The Nags Head, Covent Garden, WC2

ANother lovely pub building and this one with what my notes made at the time described as a "classy" bar (see photo, taken at a rare quiet moment). It was busy early afternoon, with many people eating, and I struggled to find a free table; the further I went into the pub the warmer and more airless it became. Returning to near the (open) front door I was lucky to find someone prepared to share part of his table - a young man whose clothes declared that he had just come from a job interview. He told me how well his interview had gone, and I told him about my Discovering London's Inns and Taverns pub crawl. My half of McMullens AK was in very good condition and probably my beer of the day.. I've not been to this part of London before, and though it's busy and touristy I found it quite pleasant and if I found myself back here I would certainly call in the Nags Head again.

Just across the road from Covent Garden tube station, this is a rather attractive traditional pub that I’m surprised I’ve never set foot in previously, having walked past it countless times. The pub has a reversed C-shape layout with carpeted floors throughout, except around the bar where an attractive decorative tile area follows the path of the servery. The bar is centrally positioned with a nice curved dark wood counter and matching gantry which has coloured checkerboard stained glass frontage and a brass pot shelf. The smart bar back boasts pleasantly styled corner posts and some top-quality panelling. The room follows the front, right and rear parts of the bar, with high table and stool seating closest to the bar and then a mix of button backed banquettes and standard chairs around the perimeter. Large windows down two sides of the building have etched glass panes bearing McMullen’s name and more stained-glass checkerboard upper sections. Floral wallpaper covers much of the wall space, especially in the rear left corner, whilst a floral pattern lincrusta ceiling can be seen through much of the room. The rear wall has been covered with a series of very large etched glass brewery mirrors whilst a few old black and white photos can be seen in the plainer rear left area. There was standing room only on my Saturday early evening visit, with pop tunes playing reasonably loudly and a constant stream of passers by entering the pub and fighting their way through the crowd to use the pub’s toilets. The windows give away the fact that this is a McMullen’s house, so it came as no real surprise to find AK and IPA on handpull along with Rivertown Red from their subsidiary Rivertown brewery. The latter turned out to be a perfectly acceptable pint that went down well after a long walk here in the freezing cold, and I was served by the sort of cheery, friendly barmaid that you rarely find in this part of the city. This isn’t the sort of place I’d immediately think of as being a good bet, what with the tourist trap location and uninspiring brewery, but I was pleasantly surprised with the smart, comfortable interior, good beer quality and friendly service. I’d never recommend Covent Garden as a destination for a pub crawl, but I’d definitely recommend this place for a quick stop-off when passing through.

it’s a nice location but only an okay pub. Soap tasting pint of ale which wasn’t particularly pleasant. Or cheap. Ornate though open interior.

Official site of The Nags Head - www.nagsheadcoventgarden.co.uk