The Albert, SW1

This Taylor Walker pub was full of shoppers and office workers, hardly surprising given its Victoria Street location. The staff were a bit pushy, not very welcoming, and they solicited for tips which was a bit rude. Food was surprisingly good for mass produced stuff, though there was a hint of being hurried by the waitress. There were four ales on draft, I had Dizzy Blond which was in pretty good condition but a bit overpriced even for London. It's a decent enough place to drop in for a meal and a pint, but there are better pubs in the backstreets nearby so I might not include in a crawl.

There are far too many pubs in Central London that get enough business that they don't need to try too hard and the Albert is, regrettably, one of those. Several drinking areas on the ground floor (I've not ventured upstairs) but all of these are too often drowned out by loud music. The beer selection is somewhat hot and miss. On a recent visit, I sampled the ubiquitous Doom Bar (which was ok), but stock control seems somewhat sub-standard as half the ales and half the lagers were unavailable. To be honest, I only visit this place when dragged there post-work and I'm sure that there must be at least 2-3 pubs which are 2-3 stars better no more than 2-3 minutes away and I really should seek them out.