The Blue Posts, SW1

Unremarkable corner pub, not far from the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly but not the sort of place that many tourists would stumble across by chance. The interior decor is the traditional dark-wood style so common in former Spirit Group pubs, but the layout means that the bar area is quite cramped. Four real ales on handpumps, mostly usual suspects such as Landlord but the seasonal Adnams Christmas Cheer was on good form. NB - Currently being rebranded by Punch Taverns as a Taylor Walker house.

Tucked away in the backstreets south of Piccadilly, the Blue Posts is a fairly ordinary pub catering mostly for local office groups. The exterior shows some ornate touches but parts are beginning to look a bit weatherd. The interior has been knocked through to one largish room with the bar at one end although it can be a fight to get to the bar through the office groups that tend to congregate in front of it. The rear section is a bit quieter and I have usually managed to bag a table here. The décor is quite plain with paneled walls, shallow bay windows with lamps, a few old pictures of local landmarks, large plain mirrors and a couple of flat screen TVs but little that really catches the eye. There are 4 hand pumps that in the past have conjured up some interesting guest beers although my most recent visit was a more formulaic offering of Youngs London Gold, Deuchers, Spitfire and Rev James. The quality has always been good (they are Cask Marque accredited) and prices about par for the area. Main meals are around £8-10 with snacks around a fiver and some interesting lunchtime selections at a good value £5.25 (12-3pm) There are some seats outside on the pavement along with some barrel tables which takes up some of the overspill when it gets quite busy after the local offices turn out. It can have quite a bustling atmosphere which does at least liven up what is, on the whole, a quite ordinary place.

I watched the England V South Africa game in here and it was a pretty good night (apart from the result). The bar staff were friendly and the lager was good. I would go back if I was in the area.

They had GKIPA, Pride and OSH on. The Pride was OK, and not overpriced at around £3 a pint – after all it just behind The Ritz. There are two TV screens – only one was on of a Saturday afternoon, with the sound muted. Furniture is mainly normal tables and chairs, with a handful of high stools around a ledge surrounding a central pillar. This is another one of those pretty decent, if unremarkable, pubs that we seem to have number of in London. Decent décor, decent service, decent beer (I didn't eat there) – decent pub. OK for a pint if you happen to be in the area, but not really worth going out of your way to find.