London Bridge Pub Explorations

Nottingham Forest were scheduled for a Friday evening fixture at Millwall, which seemed to me the perfect opportunity to get to London Bridge early and explore the pubs in the Borough area.
Armed with my old battered mini A-Z map and a list of possible pubs to visit, I made a pre-lunchtime start in an historical classic.

The George Inn (75-77 Borough High Street, SE1 1NH - web)
Owned by the National Trust, The George Inn is a justifiably famous Grade I listed building, dating back to the 16th century.
I've recently read Pete Brown's wonderfully informative book about this pub, 'Shakespeare's Local', whetting my own appetite for a revisit.

Stepping from the High Street into the yard that houses the pub, the first sight of the George's galleried frontage is absolutely fantastic.  

But you need to use your imagination a little to get a feel for what this would have been like in it's heyday.  The George would have occupied all sides of the yard - but now only the right-hand side buildings remain, with unflattering modern neighbours.

Making my way into the main bar, I can't help but feel this doesn't have much olde worlde character - even taking into account the excessive number of raucous drinkers in Christmas jumpers on this visit.  From the Greene King dominated beer selection, I picked the local Southwark Brewing Co. India Pale Ale. Priced at an eye-watering £5.10 a pint!
On the whole most of the rooms have a refurbished, modern feel to them, but there is an exception to this...

Peace, away from the rest of the busy pub in the Parliament Bar

The Parliament Bar is a wonderful, atmospheric, unspoiled pub room, with slightly ramshackle seating, warming fireplace and a rare, historical clock.
Several groups of folks poke their heads in, see there's no bar, and move on.  The effort of bringing your drinks back through the courtyard from the main bar seems to be too much for most, so I share this charming space with just one other table occupied by a Spanish family.

    

Finishing my pint at the George, I made the longest walk of the day, from the High Street southwards to the Libertine.

The Libertine (125 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 1PQ - web)
There was a wide mix of lunchtime customers in this Good Beer Guide listed street corner pub.  A couple of hi-vis jacketed workmen at the bar complementing the pizza, a Christmas party occupying several tables, a few old chaps reading the paper with a pint, and office folk doing lunch.
Not much space left for me, except on a stool at the end of the bar, where I sat and drank an okayish pint of Brockley Brewery's 'Winter Gold'.

The Libertine.

Lord Clyde (27 Clennam Street, SE1 1ER - web)

There's been a pub on this site for several hundred years, with the current building dating back to 1913 and little changed since.
Great traditional interior and some lovely Truman's brickwork on the outside see's the Lord Clyde listed in Britain's Best Heritage Pubs.

The Lord Clyde, lamppost invading photo.

There were four real ales on the bar, although an unremarkable line-up including Doom Bar and regular national big brewery offerings.  I opted for Otter Brewery's seasonal beer, 'Elf'.

My problem with the Lord Clyde was that I just never really felt comfortable here.  Can't quite put my finger on why, but another time I may have come away praising the pub.
Lovely mirror, though...

Rose & Crown (65 Union Street, Borough, SE1 1SG - web)
This was a pub that I hadn't planned on visiting, but went into on a whim when passing. 
It's an old corner boozer which has been resurrected by a company called 'Pub Love'. According to their website, they have a 'desire to save the great British pub', which they do by giving them a modern makeover and installing a hostel on the upper floors.

Pub Love.

Almost all the tables were reserved here, leaving just one poseur table with high stools - a little too close for comfort to the office Christmas party taking place.  (To be honest, anywhere in the same room was a little too close...)

But, beer-wise - great!  Three cask ales, including a Titanic 'Plum Porter' and 14 taps with big London breweries and some lesser seen.  I picked the Verdant Brewing Co 'Maybe One More PSI', an 8% ABV DIPA.  Single-hopped with lots of Mosaic, this was my favourite beer of the day.

Craft ales at the Rose & Crown.

The King's Arms (65 Newcomen Street, SE1 1YT - web)

I thought I may have to give the Kings Arms a miss when there was barely room to squeeze through the door.  Ordering over someone's shoulder I picked the only beer I could see, which turned out to be 'Handlebar', a tasty porter from Box Steam Brewery. 
It seemed standing around the door was most popular here, and once I got a little further in space was revealed and I managed to grab a spare stool at a table. This even came with a Forest supporter on the neighbouring stool to chat away to.

The King's Arms - grand coat of arms above the door.

The Old King's Head (King's Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High Street, SE1 1NA - web)

Friday evening, innit?
The local office workers were celebrating reaching the weekend and The Old King's Head was heaving.  I got served quickly and grabbed myself a nice wintry, Harvey's 'Old Ale'.
The first picture below was taken in the midday daylight, before I decided to make the George my starting point instead.
The second picture is from my vantage point, propped at the side of the room, surrounded by office minions laughing uproariously at the bosses jokes whilst quaffing lager, whilst I simply got hooked on the snooker.

  

Sadly, after the King's Arms and Head - no other royal body parts referenced in local pub names, so I headed back to the familiar territory of Borough Market.  

Market Porter (9 Stoney Street, Borough Market, SE1 9AA - web)
When I lived in London, The Market Porter used to be quite a regular haunt - I remember it without the rear extension, with a stupendous collection of ales, and often with the chance of getting a seat.
This evening it's frankly stupidly busy.  And it had looked equally stupidly busy when I passed earlier at lunchtime...

Photo from earlier in the day - "I'll come back later, I'm sure it'll quieten down"...ho hum

I've gotta admire the bar staff here, who must barely get a moment to take a breath.  To be fair, I got served quickly despite the crowds, picking an oatmeal porter brewed by Reunion Brewery.  The beer choice, I notice, is not as eclectic as it once was.

I was going to say that MrsPropUptheBar - the voice of sensibility - would have told me I didn't need any more beer.  But then I discovered on Untappd that she was in Brewdog, raving about a 13% Imperial Stout.
I didn't need any more beer, but force of habit took me to the Rake.

The Rake (14 Winchester Walk, Borough Market, SE1 9AG - web)
This is a fantastically small bar - more micropub than many micropubs, now I think about it.  But since it opened, it's had a steady stream of quality beers on cask and keg and is somewhere you're never likely to go wrong with the ale, provided you can squeeze in.  All the casks were featuring Bone Machine Brewery, so I had a half of their tasty mild, 'Malt Tooth Grin', to finish the evenings drinking.

And here's a picture from the away end of The New Den as a footer to this long post.
A 2-2 draw, and a return to the head-in-hands frustrations of watching Forest that I've come to expect over the years...  

No-one likes us - we don't care.