The Harp, WC2

I used to rate the Harp as my favourite London pub. It's still a fabulous, but small old-fashioned boozer right in the middle of the capital. But I can't help but thinking that it has lost a little of its mojo since being taken over by Fuller's. I'd originally planned a short session here on a Monday afternoon. But the fact that they don't have a license to accommodate my 9-year-old son, who was due to accompany me, the failure of a couple of friends to show, the poorer than expected beer selection and the behaviour of a group at the end of the bar, meant that I only stayed for a half. The 4 regular beers are Fuller's London Pride, Dark Star Hophead & American Pale Ale & Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter. Guest beers were Rooster's London Thunder, Saltaire New World, Bristol Beer Factory Deception Peak, Redemption Big Chief & Ilkley Blonde. Real ciders are kept in fridges behind the bar and are listed on a blackboard opposite. On this visit, they were Oliver's Dry, Turner's Dry & Elderflower, Nightingale Tenterden & BEARDspoon KC Tribute. Bar staff were friendly, but English was clearly not their first language, which made communication a minor challenge. I now read that a CAMRA discount is offered, but it wasn't on my visit. The elderly and well-heeled guys at the end of the bar were making it perfectly clear that they were against the idea of the royal family. Whilst I'm not a staunch royalist, I found some of their comments quite offensive. They'd clearly had a few too many and didn't really need to be so vociferous with their opinions. Still a decent pub. But I always have high expectations when visiting the Harp and unfortunately these were not matched on this occasion.

The Welsh Harp until 1995, the only nod to Fuller’s here are two pumps dispensing Hophead and one Pride, the ‘London’ moniker attracting the tourists. Customers were as expected, with one group of national crawlers tentatively assembling, introducing one another and stating their place of domicile, such as Belfast, Liverpool, Newcastle…Nothing odd here, but at 9.00 pm on a Friday night? The sole barman had his job cut out, pulling pints for multiple customers simultaneously, frantically yanking the pumps like a dæmon possessed; it was actually quite frenetic and a bit unrestful. There was a fair crush at the bar, which I suspect is normal, except perhaps for Monday afternoons. Acoustics too are far from perfect and had I not been on my own, I would have had to shout at my mates as pretty much everyone else was doing. All ten pumps were in operation, me opting for a half of Mallinson’s Hop Festival at £2.50 and very nice it was too. This is obviously a top ale destination, the best in Westminster, but it’s really a bit crowded and unrestful; I’d be far more inclined to go to the Express, Southampton, or especially Tapping the Admiral, but it’s a no-brainer if in the area.