The Clarence, SW1

This is a simple street corner pub near the Trafalgar Square end of Whitehall, typically busy with a post-work crowd (and plenty of tourists) when I visited on a midweek early evening. The pub has a basic single room interior with bare floorboards and a nice dark wood bar counter down the left hand wall. Some well upholstered button backed banquettes run around the front walls, supplemented by chairs and a few mid-height stools, although the left hand side of the room before the bar appears had been roped off for some sort of private gathering. As the room narrows somewhat to pass the bar, the seating disappears, leaving just a single drinking ledge along the right hand wall, from where you can admire the deep servery with its mirror and tile bar back and pleasant dark wood shelving units. Some exposed wooden beams and pillars appeared to be fake but at least go some way to adding a feeling of authenticity into what would otherwise by a rather plain corporate pub. Some more seating can be found to the rear of the room and as always in Central London, there were tonnes of people out on the pavement on a hot day in the city. The decor comprises plenty of plain mirrors, a few stylised paintings and lots of bland blackboards detailing food and drink options. Stairs lead up to something called the Bulldog Bar and Tin Belly Dining Room, which I didn’t bother investigating. Music was playing in the background, but the pub’s echoey interior meant this was soon lost under the cacophony created by a busy crowd. There were seven handpulls on the bar, two of which were out of action, leaving a choice of five – Sambrooks Wandle and Session, Wells Bombardier, Youngs Ordinary and Sharps Doom Bar. The Wandle was £5.15 for a pint, which is perhaps to be expected these days in such a prime location, but certainly didn’t make it taste any better. I suppose it would be wrong to expect a great pub experience in a pub so well positioned on the tourist trail, but this wasn’t a total write-off despite the fact the place is clearly just going through the motions. I thought there was a decent atmosphere in here, the interior was quite well appointed and the beer was in good nick, if far too expensive. Happy enough to have stopped by but I’ll leave this one to the tourists in the future.

Saturday afternoon in rainy London. We opened the door to be met instantly by a waitress asking if we were dining. If we had said no, we wouldn't have been allowed to sit at one of the tables that all had reserved signs - although they were just being kept for food eating punters coming in off the street. This meant that I couldn't see what beers were on and knowing it was a Youngs house, I asked for a special. It was that bad, I had to take it back to the bar, when I found out they dont do Youngs Special - just the standard. It was swapped without fuss for a Naked Lady (who could resist?) which was in much better condition. Food was OK. Service was good, seeing as how run ragged she was. Wouldn't necessarily come again.

Currently operated by Geronimo, this well-placed pub is something of a tourist trap, but it still manages to serve 8 real ales on draft, all in reasonable condition, although kept a bit too cold, probably because that's how the foreigners like it. There were also a few megakeg offerings, but these included some unusual ones like Meantime London Lager, Youngs London Stout and Camden Pale Ale alongside the Amstel and Aspalls Cider. My pint of Sambrooks Junction was fine, not the best beer that Brewery makes, but well kept and on good form. The staff were mainly OK, but the bearded troll who lurked at the end of the bar kept calling us ‘guys' in a slightly over-familiar way, which irritated a bit. Clientele were a mixed a - mostly tourists, but also a mixture of workmen, office staff and even what we took to be a couple conducting an extra-marital flirtation. It was predictably expensive, given its location, but the atmosphere was good, the WIFI worked, and I'd be happy to stop by again.

A corner pub definitely erring toward the gastro side of things,however there are eight handpumps dispensing a range of beer from the ordinary to the more interesting, my Inkspot EIPA was at the more interesting end of the range and a nice beer, worth a visit but a one drink and off place in my book.