Duke of St Albans, NW5

The Duke of St Albans was the last remaining Good Beer Guide entry in North West London for me to visit. So, I was overdue a visit here. The pub is situated on a prominent corner looking towards Parliament Hill Fields. The interior is bare boards with an impressive bar bearing the name of the pub against the rear wall, with a semi-open kitchen to the left-hand side of it. Outdoor pavement seating was also proving popular. Dogs and kids are welcome. There are 6 handpulls on the bar. The pub was having a Woodshedding Brewery tap takeover, with 4 of the pulls clipped with their beers - Best of Both Worlds, Fresh Mild Beer, By Furrow & The Jump. A fifth handpull was clipped with SeaCider Passion Fruit. Craft beers also included a couple from Woodshedding - No Dig & Luncheon. Other keg beers were Track Sonoma, Left-Handed Giant Pink Lemonade Radler, Vault City Peach & Lemon Table Sour, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Duration Good Times, Anspach & Hobday London Black & Saint Monday Session IPA, American Pale Ale & West Coast IPA. In addition, Sandford Orchards Devon Red & Gosnell's Honey & Ginger were also on. Menus on each table listed the beers and food. A couple of half pints of the cask set me back £6.20. A pint was £6.10. A CAMRA discount is not actively promoted and I only benefitted from the 10% discount when a drinking colleague walked in and I ordered another pint. Payment is also by card only. The beers I tried were ok, without being particularly special. Service was similarly average. The Duke of St Albans feels more like a gastropub than a drinkers' pub. Prices are on the high side too. So, it's unlikely I'll return here too often but being just a 9-minute walk or 2 stops on the bus from Southampton Arms, I wouldn't rule it out.

Wood is the theme here - floorboards, bar top, seats and tables - all wood so, combined with a chaotically arranged beer board where the trailing zero will certainly not be displayed, you know you're in a venue which is up with all the latest trends. This obviously includes round 16 craft taps, some of which are pouring Saint Monday, a London brewery associated with the pub. Fortunately, there's also half a dozen handpulls, with the likes of Marble, Saltaire and Bristol Beer Factory featuring, along with a cider. A limited food menu is also offered. The seating (being wood, with no cushions) doesn't encourage an extended stay and the bar blocking stools are annoying, but it's worth popping in if you're in the vicinity, though you'll surely have the Southampton Arms just down the road on your itinerary as well.

Official site of Duke of St Albans - www.dukeofstalbans.com

Official site of Duke of St Albans - www.dukeofstalbans.com

Had spotted that this place was due to re-open but seeing Tris’s review of a few days ago I launched my self here from the depressing experience of the Islington Arts Club. This is more like it and I felt rewarded for the short trek on Overground to this vibrant venue. Music v low and hardly noticed above the chatter of a full venue. Modest change to the cask selection, minus the Redemption and Harvey’s quaffs but added the Vale Black Beauty Porter. Suspect the Harvey’s will be back and the board suggested the Ilkley Blonde but two turned round clips suggested two down on the day. My Bishops Farewell was greeted and good-byed rather rapidly.