The Wenlock Arms, Hoxton, N1

In my opinion the best pub I've been in in London. Great beer (where's always been at least one stonkingly good beer on whenever I've been in). I can usually wind up talking to people from far and wide in here and the prices are very reasonable too (which is a major plus for London).

I have been a latecomer to The Wenlock because for a lad brought up in an area with a higher North London post code, the area of Hoxton, nestling between Islington and the City has traditionally been the bad lands which can be seen on a map as the area marked by ‘There be Dragons’. But I made an initial visit early last summer and have made it back a few times since, usually diverting when cycling the nearby canal. The Wenlock is best described as a traditional, no frills, unpretentious back street local in an area of council estates and factory buildings. According to the pubs own web site, it was built in 1835, and opened as a pub in January 1836 and as a lot of the surrounding area was flattened in the Blitz, it is a lot older than many of the surrounding buildings. Internally it’s an old fashioned fairly small single bar pub with the square serving area in the middle and the main pub area down either side. If honesty be told, it’s not the most becoming of pubs, being situated in a bit of a wasteland with an interior decor and fitments having an aura of decay, toilets that could well have been the inspiration behind the scene in Train Spotting, a carpet, or what’s left of it, that has things living in it that would make David Belamy salivate, and some of the locals can sometimes use colourful language. And if what was on offer was a single hand pump dispensing GK IPA then most would make a wide berth. Instead, this Free House has nine hand pumps which provide a frequently changing range of beers and ciders from regional and microbreweries, usually all very well kept by the knowledgeable cellar man. And it quite rightly has been a GBG regular in recent years and has won numerous awards from CAMRA. And the beers I tried on my recent visit last weekend were on top form. The co owners also have a regular program of Jazz evenings and quiz nights meaning the Wenlock has a loyal following of regulars and CAMRA members and, despite some of the reservations mentioned above, it is still a must visit pub for the Real Ale enthusiast. And due to there being ongoing speculation that one of the co-owners is looking to retire and that the pub will then be put up for sale, and with the surrounding area ripe for redevelopment a visit to the Wenlock sooner rather than later may be recommended.

Randomness Guide to London - Wenlock Arms entry