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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about Tapping the Admiral
ORIGINAL REVIEW Feb 2016
Off the beaten track ,a charming street corner local with quite a small interior but a very traditional feel.There are lots of references to Admiral Nelson and the story of how his dead body was stored in a vat of rum only for the sailors to tap it,and drink it dry.There are two legs either side of the L shaped bar with a lot of traditional furniture ,while there is a large covered courtyard out the back with space heaters which can accomodate a lot of folk.The clientele is very varied in the best pub tradition with building workers,students,hipsters and a few CAMRA regulars ,although some were bar blocking on stools infront of the handpumps,a slight fly in the ointment.
Service was excellent ,I was asked if I was a CAMRA member and the offered a discount without even producing my card,and the same courtesy was extended to my drinking colleagues throughout our long Friday night session.The pub is also well regarded for food ,and the pies looked and smelt good,and were according to my mate from Preston among the best he has ever tasted.Strangely few other people were eating,it had a very solid boozer atmosphere.
At the bar there are 10 handpumps ,with two double clipped offering 4 real ciders while on my visit the pub were featuring ales from West Berkshire Brewery namely Good Old Boy,Maggs Mild,Mr Swifts Pale Ale,Mr Chubbs Lunchtime Bitter and Dr Hexter's Healer.As Sir Humphrey Appleby would say,this was a very brave decision but at least there were two other options in ELB Quadrant Oatmeal Stout and Wadworth Horizon.All the ale we sampled was perfectly conditioned but with so many from a rather secondary brewer,I have to deduct at least one point from my rating.Maybe we were just unlucky but having tried most of the ale between us,we did slope off to find something more exciting at the Camden Town Brewery sad to say.
However it's a great pub with a wonderful atmosphere ,so I will be back but will check next time on their Twitter feed to avoid being blindsided by one of their "takeover " nights if I dont rate the brewer they are featuring.
June 2016
A lunchtime visit was greeted by a full selection of Wadworth ales.The ethos here of giving over the entire ale selection to one brewer would really work if their choice of brewer was from a top division player. Although all ales were in top condition ,having travelled down from the Southampton Arms this was a relative disappointment.However the pie I ate was fantastic,so there's the dilemma.
UPDATE
A most recent visit confirms that a much better ale range is now available.The pub itself is unchanged,but it's much more lively with a noticeably younger crowd. The bar blockers on stools infront of the handpumps were both annoying and disrespectful despite being regulars.Thankfully they had pushed off by 7pm.
The ale range was on my trip Portobello Westway and VPA,Kent Prohibition (NBSS 4),Kent Rogue 25 (NBSS 4),Five Points Red,Gipsey Hill Leg It,Twickenham Gothick Dark,Brakspear Gravity plus 3 real ciders.The ale range was varied both in style and strengths ,conditioning very good making this pub right back in the Premiership of London real ale pubs.
I will certainly return,it was a fun evening,the pub grub is decent and the rating raised.It's a must visit now.
On 1st March 2025
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Tris C left this review about Tapping the Admiral
Another visit on 4th February late evening to find:
Breakspear - Gravity
Lacons - Encore
Kent - Extra Stout
Adnams - Old Ale
Portobello - VPA
Adnams - Southwold
Kent - Prohibition
Kent - Swing Low
Riding the crest of the wave on this visit, with prompting for a CAMRA card but not the place it was pre-COVID.
On 24th February 2025
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]
Tris C left this review about Tapping the Admiral
Last Visited: 17th February 2018.
Originally this was the Trafalgar Tavern, then the Fuzzock & Firkin before becoming the scruffy Tavern in the Town. Being off the beaten track, the only people who visit tend to be those who are in the know. I first came here just after the reopening and complained that it was infested with riff-raff with the foulest language in all of Christendom. Perhaps management cleared them out as several visits later, they are no more. Boarded up for around four years, it just goes to show what can be done with a little imagination: now double winner of the CAMRA North London branch Pub of the Year (2013 and 2015) and currently on CAMRA’s shortlist for the Top 5 London pubs.
This is a lively boozer with much knick-knacks and a slightly nautical slant though hardly an annoying Jolly Jack Tar theme pub. There’s an old metal Truman’s sign and this being one of their former pubs, may once have been mounted outside. Beneath, there’s a real coal fire, next to which was an enormous black cat with white paws, looking for all the world like the Egyptian Bastet, reclining on his miniature chaise longue, oblivious to the mandolin folk band and people singing along. There are food menus on the tables offering quite adventurous fayre though this isn’t a gastropub, grub revolving around the humble though hand-made pie.
As with my last visit in October 2016, the barman asked if I had a CAMRA card; the pub also participates in the CAMRA LocAle scheme. Ales: 12 pumps (one double-clipped) so too many to record but my pint of Bermondsey Best was £3.90 which was very good and amazingly cheap for London.
