Pubs Galore - the UK pub guide

Dating back in some form to 1541, I once visited this Victorian City backstreet pub around 10 years ago and recall something traditional and in line with the reviews below. Well things ain't what they used to be: the ceiling is bedecked with more industrial metal ductwork than the Lloyd's Building, dangling from it is one of those awful all-pervasive tubular steel bar gantries. The bar back is fashioned from distressed wooden planks, possibly purchased from a bankrupt firm of scaffolders. Lighting comes courtesy of yet more hipster filament bulbs, some of which are fitted to wall mounted wire caged bulkhead lamps. They afford a view of the modern bare boarded floor, distressed exposed brickwork, exposed grey cinderblocks and matching grey exposed RSJs holding up the corner entrance. In all, it's a bit like drinking in an unfinished modern office block. Windows are new 'olden style' with the maker's name in etched glass to each pane. Unsurprisingly, furniture is slightly industrial and almost all is tall. There's piped music which played at too loud a volume for comfort.
The bar's website - which gives pitifully little information - indicates that this is quite a foodie establishment, though given that no-one was eating, I assume this indulgence is undertaken upstairs. I think there may also be accommodation which could explain the existence of what looked like a check-in desk with PC terminal. Customers too seemed to be more touristy than one would expect and with kids in tow, so perhaps there are indeed rooms on high.
The barman was cheery enough, presiding over one unused pump and then By The Horns Banjo Syd and Five Points XPA at a reasonable - for the area - £2.40 a half and decent it was too.
I'm glad I experienced this pub in its original form, but this type of place really isn't my bag so I don't envisage a return visit.

I have walked past this pub on quite a few occasions and thought it was a Spoons and presumed I had reviewed it ages ago. It is in fact a Greene King outlet, so I thought I'd give it a go. One thing I do agree with from the reviews below, is that the staff are very friendly and chatty. The interior is modern, with a long bar positioned along the right hand wall. The wall behind the bar was exposed brick, the bar counter was solid oak, with a painted bar front and some opaque glass globe lamps hanging down along the length of the counter. Three handpumps, with two in use on our mid week visit, serving Trumans Lazurus and GK IPA. I went for a pint of the Trumans, priced at - wait for it, £5.40 a pint. Very overpriced in my opinion for the back end of Holborn.

Lebowskis Southside has since closed - it changed its name to Sammy’s. Unfortunately that too has closed.

Huge indoor crazy golf bar with huge crazy prices. The place is situated halfway between street level and the first level of Liverpool One. Inside has the bar to your left and the rest made up of a crazy golf course. Its really aimed at students types and 18-25 lager lads. Fizz-u-likes on the bar and no real ale. Not cheap. £2.60 for half San Miguel in a plastic cup? Go f*ck yourselves. Not to be used as part of a pub crawl. Or any crawl to be honest.

A recent opening at the bottom end of the popular King Street strip, this is not a pub in the usual sense, but a combined bar and steak restaurant. There is certainly no requirement to eat though, and of the half dozen or so other punters in on our recent mid-week visit, none appeared to be dining.

It’s all one long, open plan room internally, with an open kitchen to the left and the bar counter to the right. In terms of décor it’s not unpleasant, but is obviously all very new and does feel somewhat generic or mass produced. Flooring is pale wood boards, whilst good sized windows on two sides make the most of the outlook, and there are high stools provided here to sit and admire the view. Elsewhere the paintwork is a very dark blue and there are also some sections of exposed brickwork. A snug area up a few steps at the rear had wooden planks nailed to the wall. Seating in the main bar area was mostly high tables and chairs, with some blue Chesterfield style bench seating in the upper area. Low level lighting was provided by exposed filament light bulbs which is of course de rigour in any pub renovation these days.

Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, or much in the way of any keg beers come to that, with lager being the predominant offering as far as I could tell from looking at the engraved metal pump clips which were very difficult to read given the available light. I did notice Brewdog Punk IPA though. On the plus side, they did at least have Thatcher’s Gold cider.