Bag O' Nails, Victoria, SW1

Grade II-listed and originally the Devil & Bag o’ Nails, this appears to have been mucked about with since the previous review, with typical Victorian-style Greene King predictability, but with a part carpeted floor and tourists, given its proximity to Buckingham Palace. The main novelties here are Christmas decorations in early November and the enormous invisible rip in the oxblood peripheral banquette, which almost swallowed me whole on sitting down; another portion nearby was visibly ripped and poorly repaired with Sellotape; customers appeared to be undiscerning office types and young. Ales offered amounted to Abbot, GK IPA, Rocking Rudolph, London Glory and Black Sheep Best at £2.80 a half and fine, served by a weird barman who insisted on addressing me from the far end of the bar. This pub may get an extra point for having a drinkable non-GK beer, or for that matter Pride or Doom, but the utter predictability of the place and the couldn’t care less air of the brand around Victoria, ensures I won’t return. It’s a bag o’ something, but whatever it is, it’s less preferable than nails.

Official site of Bag O' Nails - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of Bag O' Nails - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

GK pub with no real ale of any strength. Standard kegs including Punk IPA. Also an upstairs diner but nothing to entice me back.