The Hole in the Wall, Waterloo, SE1

An oddity of a pub. Busy early on a saturday evening with people watching the rugby yawnion, although I was served very promptly by an efficient barmaid. Sharp's Doombar, the ubiquitous Greene King IPA, Hogs Back TEA, Adnams Broadside and Youngs Bitter available. I decided to re-evaluate my opinion of Doombar and was glad as it was an excellent pint. Sat out in the beer 'garden' which proved strangely tranquil despite the trains overhead and the noise from the telly. You'd have no real reason to go here other than, like me, killing time before catching a train. Nevertheless, you could probably do a lot worse.

Randomness Guide to London - Hole In The Wall entry

Randomness Guide to London - Hole In The Wall entry

Not much in the way of atmosphere. The front bar is OK, but the back bar is positively gloomy with no natural light. Punters here also enjoy regular earthquake effect as trains pass directly overhead. But there are usually 6 real ales on offer, and the Twickenham Original I had was excellent. It also has a decent pinball machine in proper working order, which is becoming something of an endangered species in London. Not the sort of place in which I would want to spend an evening, but OK for a couple of pints and a decent game of pinball. Gets a 7 from me for the excellent ales on offer plus the pinball.