The Island Queen, Islington

Some of the recent comments need balancing (and the scarf story just sounds a bit weird). I was at the Island Queen on Friday for a pre xmas drink with a group of friends - as we've done for the last couple of years - and the service was fine. Even being 'told off' for having drinks outside after 11 was done in a humorous way (I think!). It's still a great looking pub architecturally as people have commented; it has just enough reasonable cask beer on and the food some of us had looked OK. Didn't notice the music being irritating and that's a pet hate of mine.

I have to emphasise - the staff were perfectly polite to a beery group of ten blokes who are far from young, beautiful and privileged!

13 Dec 2011 10:00

The Wenlock Arms, Hoxton

After several recommendations of the 'you must go to this pub before it closes down' type I called in after work the other week. It was a real eye opener. I'm sorry - but there is more to a pub than serving good beer. I thought I'd never say that - and I'm generally with the anti chain pub and anti gastro pub brigade - but a pub has still got to make an effort. This looked like it wasn't waiting for the demolition order but already starting from the inside! There were holes in the floor, skip furniture and - yes - the toilets stunk to high heaven. Thank God they don't fo food there any more! The place doesn't look like its had a female customer in years. And yes that is important otherwise drinking real beer just becomes a very sad pastime of sad blokes. People make an effort to go to this pub - its a crappy walk from Old Street tube - so they need to see that the pub makes an effort. I'm not asking for bells and whistles just a pleasant environment to enjoy beer.

22 Nov 2011 10:19

The Two Chairmen, St James's

Reasonable after work pub - good service, well kept beer. Alan Partridge moment here but had an excellent pint of Directors. Cosy room upstairs when the coal fire is lit - it wasn't last night but its only late October. Just one complaint - the music. Why do pubs feel the need to play background music - sometimes quite loudly? Is it to creat 'an ambience'? Trust me the Lighthouse fanily doesn't do it. Call me old fashioned but clubs are for music, pubs are for conversation and the Two Chairman is a perfectly good welcoming pub, as others have commented, without the music.

27 Oct 2011 11:23