The Trinity, Borough

I go into this pub about twice a week for lunch. It's an average one.

It's a mixed crowd, suits, some students, old boozers (who smoke in your face). Nice decor, wood mainly with good pool tables.

The cooked food is generally quite good, but the salads are always dull and measly. Plus the waiting time is an issue; I've waited for over 30 minutes one too many times now. The drinks are fine, glasses clean; IPA was good when I have it.

Music is non-chart and eclectic (must be on multi- disc shuffle) which is nice, I heard tracks from Jill Scott's album and Coldplay's Parachutes in one outing.

But, again this is an average pub. TV screen projected onto the wall you cannot see properly because of light - turn it off perhaps? The landlord (bald Scottish fella) is miserable and rude, antagonistic and snippy towards non-regular customers, which makes you feel unwelcome. (What does it take to get bar staff and a landlord who actually enjoy pulling pints for their customers?)

Totty bar staff isn't bad, the usual East European lasses plus some local student niceness.

The non-smoking section is a laugh; it's tiny - by the windows and useless as the smoke just wafts over to the place where you're eating.

5 Oct 2005 17:17

The Florence, Herne Hill

Nae bad pub, always well populated with local folks, and it's lively, although a lack of a minority customer base raises questions somewhhat considering the area is Brixton.

Maybe this is because it is too 'Oirish'. Personally I find the decor absolutely tasteless and I've a theory that it was created by some mad Bulgarian who's never been to Eire.

Completley naff and amateur 'homestead' feature in the back, aswell as oddly carved 'Celtic themed' high back furniture really does say that this pub is trying too hard to please people who haven't a feckin' clue what Irish pub culture is about.

Let the locals, live music, friendly staff and the food be the arbiter of how Irish a pub is, not how green the paint is or the fake Irishness of its manufactured museum pieces at the back.

5 Oct 2005 16:54