Euston Tap, NW1

I first visited the Tap on a bitterly cold day and it was bitterly cold inside as well (the coats stayed on). My most recent visit coincided with a downpour and the place had a noticeably musty smell and I still wasn't convinced that the heating would keep the interior comfortably warm in the depths of winter. Climatic considerations aside, however, this is definitely one of London's premier beer destinations. The beer policy spans the nation's best micro-breweries, with the beer served in excellent condition, at very fair prices, particularly in comparison with some other 'craft beer' bars in central London. Eight ales are backed up by no less than 11 keg offerings from around the world. These range from British craft lagers to imported exotica from the US and elsewhere and are every bit as good as the real ales. Oh, and there's a couple of fridges either side of the bar if you want to make choosing a beer even more difficult - there's a hundred or more here. I've only ever visited at quiet times. On a Friday evening, I wouldn't fancy the narrow spiral staircase to the additional seating upstairs, nor the limited toilet availability. Otherwise, however, I can heartily recommend the place. Anyone in London interested in modern beer should certainly pop in.

The Euston Tap is housed in one of the old gate houses to Euston Station so it is not the biggest of places. The bar is located on the back wall creating an open plan U shaped drinking area. There are numerous cask ales available and all of the taps are located on the back wall which was probably devised as a space saving exercise. Fridges stock an extensive range of bottled beers for those that can’t find something they like from cask. The seating is sparse with a few bar stools dotted around and there is a ledge to rest pint on around the exterior walls. There is some more seating upstairs where it is much more comfortable, but the spiral staircase leading up there is challenging. The toilet consists of a cubicle and a urinal so I’d leave plenty of time for the loo at busy times. The barmen were polite and from their conversation I gleaned that they have an obvious love of beer. This place is certainly different and has a range of ever changing beers that will not be found together anywhere else. I’m sure that the beer tickers could sit in here for hours whilst trying to work their way through the list, but to be honest I would struggle for more than a couple of beers. I would liken the comfort and atmosphere of this place to a busy beer festival in a local village hall. I like a good pint of cask ale, but not at the expense of a relaxing chair and some breathing space.

Much detail in the reviews below. The downstairs is a small but a decent place to be and feeling more spacious due to its high ceiling. Upstairs, as Quinno points out, is pretty basic and I suspect that more could be made of it in terms of decor, hiding cables etc. What can't be easily changed is that it's essentially a box and a pretty small, low ceilinged one at that which does mean that it gets hot and noisy very quickly. Eight handpumps, interestingly placed on the back wall therby making the most of limited space, had on a good selection of ales which included two from Welton, Fyne Vital Spark, Dark Star Smoked Porter, Thornbridge Kipling, Magic Rock Curious and Ilkely Lotus IPA. All that we had was in good shape and slipped down well. I'll drop in again if waiting for a train.