The Walrus & The Carpenter, Monument, EC3

An early 19th century pub this, originally known as the Cock, but presumably rebuilt in the late 19th or early 20th centuries and once a Wenlock brewery pub, the current name in existence since at least 1983. A Nicholson’s house, the interior is L-shaped, with a modern boarded floor, black walls and white ceiling. There’s an attractive bar back, provenance unknown, lighting is Victorian style, there are a few knickknacks to shelves, along with TVs showing Sky News with the subtitles or football (no-one watching), all to a barely audible soundtrack. Furniture is tall and conventional, as are the customers (for the City), most of whom were drinking outside. Ales came to huge banks of pumps clipped with Doom and Pride, then Velo Citrus Pale Ale, Tribute and Nicholson’s Pale Ale (St. Austell) at £2.65 a half and good. This place is perfectly adequate for a meet-up and a drink, but it’s not a City institution that’s worth seeking out and the TVs make the place less attractive.

This is a decent sized, L-shaped Nicholson’s pub just off the River Thames and a short walk from Monument. The pub has a very narrow interior which the servery winds its way through in a convoluted manner. The front entrance takes you into a lower, compact seating space with a few high tables and stools but not much else of note. Similar seating options can be found up a few steps which pass through an interesting looking doorway, now devoid of the wall that once surrounded it, leading you into the main bar area. The angular, dark wood counter of the bar appears to the right, complimented by a traditional looking bar back, dark floorboards, lincrusta ceiling and elaborate light fittings. To the rear, the room and servery swing around to the right, passing through a very smart section with comfy banquettes and chairs under attractive dark wood panelling and traditional décor, marred only by TV screens showing a muted news channel. Stairs take you down to the Cellars Bar – a small room with a wild tile-patterned floor, plain walls and a servery to the right of the entrance. Several tables and chairs are available down here as well as a couple of button backed armchairs and another TV screen was showing the same news channel. There is also a dining room upstairs, named after Lewis Carroll, who was of course the author of the story from which the pub takes its name. The usual decent Nicholson’s ale range was available, with the full options comprising Nicholson’s Pale Ale, Fullers London Pride, Sharps Doom Bar, LBC Never Mind the Kent Hops, Old Dairy Snow Top and Black Sheep Holy Grail, along with two Weston’s ciders. The basement bar had five of the ales listed above plus Adnams Broadside. Sadly, my pint of the Snow Top was totally undrinkable, which suggests that the pub may no longer be able to support the number of handpulls currently in operation. I’m prepared to put the poor pint down to bad luck on my part – ale was flying out of the other pumps with no noticeable complaints. With that set aside, this is a very nice Nicholson’s pub, offering an attractive and comfortable drinking space that doesn’t perhaps match up to some of their more famous venues, but does at least give you somewhere you’d feel happy to settle down in for a while. As Central London pubs go, I thought this was pretty decent and will be back in the hpe of getting a much better pint the next time.

Nice pint of Thornbridge Red Roc which is brewed for Nicholsons pubs.Nice surroundings and good staff.

3 floor Nicholson's pub serving real ale and food.