Punch & Judy, Covent Garden, WC2

Official site of Punch & Judy - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of Punch & Judy - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

I dropped into this pub on a whim as I was passing, and had a swift half in the balcony bar, from where you can watch the goings on down below, which mainly consist of street artists; some sort of tightrope walking was the highspot during my short visit. There's no real ale in the balcony bar - beer is served in plastic glasses and my half of Neck Oil was £3.60. That's tourist central Covent Garden for you. There was a surprisingly large number of tourists in Covent Garden, but I suppose not as many as a couple of years ago. Covent Garden has changed over the years; I remember the first CAMRA beer festival here back in 1974. It was definitely less hectic then without all the restaurants and the like that we have now. But it's encouraging to see the hospitality economy here thriving again. It must be around 20 years or so since I last visited the Punch & Judy and it hasn't improved. But maybe the downstairs bar is better.

Basement bar in Covent Garden. A couple of real ales but nothing of any great strength. Usual other offerings and full of Japanese or Chinese tourists.