Northumberland Arms, Kings Cross, WC1

This pub dates back to at least the 1820s, but must have been rebuilt in the 19th century. It has some fine Watney’s scrollwork brewery regalia and can be seen in the film The Lady Killers; that’s the good news. Otherwise, the previous revies sum this place up very well and sadly, still apply. Apart from the two barmaids, this is very much an old blokes’ pub, with some cackling old men and slightly younger types playing pool, many of the drinkers staring witlessly at the TVs. Unsurprisingly there’s no real ale, so a half of Neck Oil set me back £3.10, served by the sprightlier of the two women. This is a very depressing pub, not just the worst in WC1 but probably in the whole of the borough of Camden; I wasn’t expecting it to be much good, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad.

Official site of Northumberland Arms - northumberlandarmskingscross.co.uk

Official site of Northumberland Arms - northumberlandarmskingscross.co.uk

The Kings Cross area has always struck me as a bit of a ‘good beer’ wilderness between Euston and Islington, and although a few decent ale houses can be found in the area, there are still plenty of old school boozers, like this place, where lager rules supreme. The pub is split level, with the interior opened out to form one large room. The servery is to the left, with a white bar counter and gantry supported by simple pillars and a mirrored bar back with the beer prices listed to one side. High tables and stools fill most of the space opposite the bar whilst standard tables and chairs predominate in the raised section to the right of the entrance. A pool table occupies the final section of the pub – a space to the rear right where a juke box and slot machines can also be found. There is a dartboard on the back wall and a number of TV screens were showing live football, with almost everyone in attendance sat watching it. Walls are half panelled with a neutral paint scheme above and a series of amusing beer signs have been dotted around the room. Elsewhere, there was a shelf with numerous leaflets for local events, quite a few potted plants and a very fluffy pub cat. The pub was pretty busy on my mid-week evening visit, with no room left to sit, and it was very notable that, with the exception of the two barmaids, it was an entirely male turn out. As mentioned above, cask ale doesn’t seem to be of interest to these regulars, so I had a choice between Guinness and a number of mainstream lagers, with very little else of interest available. I ended up with a nondescript pint of lager which was every bit as bland and unsatisfying as I’d expected. Whilst this place didn’t really do a lot for me, it was good to see a strong crowd in on a cold, midweek evening. This place clearly serves up the right combination of drinks, atmosphere and entertainment for a certain demographic and it’s hard to begrudge them this.