Sutton Arms, Clerkenwell, EC1

One of two pubs of this name in the environs of Farringdon station - the other is near Barbican tube, less than half a mile away, and is owned by Fullers. This one is a free house with three hand pumps and a plethora of keg beers from many craft breweries, of which I identified three as being based in London when I was here last autumn. My half of Elusive brewery's Restless World was in very good condition, as indeed it should have been as it was advertised as their "beer of the week"! It was late afternoon when I was here, and neither busy nor very quiet. I quite liked it here - the background music was interesting and at a tolerable volume. For a more detailed description, I refer you to the review below. Date of visit: 14th September 2022

Within easy striking distance of Farringdon station, and yet down an inconspicuous side street that might otherwise never think to venture down, this is a cracking little boozer that has found its way into the Good Beer guide in recent years. The pub has a long, but narrow, ground floor room, carpeted throughout and with lincrusta covered walls beneath a low dado. Large windows down two sides of the building, mostly with modern etched glasswork bearing the pub’s name, allows plenty of light into one end of the room, whilst by contrast, the bar is in a dark, windowless part of the room, blocked in part by a staircase which may lead to a first floor overspill area, but appeared to be blocked off on this particular evening. The bar itself has a nice traditional counter with a matching bar back, whilst the walls have been decorated with various blackboards, including some large ones listing the beer range and food options (pies), as well as plenty of old photos and a fair number of certificates. There were three cask ales available when I arrived - Kernel Pale Ale, Anspach & Hobday The Bitter and Burning Sky Plateau, with seven craft keg options rounding out a decent overall selection. A proper old school landlord was presiding over the bar team and he engaged in a bit of good-hearted banter when he handed over a well-kept drop of the Plateau (£4.80). There was a good sized crowd in, without the place feeling overcrowded, but they were making enough noise for twice as many people, making for a very raucous visit. I really liked this one and was a little surprised that it doesn’t seem to get spoken of in the same terms as some of Central London’s better known backstreet ale houses. It’s definitely on my radar as a great option to dip into when I’m in the Farringdon area and I suspect I may warm to it further after repeat visits.

Of all the new pubs we visited across London on Monday, this one had to be the best discovery. It's a corner pub with 2 or 3 (1 was locked) entrances located at the junction of a couple of back streets, just off the busy Clerkenwell Road. The single room is small and basic, but the range of beers is much more impressive. 3 cask ales were listed on a blackboard, which gives plenty of details, including brewery, beer name, tasting notes, ABV and price. Whilst there was a dark beer listed that had just gone off, they still had Three Blind Mice Citra & Nelson Sauvin & Thornbridge Made North on cask. Craft beers were Verdant Neal Gets Things Done, Lost & Grounded Amplify Your Sound, Exale Krankie, Bohem Most, The Kernel Pale Ale & Siren Suspended in Mosaic. I really enjoyed my Three Blind Mice beer. The barman was very knowledgeable and fridges contain an impressive bottle and can selection. An unsuspecting gem that could easily be combined with other local hostelries such as the Jerusalem Tavern and the Old Fountain.