Piccadilly pubs
Legendary thoroughfare of giant hotels, mansions and effortlessly expensive shops. Liberal Prime Minister and doyenne of gun-boat diplomacy "Firebrand" Palmerston lived here, as did Dracula, on a site now boarded up and sinisterly dark at night.
The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert Street, W1D 6DJ
My quest to visit every Blue Posts in the area continues. This one is remarkable mostly for straddling a dingy Chinatown back street, and for having an incredibly small downstairs. It has Mark One standard boozer furniture and decorations, including that tobacco-coloured paint lathered liberally over every surface. It is, however, warm and friendly with a laid-back clientele, the beer's good and it's great to sit around watching the people pass outside. Fun.
Reviewed by Fred Flange, Apr 2004
Telephone: 020 7437 1415
Nearby pubs: De Hems, 11 Macclesfield Street (140 metres),
The Golden Lion, 51 Dean Street (170 metres),
The Devonshire Arms, 17 Denman St (170 metres),
The White Horse, 45 Rupert St, Soho (130 metres),
The French House, 49 Dean St (200 metres)
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus, Zone 1 (180 metres)
The Captain's Cabin, 4-7 Norris Street, SW1Y 4RJ
I really shouldn't like this pub, but I do. It's a sort of half-fake affair - the tobacco-coloured paint has been ladelled on liberally to give it a feeling of grime, the decorations and architecture are pretty bland in a sort of ye olde pub for the tourists kind of way and it's fairly expensive. However, it has two points in its favour. 1) For a pub just off Haymarket, there are no bouncers and you don't have to be made of solid gold to be allowed in. 2)It is so anonymous that it's actually quite a good place to meet; nobody could possibly take offence to the insipid, vaguely traditional surroundings or the tourist-type and small-time suits who dwell within. If you happen to be (say) holding a very loud conversation in Hindi, no-one will bat an eyelid, unlike the response you may garner from some more intimate and worn-in establishments. And the food is good. So, a recommendation of sorts, if you happen to be lost on Haymarket and needing a drink
Reviewed by Fred Flange, Sep 2003
Telephone: 020 7930 4767
Nearby pubs: The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert Street (230 metres),
The Red Lion, 2 Duke of York St,, St James's (250 metres),
The Devonshire Arms, 17 Denman St (210 metres),
Nancy's, 1 Warwick House Street (280 metres),
The Three Crowns, 19 Babmaes Street (120 metres)
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus, Zone 1 (80 metres)
De Hems, 11 Macclesfield Street, W1V 7LF
Shtop. A Dutch pub in London's West End? Surely not. Actually there's been a pub here since 1688 and its been Dutch since 1890. Amsterdam it ain't though. The beer's Belgian and its now run by British pub company Nicholsons. Consequently the beer is delicious and well-kept. The pub has shied away from the whole clogs and tulips image and makes no allusion to the smoking café scene. Its probably for the best. On this visit I opted for a pint of Bellevue Kriek (yes - they have it on draught here), which was superb, but at £4.10 a session here would result in a major "wallet haemorrhage". Sadly, the clientele mostly comprise musos and media types who wouldn't know a decent beer if it was poured over their heads. A request for a pint of Fosters at the bar was met with the look of disdain it deserved. During major international football competitions this place becomes the orange nucleus of support for Holland's national team. Unique and fun.
Reviewed by Paul Melton, Oct 2005
Telephone: 020 8769 9174
Nearby pubs: The Coach and Horses, 29 Greek Street (150 metres),
The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert Street (140 metres),
The Golden Lion, 51 Dean Street (50 metres),
The Admiral Duncan, 54 Old Compton St (120 metres),
The White Horse, 45 Rupert St, Soho (180 metres),
The Three Greyhounds, 25 Greek St (170 metres),
The French House, 49 Dean St (90 metres)
Nearest station: Leicester Square, Zone 1 (230 metres)
Walkers of St James, 32a Duke St, SW1Y 6DF
Not reviewed yet.
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Telephone: 020 7284 5860
Nearest station: Green Park, Zone 1 (310 metres)
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