Pub Suggestions / Recommend Pubs for...

It's not 100% on brief, but I ended up in the Harp in Cov Garden the other week and it was v pleasant.

There's a big alley in the back you can stand in, and the car park entryway also holds a lot of people and the beer is good.

https://www.harpcoventgarden.com/drink

It's a good pub is the Harp (CAMRA pub of the year a few years ago) but I find the corridor style always make it feel really packed.

Ah yes definitely better in summer when you can stand in some of the outside spaces...

Any recommendations for decent country pubs easily accessible from SE London, charming beer garden and good Sunday roast key. Usual choice (the white Bear near biggin hill) is closed, annoyingly.

Queen’s Head in Downe is decent. Bromley CAMRA recommended.

Apropos of nothing, the Turk’s Head in the middle of Gloucester city is a fantastic pub. Real ales and ciders mostly, but great Thai food from around the corner and all the weird characters you could dream of. In a city centre full of pristine gastropubs and sticky carpeted Wetherspoons it is a welcome breath of fresh air quirkiness.

Did I mention £2.80 per pint for short radius sourced ales and ciders?

I'll bear that in mind. I thought there must be some jewels nearby.

We ended up in the Harp, thanks for the recommendation! Nice little place (if you don't mind paying £7 a pint).

If you are nearby then the Fountain and the Pelican also get honourable mentions. Robert Raike’s house and the New Inn are architecturally gorgeous and worth putting up with a pint of keg fizz just to admire and soak in the history - shit (generic) beer but great, great settings.

Gloucester Brewery outlet on the docks used to be great, but has now expanded from pallet woodwork and sawdust floors into an achingly trendy warehouse space where you serve your own beer from, essentially, vending machines.

Ah great! Tbh you have to hunt pretty hard to get cheaper than that now in central it seems ☹️

Suggestions for an outdoor spot early evening around Southbank?

Any of the pop-up/outdoor bars outside festival hall always my go-to....

Always used to enjoy standing outside the Kings Arms and White Hart near Liverpool St, and do a little spotting of the vintage Citroens parked on Roupell Street.

Thanks @owl @J0nathan

The Understudy by the National Theatre.

Where might be good early evening Weds near Old Street where a small group can get a table, chat, not too busy...

Wenlock Arms would be my go to (ten min walk). The Old Fountain bit nearer and that usually has space

Oh how I miss working right opposite Wenlock Arms! Old Fountain probably a better bet. Thanks!

Any suggestions for pubs with a really good real ale selection? I've got a friend visiting from Slovakia who likes to drink as much warm, flat beer as possible any time he's in the UK. South east or central preferred but happy to travel!

The Harp Covent garden is central for touristy stuff, nice pub, previous camra winner I think

Not so easy to find nowadays in London, I'll be interested in the answers. Most places with big beer ranges are all on overpriced keg IPAs now.
The Harp - Covent Garden (this would probably be my choice for the proper pub atmosphere)
Cask - Pimlico http://www.caskpubandkitchen.com/beer
Craft Beer Co - I normally go to the one on High Holborn but I think there's a few of them
Jerusalem Tavern (serves St. Peter's beer) - Clerkenwell
Southampton Arms if you want to head north.
The Market Porter - Borough market

And obviously Wetherspoons has a decent range.

Jerusalem Tavern is no more - https://theholytavern.com/ (might still be St Peter's though).

Worth looking for micropubs? Depending on where in SE the River Ale House in East Greenwich is great, the Green Goddess in Blackheath Standard is very new (still mostly keg craft though, their own brewery won't be running until later in the year) and the Shirkers Rest in New Cross is run by the folk behind the Deserter blog and podcast.

(Harp is great and very convenient for Charing Cross.)

Anyone know of any nice Kent pubs with a beer garden within 50-60km of SE London? Have a free day tomorrow so fancy riding out to somewhere, having a beer with lunch then cycling back and hoping to do around 120-140km overall.

If they've not been yet and you're still planning, I'd second the Shirkers Rest in New Cross. Quite small but if there's two of you should be fine to get sat somewhere and they have 3 or 4 cask beers that are kept really well from my experience.

Thanks for all the suggestions, ended up wandering around Soho with stops at The Old Coffee House and The Glasshouse Stores, finishing up at The Harp. He loved them all!