Farringdon bar crawl

 91) The Jerusalem Tavern, Farringdon
Although this pub is small it is unique and sells good ales from St Peters Brewery. Definitey worth a visit if it's not too busy. 7/10.

 90) The Bleeding Heart Tavern, Farringdon
A box pub which although was not busy felt cramped. Not one for me. 5/10.

89) The Eagle, Farringdon
You can watch the chefs preparing the food ni the area right next to the bar which is novel. Unfortunately this pub is just a box which has been filled with people most of whom are there for food not a drink. I was happy to leave. 5/10.

88) The Well, Clerkenwell
Serves decent food and has a downstairs area for event which was a bit more rowdy when I visited. 6/10.

87) Ye OldeMitre, Nr Farringdon
Easy to miss the entrance to this pub but it's a nice treat once you walk through the small arch and find a decently sized pub with lots of little nooks and crannies. Serves all the normall Fuller's ales. Much better than your average London pub. 7.5/10.

Day out in Clapham

86) The Masons Arms, Battersea
A decent enough watering hole, I imagine it gets pretty busy in the evening with a good 25-40 year old crowd. It lacked distinctive characteristics but, whilst I was drinking with my friend, we were befriended by a very nice chap name Joe who was waiting to do an audition round the corner. Whilst I have been to better pubs I do alway enjoy a place where strangers engage in conversation with each other (in a not drunk and really annoying way). 6.5/10.

85) The Royal Oak, Clapham High st
Very friendly staff. A good pub to have a comfortable pint and some friendly banter but nothing to make it stand out. 6.5/10.













84) The Belle Vue, Clapham Common
Not particularly memorable, in fact I have been there twice and cannot recollect a single detail worth writing about. In fairness one of those times I was very drunk, but not both. 5/10.

Wedding in Greenwich

 83) The Cutty Sark Tavern, Greenwich
Not often I go to Greenwich, so when I went to a wedding reception there I new I had to tick a few pubs off. The Cutty Sark Tavern has a nice view of the river and a very boat like interior. I specifically remeber liking the stairs, which is a little strange. I also found a table at the top which, for some reason, begged for a group of friends and some drinking games, probably the best pub table I have seen. Those comments may seem strange but I was neither drunk or on drugs. 7.5/10.









82) The North Pole, Greenwich
This seemed more like a tacky discotheque, with a shisha lounge at the back, than a pub. 5/10.

81) The Greenwich Union, Greenwich
I had to leave my friends to try to sneak this one in before we went to the reception. Having had a great chat with a good looking bar girl and a local couple, to whom I explained my pub guide adventure in great detail, I left to meet everyone again only to realise that I had been in the wrong pub. I was meant to be in the pub next door. The Greenwich Union was younge and vibrant with a good garden at the back. If I'm being honest though I had a better time in the pub next door. 6.5/10.

Edinburgh Fringe

80) Bennets Bar, Edinburgh
This pub is split into two halves with one geared more for drinking and the other for eating however you wouldn't feel awkward drinking in the eating room or visa versa. Some good books and games available to keep you entertained. 7/10.

79) The Bow Bar, Edinburgh
If you like whiskey this is the place for you, the selection behind the bar was phenomenal. Unfortunately seating is a bit of a rare commodity in what is a pretty narrow pub. 6.5/10.

78) The Dorice Taver, Edinburgh
As with the Bow Bar there was a limited amount of seating downstairs and it was a little dingey. 6.5/10.

77) The Shore Bar & Restaurant, Leith
A bit of a way out of Edinburgh to be honest I don't think it's worth the trip. This felt like a 1930's dining joint, not really my seen. Whilst it was originally amusing watching the waiter walk into a stiff door which kept jamming as he opened it, it soon became a bit tragic. It clearly wasn't his first day and you'd hope he would have sussed it by now. 5/10.

Previous top rated - Barnes

76) The Idle Hour, Barnes
Great Saturday afternoon. This is a small but very quirk pub. There are clocks all over the place, even in some of the furniture, and all the clocks tell different times. There is a small bar which has only ever had one bar man behind it when I've been there. Having one barman is fine on a Saturday but this place really fills up on a Sunday as it does a superb roast, this meant that when I returned the service was very slow and only roast chicken was available. After the Saturday I rated this as a 9/10 but I have since demoted it to 8.5/10.

