Pub Suggestions / Recommend Pubs for...

Both great shouts actually! I bet he'd love the Dog and Bell in particular.

Stormbird and Hermits in Camberwell. The real ale and the craft beer on opposite sides of the road.

If you wanna do the full real ale experience, The Hope in Carshalton is probably the best in London. At least CAMRA think so. Depending on when your mate is arriving there’s often a beer festival on there.

Where’s good in Brixton on a Friday night? Got a couple of Fridays coming up there. One that’s just two of us and one with a few. Ideally somewhere where we can hear each other and isn’t likely to be heaving.

https://www.timeout.com/london/news/londons-best-pub-has-just-been-crowned-for-2024-by-time-out-110524

(just realised this link is Top 10 only. Full top 50 is here: https://www.timeout.com/london/bars-and-pubs/the-best-pubs-in-london )

Happy to see the Southampton Arms is in the top ten, my favourite pub when I was living in London. Nothing can touch it for cask beer, best cellar in London by a million miles.

A list brought to you entirely by the PR department of Guinness. How many times can Guinness and Geezer be shoehorned into a piece.

The Marquis of lorn round the corner from me is a great pub no frills. cash only. Don't expect craft beers it's a classic back street London pub.

For fancy beers The Grosvesner Arms is good they have craft beers and fancy ciders. Ain't been to the Effra tavern in a while but used to be good but could get busy in Fridays.

One for a few people you could try the Effra Social always has space next to hootenanny if you got a gig there

Cheers! A mate stumbled across the Marquis lately and had a very good time. I used to go to the Effra when I was living South but can’t have been there for nearly 20 years. Good to hear it’s still popular!

Any recommendations around Peckham Queens Road?

The Harp in Covent Garden is the obvious. Southampton Arms is very good if you go a bit further north and also near Tapping the Admiral and the Pineapple.

The Market Porter and the George around London Bridge are both good historic pubs and nearby the Bunch of Grapes and Old KIng's Head are more traditional boozers.

Beer Rebellion, right next to the overground station is a solid 7.5/10.
Right balance of modern London drinking spot, and rough round the edges booze house.

Thanks, we ended up in the Asylum Tavern last time which was very bright white light, fosters on tap.

The earl of derby and skeehans are both fantastic pubs and very short walks away

Super super, will look into both. Thanks!

+1 Skeehans. Beautiful pub.

The marquis is a great pub. It's my local. Not many pubs like it left. 👍👍

I took him to The Harp last time he visited and he loved it! I probably should have mentioned, good vibes are more of a consideration than excellent beer. As long as he's drinking something flat and lukewarm he's happy.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Where to go for a quick drink before a show near Leicester Square?

I would probably go for the Lamb & Flag or the Harp

Then stay in the pub and fuck off the show

There’s a few places I tend to go to:

The Three Lanterns. Basic but modern sports pub, I’ve never had to wait at the bar and it’s clean.

Waxy’s Little Sister. A few doors down. Busier and more of a pub-pub.

The downstairs bar at Prince Charles Cinema. Bottles only, might not be able to sit on one of the few stools, and may be very busy if a screening is about to start, but I like the cave like nature of it, the decent German beers and writing stuff up on the blackboard.

De Hems. Similar to Waxys.

The Montagu Pyke if you're feeling particularly fancy

Try the Lyric on Great Windmill Street. Tom Cribb ain't the worse place in the world either and is very close.

Where to go for a quick drink before a show near Leicester Square?

A little further (easy walking distance) away, the Crown in Brewer Street is usually not too busy at that time. Small and simple. The Queen's Head in Denham Street isn't bad, either. Avoid the Devonshire, very noisy and usually rammed given all the publicity it's got. On the other side, in Covent Garden, the Two Brewers has always been good.

I like The Glasshouse Stores and The Duke Of Argyll. Both Sam Smith's pubs if that's your bag!