With the added benefit of a midnight licence Wednesday to Saturday, this is a great pub.
--------
My first pre-plague visit a couple of nights ago and nothing has changed, with all eight ale pumps and the two ciders in operation, friendly staff with a barmaid prompting me for a non-existent CAMRA card.
My pint of ELB's Cowcatcher was on great form and just £4.00, £3.80 with the aforementioned card.
An increasingly middle-aged-looking Nelson was on the prowl, looking for a friendly snuggle but ignoring my advances.
It's still steady as she goes at the Ad.
On 21st September 2021 - rating: 9
----------------------------------
A couple of more recent visits and all is not well in paradise.
On one visit, a customer casually strolled over to my table, picked up a tealight, lit his fag and then sashayed across the floor to smoke it outside; an invasion of my space and breach of the law.
One of the reasons to visit the pub is because of the breadth, quality and price of ales but on another visit, the beers were virtually all the same: pale and similar in style, with little to distinguish them.
Another visit and a fat man was munching a pie at the bar when tables were available. Not only is this unhygienic, but he was blocking the pump clips, one of the main reasons to visit the pub.
Another visit was greeted by a trio of young men who decided to watch the football on an iPhone, propping it up against a glass and blasting me with its fizzy tinny sound. This is a fairly quiet pub with no TVs, so why are people in effect allowed to bring along a TV?
On the same visit, the pub loon joined me at my table, proceeding to go about his strange habits; I studiously ignored him until he left, me being prompted to leave by the above. Finding a quiet table, I was again joined by the loon.
This is seemingly now something of a scrotes' pub. Until recently, I would have paid a visit to both this and the neighbouring Southampton Arms, finding little to distinguish between the two. Now it's no contest: when next in the area, I won't even bother with this place; does it have a new manager?
On 9th January 2022.
----------------------------------
Date of visit: 4th January 2025.
Yet another return to see if the place has still gone to the dogs and it’s certainly an improvement over my previous visit, almost three years ago to the day.
The interior – and seemingly the cat – are unchanged and the scrotes seem to have gone, replaced by a far more engaging and appreciative clientele, the Estrella and Asahi flowing freely.
However, the bar blockers are still a problem and then there’s the cask situation: where once there were 12 pumps there are now three unused, one reversed then just four, drawing Portobello Market Porter (£2.25 charged to McGrath Davies Property Services and fine, though now no pre-emptive CAMRA discount), Big Hug Brewing’s Red Rye, then Carlsberg/Marstons Brakspear’s Gravity and Courage Directors, both with cheap, handwritten clips.
This place is still above average, but it’s a far cry what it once was; who on Earth is McGrath Davies Property Services?
Rated: 6.5.
On 10th January 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]
Strongers . left this review about Tapping the Admiral
It took me an hour or so during a recent Friday evening visit to Tapping the Admiral to realise that I’d never visited before. I thought that I’d been in all the pubs in these parts. Anyway, the traditional interior is U-shaped with a central U-shaped serving counter that supports premium and craft keg alongside ten hand pumps, eight of which were in operation for most of the evening. Seating runs around the exterior walls to the left, right and front and there’s a coal effect gas fire in the right rear corner where we were assembled. There was a decent sized crowd in, but it wasn’t too busy. I’d have no problem returning.
On 16th December 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Tapping the Admiral
Nice old style interior 8 real ales on my visit.
On 5th October 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Tapping the Admiral
Another visit to Tapping The Admiral yesterday and things are still very much as they were on my previous visit in July last year. Nelson was still asleep on his cushion and there were once again a handful of regulars at tables and on stools at the bar. 8 ales were on - Purity Bunny Hop, XT 8 Porter Dark Roast, Windsor & Eton Guardsman & Canberra, By The Horns Skydust & Stiff Upper Lip, Hackney Don't Call It A Comeback & Mad Squirrel Redwood. There were also a couple of ciders - Bollhayes Medium & Oliver's Making Hay.
Previous Review 11/7/21:
Monday was my first visit here for several years. Little has changed in that time. It's still a cosy street corner pub, close to Kentish Town West Overground station.
Staff were pleasant, the cat still keeps up appearances and the beer and cider range is still good. On this visit, the Nelson's Whiskers was accompanied by Moor Revival, Five Points Pale, Portobello Central Line Red, Redemption Big Chill & Fellowship Porter & Purity Ubu. The real ciders were SeaCider Medium & Turners Medium-Dry.
A CAMRA discount was also proactively offered. This is still a really decent pub.
On 4th October 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about Tapping the Admiral
I thought i had been in this pub before but confused it with the Grafton.Busy cask led pub with 9 or 10 beers on .My two London brewery beers were good and a guy alerted me to the camra discount.Plenty of in your face characters but enjoyable none the less
On 15th April 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Tapping the Admiral
Last Visited: 17th February 2018.