Also of note: The Sun Inn, Barnes
Whilst not in the pub guide I have also visted this pub a few times. It is a great family pub which serves big portions of very tasty pub grub. Although just accross the bridge from Hammersmith you definitely feel like you are in a little countryside village. 8/10.

Work lunch in Buckinghamshire

75) The Chequers Inn, Wooburn Common
Cheeky pub lunch on a Friday... don't mind if I do.
A short drive outside of Wooburn, this pub serves great food and local ales. Plenty of space in doors and out. 8/10.

Hampstead Heath

74) The Holly Bush, Hampstead
Being tucked away makes this pub a little dark but also cosy. Could definitely while away a Saturday afternoon here. 7.5/10.

73) The Spaniards Inn, Hampstead
A fairly busy pub with a decent outdoor area and a car park. I couldn't really fault the pub as a whole but something didn't quite work for me, in honesty I think it was the clientele. 6.5/10.

72) Ye Olde White Bear, Hampstead
This is a well lit bar with friendly staff but it has been refurbished since the guide was published and whilst is was pleasant it was a little modern to get a good rating. 6/10.

Abergavenny to Bristol

67) The Clytha Arms, Abergavenny.
They host an  annual cider festival here which I have been to a couple of times and can say that it is a great couple of days. It is situated in a nice part of the country, the pub itself lacked 'va va voom' but it has a great outdoor area including a couple of boules (petanque) pitches.  7/10.









 

68) The Nags Head, Usk.
Cosy and quirky little pub with very friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit for a quiet ale.














69) The Raglan Arms, Llandenny.
I'm sure this is a very nice place to eat but this is not a pub. NAP. 4/10.

70) The Beaufort Arms, Raglan.
A very small but pleasant pub area is separated from the larger dining area. Whilst it was charming the small pub was not drawing much of a crowd. 5/10. 













71) The Castle View, Chepstow.
As you can see from the photo this is a Hotel. The pub area is small and as per usual with this guide geared more for dining so the bar is only small. We had a great chat to the manager who was a great guy and I have no doubt that it is a well run hotel but it's not a place you would go for a pint if you lived in the area. 5/10.

Jubilee weekend camping in Cornwall - First 9/10

62) The Rashleigh Inn, Polkerris.
After trying to take a short cut from the campsite I ended up trudging through half a mile of wet, waste high grass and jumping off a wall onto a narrow road, not my smartest move but I survived the jump and made it down the hill to the beach where the Rashleigh awaited. In my socking condition I was comforted by the warmth and the singing of what seemed to be a local choir/band. They weren't singing hymns or anything, the music was pub appropriate. They also have a good terrace area overlooking the beach. 7/10.

63) The Royal Inn, Tywardreath.
This pub didn't really have a lot going for it in my opinion. It reminded me of a small weatherspoons but as not dirt cheap. As with all the pubs over the Jubilee weekend there were a lot of Union Jacks inside however this was the only pub where I got the impression that the flags might be up all year and it may actually be a BNP pub. I did enjoy a couple thrying to big up Stargate Universe to their mates though. 5/10.









64) The Old Ferry Inn, Bodinnick.
Just a short ferry across the river from Fowey this pub serves a large but very poorly cooked double bacon cheese burger. I would recommend going up stairs and sitting on the terrace which overlooks the river, it's a stunning view. There are a whole host of beer towels on the ceiling and one room has a cliff rock wall. Although I like a lot about this pub it was a little too dingy and the overcooked burgers offended me. 6.5/10.

65) The Pandora Inn, Mylor Bridge. 
What a pub. We sat out on the pontoon and enjoyed the sun and the view of the estuary. The interior is dark but inviting with low roofs and a classic coastal pub feel to it. The food is good and there are several people around creating a very welcoming environment. It is similar to how the Ferry Boat in (Helford Passage) used to be about 10-15 years ago (still worth a visit). 9/10, top rated to date.

66) The Ship Inn, Fowey.
Great local, there is a room at the back with a long table if you're having a big gathering but the pub is good in the way that a few smaller groups will hapily share the table. The main pub area is cosy but a little small. Bar staff are friendly. 7.5/10.

