Southampton Arms, NW5

Loved this pub. Outside it did not look so appealing, but once inside .. WOW .. what a great front bar line up. We walked up from the tube station at Tufnell Park, but the 214 bus stops outside the pub, and it was a shame we were limiting ourselves to 2 beers per pub. We could easily have spent the afternoon here. Quiet so we could chat with the friendly chap behind the bar. We selected Brodies American Brown and Redemption Big Chief, and could easily have gone for beers from Raw, Hopdaemon, Thornbridge, Mighty Oak, Vale, Ramsgate or Summer Wine. The choice of beers was all shades light and dark, and varying strengths too. Fantastic place and I believe it has got its entry in the 2012 Good Beer Guide. One not to be missed when in London for a visit to good real ale pubs.

The quality and variety of the ales and ciders is unsurpassed, and the beer price is still pegged at (just) below £3, but in the evenings this pub is always incredibly noisy and crowded. There is nearly always a scrum around the bar, not because the service is slow, but because once the seats have been taken there is almost nowhere else to stand or lean where you can put down your glass. The back yard is a comparative haven of peace, but then there's the cigarette smoke... There's an eclectic record collection which is played on a pretty basic turntable, but it's almost impossible to ever hear any music because of the multitude of shouted conversations. I can heartily recommend a visit to this pub in the afternoon.