Originally this was the Trafalgar Tavern, then the Fuzzock & Firkin before becoming the scruffy Tavern in the Town. Being off the beaten track, the only people who visit tend to be those who are in the know. I first came here just after the reopening and complained that it was infested with riff-raff with the foulest language in all of Christendom. Perhaps management cleared them out as several visits later, they are no more. Boarded up for around four years, it just goes to show what can be done with a little imagination: now double winner of the CAMRA North London branch Pub of the Year (2013 and 2015) and currently on CAMRA’s shortlist for the Top 5 London pubs.
This is a lively boozer with much knick-knacks and a slightly nautical slant though hardly an annoying Jolly Jack Tar theme pub. There’s an old metal Truman’s sign and this being one of their former pubs, may once have been mounted outside. Beneath, there’s a real coal fire, next to which was an enormous black cat with white paws, looking for all the world like the Egyptian Bastet, reclining on his miniature chaise longue, oblivious to the mandolin folk band and people singing along. There are food menus on the tables offering quite adventurous fayre though this isn’t a gastropub, grub revolving around the humble though hand-made pie.
As with my last visit in October 2016, the barman asked if I had a CAMRA card; the pub also participates in the CAMRA LocAle scheme. Ales: 12 pumps (one double-clipped) so too many to record but my pint of Bermondsey Best was £3.90 which was very good and amazingly cheap for London.
With the added benefit of a midnight licence Wednesday to Saturday, this is a great pub.
--------
My first pre-plague visit a couple of nights ago and nothing has changed, with all eight ale pumps and the two ciders in operation, friendly staff with a barmaid prompting me for a non-existent CAMRA card.
My pint of ELB's Cowcatcher was on great form and just £4.00, £3.80 with the aforementioned card.
An increasingly middle-aged-looking Nelson was on the prowl, looking for a friendly snuggle but ignoring my advances.
It's still steady as she goes at the Ad.
On 21st September 2021 - rating: 9
----------------------------------
A couple of more recent visits and all is not well in paradise.
On one visit, a customer casually strolled over to my table, picked up a tealight, lit his fag and then sashayed across the floor to smoke it outside; an invasion of my space and breach of the law.
One of the reasons to visit the pub is because of the breadth, quality and price of ales but on another visit, the beers were virtually all the same: pale and similar in style, with little to distinguish them.
Another visit and a fat man was munching a pie at the bar when tables were available. Not only is this unhygienic, but he was blocking the pump clips, one of the main reasons to visit the pub.
Another visit was greeted by a trio of young men who decided to watch the football on an iPhone, propping it up against a glass and blasting me with its fizzy tinny sound. This is a fairly quiet pub with no TVs, so why are people in effect allowed to bring along a TV?
On the same visit, the pub loon joined me at my table, proceeding to go about his strange habits; I studiously ignored him until he left, me being prompted to leave by the above. Finding a quiet table, I was again joined by the loon.
This is seemingly now something of a scrotes' pub. Until recently, I would have paid a visit to both this and the neighbouring Southampton Arms, finding little to distinguish between the two. Now it's no contest: when next in the area, I won't even bother with this place; does it have a new manager?
On 9th January 2022
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Tapping the Admiral
One slight upside of the current Covid pandemic is that it is forcing me to discover parts of pubs that I didn’t know existed. In all my previous visits to the Tapping the Admiral I have sat or stood in the bar staring longingly at the row of hand pumps.
However on making an impromptu Sunday afternoon visit last month all the internal seating area was taken, but we were offered an outside booth and were led past the toilets to an outside covered area that I’d never discovered before. Several individual seating booths along two walls of the pub that could accommodate six comfortably, each with their own heaters and a central chalk board with the beers and ciders available.
And very good to see no Covid beer reductions here, with the full eight ales and two ciders available. For our visit alongside the Nelsons Whiskers we’re Vale Brewery IPA, Southwark Mayflower Pale, Kent Brewery Bitter, Portobello Wembley IPA, Big Smoke Milk Stout, Purity UBU and Adnams Ghost Ship. We tried several and the Big Smoke Stout was the pick of the bunch.
It was very good to find that even in these troubled times for the hospitality industry, this remains a terrific pub, although the pub cat was in a funny mood and we did well to avoid him on this occasion.
On 13th July 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Tapping the Admiral
The Tapping the Admiral is a decent looking pub that is set in back streets,so not that easy to find.
Once inside the bar faces in an L shaped room that is bare boarded,there are pew seats and small stools to the front and a mid height drinking shelf to the left with stools,there are normal tables and chairs elsewhere.
There was a very good choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of New River Twin Spring,which was a really well kept beer,the other real ales i noted were Great Heck Navigator,Trumans Bow Bells and Southwark London Pale Ale.
There was decent background music playing.
I thought this was a top notch pub,one i could settle in.
Pub visited 2/6/2017
On 7th August 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]