjoyed the West Coast IPA along with some of Stacey’s jollof and his very good chilli. Check it out if you are in that part of the world, it’s worth the trip to the suburbs.
Kernel has been putting out great beers for years but this was the first time I managed to get into their tap room. I had the Citra Pale from a keg and the Galaxy Summer Pale which was from a cask and a couple of cheeky corndogs. The place was buzzing (I was lucky to get a stool at the bar) and the staff were friendly.
And then there was a day trip to Oxford where I was delighted to see the Stanley Donwood/Thom Yorke exhibition. I visited The Bear Inn which is a lovely old place and had a pint of London Pride. And we had lunch in The Castle where I had a grand feed of bangers and mash with Old Hooky bitter from Hook Norton.
Inspired by the lads from Mo Chara (the pub in Dundalk not the one in Kneecap) I made the trip out to Skehan’s Freehouse. I normally make a point of avoiding Irish pubs when I’m away but this place is worth making an exception. It’s a beautiful place and I chatted with a couple of the locals and some Australians and everyone was in good form. Of course I had to have a couple of stubbies while I was there and with the fierce close weather they barely hit the sides going down. I always read Boak and Bailey’s Saturday morning round ups and they highlighted some recommendations from Charlotte Cook: https://charlottecooktravel.substack.com/p/where-to-get-an-actually-good-drink
I liked the sound of The Hand and Marigold and it was conveniently quite near where we were staying. I had a pint of the very local Southwark Brewing London Pale Ale. Pints were relatively reasonably priced too at around £5/6. I finished the night in The Woolpack where a pint of Northern Monk Faith set me back the very awkward price of £8.05 by comparison. So I should’ve stayed where I was!
My Instagram algorithm was pushing Mercato Mayfair hard, I was happy to find some decent beer from German Kraft brewery pouring and the food offerings kept everyone happy.
Sean Kelly had recommended the Blackhorse beer mile, but when I went on Tuesday evening a few of the places were closed. Signature Brewing was busy though and I happily supped a couple of their IPAs. It’s a cool spot with regular gigs and Suede are playing there soon! Big Penny Social being open meant I could actually try another beer from the area, the wonderfully named I Could Get Better At T*sco For A Quid from Pretty Decent. You couldn’t, just to set the record straight.
Another recommendation came from the always reliable Dave Stoutandale and again it was a short stroll from my accommodation. I finished off the night with the fantastic Keller Pils from Lost and Grounded and I really liked the pub, just missed the quiz! So there you have it, a very random mix of traditional pubs, tap rooms and one fierce fancy market. The kids are already talking about the next time we go to London and I’ll definitely revisit a few of these places. Sláinte!
