The Oast House, London Bridge, SE1

Another of SSP's finest complete with the 'any crisps or nuts' recitation as you close your order. The do have beer sometimes, and you get 20% of with a BiTE card which brings the price down to half reasonable. If you get too bored waiting for your delayed train amusement can be had counting the number of people coming in and scouting around for the non-existent bogs. Bonus points for spotting those looking guilty because they know it's poor form to use a pub loo without having a drink.

It may be a station bar but I have spent whole evenings in far worse places than the Oast House. Not many whole evenings but definately some. It rarely gets busy and service is usually pretty quick albeit faceless. Most people call in for one drink, play the fruit machine and then leave and the high turnover of transient customers make it an interesting place to people watch. There is a selection of quite standard Real Ales although it is not unusual for there to be only 1 on at any given time. Prices are reasonable considering it is on the concourse of a main station. You need to remember that there are no toilets and you have to pay to use the station loos. Handy for a missed train but you wouldn't bring your wife here on your wedding anniversary.