Golf trip to Dorset

60) The Pilot Boat inn, Lyme Regis.
This pub seemed to have a slightly confused decor between pub/cafe/bar and restaurant. Extraordinary. 5/10.

61) The West Bay, Bridport.
Not much to look at, located near the Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club right in front of the beach. Fairly classic coastal pub decorations inside but was a little miserable if I'm honest. 6/10.

Waterloo to London Bridge

56) The Anchor and Hope, Southwark.
No real charachter, just a box shaped room. 5/10.

57) The Anchor, London Bridge.
This was a busy pub with a few different drinking areas. A decent place to stop off on a rainy day and play the IT box. 7/10.

58) The Fire Station, Waterloo.
NAP (not a pub). 5/10.

59) The George, London Bridge.
This is a narrow pub in a little court yard area just down the road from London Bridge. It's busy for a reason as there is a vibrant atmosphere and the age of the pub gives it lots of character. It is a little rammed unfortunately. 7/10.

A Random collection

49) Dukes 92, Manchester.
A bar and grill, it's larger and more spacious than pub but then again this isn't really a pub. 5/10.

50) The Salisbury Tavern.
Considering the age of the pub guide (2009) this sort of thing is inevitable. I had actually been here before it closed but failed to get a picture. It a airy with a modern interior, it is now a Tesco's Express I believe. I did enjoy a can of Polsky Shelp outside though (probably not spelt like that but that is how I pronounced it).

51) The Bountiful Cow, Holburn.
This is a steak joint really but I did enjoy the atmosphere for my pint. There is a good Korean restaurant near by called Kim Chee which I would recommend. As a pub this scores 5/10.

52) The Cricketers, Clavering (Essex).
Early morning round of golf follwed by lunch at The Cricketers in the glorious sunshine, it's fair to say that this was a good day. The pub had great character, I especially remember the beer barrel stools. The terrace is nicely set out and overlooks the village green. 8.5/10.

53) The Lamb, Nr Holburn/Russel Square.
There were lots of historic pictures of women of the walls which made me believe this may have once been a brothel but nobody could confirm that for me. It's a cosy atmosphere and there is a small terrace at the back for the summer. 7/10.

54) The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden.
Small but perfectly pleasant pub in central London, I have no burning desire to go back though. 6/10.

55) The Priory Inn, Tetbury.
The bar was pretty dark but did serve some good ales. I would say this is really a place for drivers to stop of on long trips rather than a place to go for a few drinks. I wouldn't really call it a pub. 4/10.

Trip to Pembrokeshire

Overview & One to look out for
I went to Pembrokeshire with a few mates and we stayed in a campsite near the Castle ruins in Carew. It is a lovely area of the country and seemed very similar to Cornwall to me.Whilst there I asked a few locals what their favourite pub was and a few said The Casseli Arms in Cresent Quay. Although it is not it the guide I like to use the local knowledge to find a good pub when I am on a trip, so I went and have to agree with them. A very homely pub with an aga in the middle of it, it serves pints of ale from jugs which are filled from the barrels behind the bar. 8.5/10.

42) The Carew Inn, Carew.
A pleasant countryside pub but not particularly memorable. 6.5/10.

43) The Dial Inn, Lamphey.
This pub has a pool table which is good and similar to some other pubs in the area it has a bit of a 'sitting room' feel to it, which is a little strange. 6.5/10.

44) The Ferry Inn, Pembroke Dock.
Charming pub with an outdoor area overlooking the estuary, had great pint in the sun and would love to go back. 7.5/10.

45) The Swan Inn, Little Haven.
This pub is located in an inlet with a small beach. The pub is fairly modern but cosy inside and has a separat raised terrace area which is perfect for a relaxing drinks break when you been enjoying the beach. 7.5/10.

46) The New Inn, Amroth.
Located next to the sea, the staff are friendly and food served included traditional Welsh faggotts, the first I had ever tried, which I thought they were pretty tasty. 6.5/10.

47) The Stackpole Inn, Stackpole.
NAP. All about the food although I am sure the garden is nice in better weather. 4/10.

48) The Georges Restaurant/Cafe Bar, Haverfordwest.
We arrived during a very sociable hour of day to find the pub shut (I do not know why) but judging from a look through the window, the fact that it was closed and the name of the place itself, I realy don't think I was missing out. 4/10.