The Dolphin, WC1

My Dolphin experiences have been limited to marine parks and the occasional visit to this pub which is conveniently situated opposite Camden Town Hall, venue for the London Drinker Festival venue and therefore it comes in handy for an aperitif prior to the Festival doors opening. The Irish influence is evident as you enter, if not for the thick brougue of the barman, although you certainly wouldn’t exactly label the place under the typical irish theme bar heading. The original 2 bars are still intact with the public bar to the left containing a pool table and sporty pictures and appearing far more presentable on my recent visit than the last time I was here when the place looked quite tired and dull. The lounge bar is quite basic with bare floors and plenty of displays and pictures. The hand pumps are situated in the Lounge bar and are not obvious if you chose the Public Bar entrance. There is just the one ale available among the usual kegs, lagers and Guinness; a quite expensive but decent enough London Pride (£3.20) although there is a second redundant pump. The Dolphin has also jumped on the Thai food bandwagon with a decent selection available at quite reasonable prices although I have never actually eaten here. It’s not the best place in the area by a long shot but it is generally quite quiet and handy for a meeting place before moving on.