White Hart Tap, St. Albans

A long and narrow main area with the light wood bar ahead as you enter. A recessed area returns behind the bar to provide further seating. Mainly carpeted, seating consists of benches and standard chairs at stripped wooden tables. Walls have light wood lower panelling. A mirror declares that the pub is twinned with the No Limit Cafe Bar in Belgrade. There is a fireplace on an end wall and a few pots and jugs hang from the low beamed ceiling but I tend to agree with Roger below that the pub is a little lacking in character, perhaps due to the use of lighter wood and the white/cream coloured walls. I found the occasional colour photographs of aquatic life dotted around the place a little incongruous too. Home made pork pies and scotch eggs are sold, and the Monday curry night has a regional emphasis. The local CAMRA publication "Pints of View" is distributed here, the current issue containing an advertisement for the pub's forthcoming beer festival (27th-30th August)to be held in conjunction with The White Lion. The beer selection yesterday was Wold Top Mars Magic, Wyre Piddle Piddle Through the Leaves, Hobson's Best Bitter, Brakspears Bitter, Taylor's Landlord and London Pride.

This is apparently one of the oldest pubs in St Albans although it isn’t particularly obvious from initial observations. The interior in particularly is a bit disappointing; low beamed ceilings and a few old adverts but for the most part quite plain and featureless with newish furnishings and not really much in the way of character. The landlord was welcoming enough and steered us through the 6 hand pumps that included Landlord, Brakspear, Pride, Adnams, Daleside Old Leg Over and Brains Rev James. With no TV’s or background music, the pub came over as a bit hollow, especially as there were barely half a dozen people inside on an early Saturday evening. Even Miss Jones, the docile pub cat, managed to curl up on a prime bar stool without fear of being disturbed. Certainly a pleasant enough place with some decent enough beers but in general, I found it a bit too sedate and faceless to pass away great length of time, especially given the numerous pubs nearby. They do have an annual beer festival in the spacious garden but on a more regular basis, the pub is probably at its best for one of the themed food nights, weekly quiz or occasional live music sessions when there presumably is a bit more spark to the place.

Official site of the White Hart Tap - www.whiteharttap.co.uk

Good place to stop off if you are on a crawl of St Albans' real ale pubs as it is on the route from the Farmers Boy to the Garibaldi/White Lion. They have a good selection of real ales that is changed regularly, but I have always found the pub a bit sterile and the clientele a bit insular for my liking. Has a large beer garden out the back and a few tables out front.

Official site of the White Hart Tap - www.whiteharttap.co.uk