Four Pubs in Marylebone and Fitzrovia

An excursion to London, where I planned to take in a handful of central Good Beer Guide pubs before making my way out north to visit a micro short-listed for CAMRAs next national pub of the year award.
I made the familiar Oxford Tube journey...although it always seems to have gone up £1. And I always think we must be about there, only to look up from my book and discover we're stuck in a traffic jam at Hangar Lane.  And I always manage to bang my head when negotiating the stairs.
Alighting at Marble Arch, I wandered into the streets of Marylebone, where my first lunchtime destination awaited. 

The Golden Eagle (59 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2NY)
This is a marvelous 19th century corner pub, first licensed in 1842, then rebuilt in 1890.  It has been run by the same family for over 30 years.
And it's a proper classic central London boozer...  No food.  Cordoned-off area for be-suited outdoor vertical drinking.  Piano singalongs three evenings a week.

Cask ales on offer came from Fullers and St Austell, plus the Mauldons 'Pale Ale' from Essex, which was my light, easy-going pick.

I settled on the wall-hugging cushioned bench seating in the corner, next to a couple in Ajax shirts who'd already amassed a hefty collection of shopping bags by midday.
Shame that I wasn't here in the evening for the piano sing-a-longs.  I had to make do with Whitney Houston, Little Mix, and John Lennon's 'Imagine', which seemed a bit out of place amongst the pop.

Here's the carpet for BRAPA...

And the mild smut for me...

A great pub and a tasty first pint of the day.  The Golden Eagle was filling up as I departed, with a few hi-vis jackets and office folk taking pints to the pavement drinking area.
I had an 8-minute stroll to a pub in the mews...

The Jackolope (43 Weymouth Mews, London, W1G 7EQ)
This was built in 1777 and was called the Dover Castle in a previous incarnation, the name still visible in the etched glass of the windows.   For many years it was a Sam Smiths pub, but now it is run by the same company who look after the Euston Tap.

So, plenty of tempting options beer-wise, as you'd expect if you've been to the 'Tap.
Cask from Five Points, Moberley Brew House, Marble and Iron Pier.
The likes of Köstritzer Schwarzbier and Budvar on keg; Stone or 40ft Brewing Co, if you were feeling especially wealthy.

I ordered a superb pint of Iron Pier 'Joined at the Hop', brewed with First Gold and Ekuanot.
And settled on the stools and ledge by the front window, jazz sound-tracking my visit.

The Jackolope features a Thai restaurant in the basement - cue a few folk wandering in and looking lost, before being pointed down the stairs by the barman.

The aromas drifting up from the kitchen smelt delicious, but I was determined to make do with a Tesco meal deal and push-on with the pub excursions.
It wasn't far to the next destination and - wow! - what a building...

Stag's Head (102 New Cavandish Street, London, W1W 6XW)
The pub sits on the ground floor of a grand late-30's Deco building.  The Stag's Head was designed for William Younger & Co of Edinburgh, filling the single rectangular room with wooden panels and pillars.  The effect of which was slightly diminished by the dominant Pimms flags on this occasion.

Two cask ales were on offer, both from Tring:  'Side Pocket for a Toad' or 'Squadron Scramble'.  I took a Squadron Scramble to the perches opposite the bar.  Decent enough beer, but the only one of the the day that veered north of the £6 a pint price point (I'd been pleasantly surprised that the previous two pubs were no more expensive than Oxford).

There was a good retro soundtrack of Toto, Frankie goes to Hollywood, and Joe Jackson, in a pub that seemed to attract a crowd of proper punters, despite the hefty bar tariffs.

My departure coincided with an unexpected downpour of rain.
Being as I'm made of sugar and will melt in the rain, I veered into the Sam Smith's pub around the corner for some shelter.

Horse and Groom (128 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 6PS)
This is a pub that dates back to the late 18th century, with an impressive curved front window, recessed doorways either side, and murals of said horse and groom on the first floor frontage.
Located close to the BBC, it is said to have been a haunt of media types waiting to meet editors and producers, or rehearse before broadcasts.  There are also some scandalous tales of all-night 'board meetings' hosted here by a one-time owner of Sports Direct, featuring much boozy behavior and vomiting into the fireplace.

No such excitement on my visit.

Long gone are the days when Sam Smith's provided a bargain option in London.  £3 for a half of the keg Old Brewery Bitter here.  And I can't say I enjoyed it very much.

That's  not to say I didn't appreciate the impressive surroundings of the Horse and Groom, which was well worth making a short stop in.  

The rain had stopped, so it was time to move on. 
More from London in the next post where there will be Spoons, traditional boozers, a micro, and an iguana in the toilet.
But, sadly, no Bass...

I followed the pointing finger and peered into the saloon bar, but Bass there was none.