The Lady Ottoline, Bloomsbury, WC1

They had GKIPA, London Pride and Timothy Taylor Landlord on, as well as a Bulmers Perry and the usual array of lagers on tap. The Pride was OK. They've smartened it up a bit since the last time I was in here – gone has the pitted and scruffy black floor covering to be replaced by bare boards. I think that the last time I was in was before the smoking ban so not surprisingly it looks a lot cleaner overall. The clientele seemed to be mainly office workers enjoying food from the Thai menu. There's a large TV screen on one of the walls, showing the news when I was in, but with the sound muted and with subtitles. Watching the unscrupulous and venal antics of some MPs I had a nasty taste in the mouth, and it was nothing to do with the beer. There was some music playing but it was not loud enough to be a nuisance. The young girls behind the bar were friendly enough, enjoying some friendly banter with a few drinkers at the bar. This bar is somewhat off the beaten track, and is another of those decent but unremarkable pubs that I quite like. In some ways it is better off for being off the main roads from a punter's point of view, if you're looking for a less crowded backstreet pub.

The Kings Arms is a traditional pub that provides somewhere to run to if you get fed up with the bar/restaurant type places in the local area. It still has some original fixtures and fittings including some attractive etched glass windows. The beer selection is OK and the quality has always been good on my visits. Staff are very customer focussed and happy to chat. Nothing remarkable about the place but just a good honest pub.

I thought that the barmaid in here was friendly and the ale selection of Greene King IPA, Pride, SA Gold and Landlord covers most people’s tastes. I opted for the Guinness which was on good form and there was also a selection of standard and premium products. I visited on a Monday night so nobody was tucking into the Thai menu, but there were some people upstairs utilising the two pool tables and two dartboards. There is some more seating in the front room upstairs and back down in the bar there is a plasma screen for the sports. I liked it in here but the toilet is tiny and there is no lock on the makeshift wooden board that is hinged to the cubicle. Maybe this has been sorted in the few weeks that have passed since my visit. This pub is a bit out of my way, but if I lived or worked closer I would revisit.