Lamb & Flag, Marylebone, W1

They had Young’s Bitter and London Pride on – The London Gold was apparently not quite ready when I visited in mid-afternoon on Wednesday, but they left the clip facing out. The Pride was £3.30 a pint, which is more than I like to pay for this beer. There are more seats outside than inside, and although all the outside seats were occupied there were a couple inside that were unoccupied. I suppose that this is not surprising as it’s right by the mainly al fresco dining area of St Christopher’s Place, which is a stone’s throw from Oxford Street and Bond St. The mass of faux chalkboards inside identify it as a Punch pubco pub and it’s typical of the breed – fairly characterless, vinegar and tomato ketchup on the tables, staff all in black, etc. It apparently caters for the Oxford St masses, being mainly food led, which seems just as overpriced as the ale – a 6oz Big Ben burger for £9.25 says it all. In short it’s a tourist trap, and not the sort of place where I would normally choose to stop for a pint, and I doubt whether I shall do so again.