Strand Palace Hotel, Strand, WC2

No draught ale of any description in here.

This former grand hotel is now more middle-range, lacking in grandeur but not in customers. It’s what you would expect from a London hotel, a lot of gloss on a crumbling infrastructure. The rooms are pleasant enough, the staff are polite and helpful, even the food is tolerable. The two bars, however, are a disappointment. The wine selection is sub-standard, and there is no real ale in either. Service is painfully slow, and the general ambiance in both is that of a Ukrainian massage parlour. Probably good for a final glass of crème de menthe if you don’t want to use your mini-bar, but not somewhere I’d want to be stranded.