Anchor pub, London, England, UK by Garry Knight

Bree Louise

Don’t let the pun fool you, this pub doesn’t need a silly name to gain customers. Its beer list is what people come here for , including  16 real ales, 8 cask ciders and a house brew of organic pilsner. Bree Louise is perfect for the beer taster on a budget, because they offer 1/3 portions for the price of a pint. The staff sucks, the customers are not all that attractive and it is definitely off the beaten path, but this pub is truly a beer lover’s paradise. I recommend for the most part skipping the food, because when a place offers Heinz baked beans you know their kitchen is not going to be exemplary. One additional note is that there are outdoor heaters, so that you can enjoy the outdoors even if it is a bit chilly out.

The Earl Ferrers Pub

If you really don’t dig the tourist scene, this is a top notch pub that is not in any of the guide books. The ale is locally sourced with a large selection of brews that even the most schooled beer junkie has never heard of. There is also an acceptable wine list, from which my favorite is the Berry Estates Unoaked Chardonnay from Australia: it has the crisp and clean notes of the grape without the overbearing oaky flavors of most Chardonnays. I recommend getting a bite of the slow roasted pork belly and crackling, apple sauce, roasted potatoes and roasted root vegetables with the mind blowing cider gravy. While you relax you can pick up a game of pool or old school arcade game (Pong and Night Crawlers are available).

French House

This place screams French in décor, food, staff and wine. You almost expect “La Marsellaise” to play as you walk through the door. Once you are inside, it does have the same feel of a dark, small English Pub. French House is truly a pub for wine lovers with 30 fantastic choices of wine that match any budget. The staff is quick, even a bit brusque. It is also rumored to be  historically gathering place of the criminal and cultural underbelly of society. Charles de Gaulle supposedly ran his London base from here, and you’ll notice the rather large photo of him here. It does tend to be a bit crowded, so you should arrive expecting to wait a bit for a seat. If you don’t like a cramped, crowded room, this is not the place for you.

Ye Old Chesire Cheese

This pub is older than the United States! There has been a pub at this location since 1538 making it one of the oldest pubs in London. Charles Dickens even wrote here! Oliver Goldsmith, Mark Twain, Alfred Tennyson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and G.K. Chesterton were also said to be regulars. As you can imagine, that also makes it a huge tourist trap. There are multiple floors of dining areas in the basement. You order food and drinks at the bar, and they give you a buzzer to pick the food up when it is ready. A casual joint with darkwood covered panels that give it a dark feel that is perfectly complimented by the fact that basically no natural light gets into this pub.  It offers delicious traditional pub grub like Fish and Chips and Shepherd’s Pie that will raise your standards for what qualifies as decent bar food.

The Heights

This is one of those places you go mainly for the view, and you also pay premium prices on food and drink to enjoy the view. It is perched 15 floors up above central London with ceiling to floor windows that are perfect for the setting. It is the perfect place to watch the sunset over the city while enjoying lounge fair of tapas, light dishes and small sandwiches. I recommend the scrambled egg foccacia with smoked salmon if you are hungry. The wine list and beer list are okay, but nothing to write home about. The Heights is a perfect place to have a quiet relaxing evening with family or a loved one that doesn’t require bustling through the riff-raff.

Holly Williford lives in the Washington D.C. area with her three cats and fiancé. She plans to travel to South Africa with Palace Travel to visit their pubs, and looks forward to comparing them to some of the remarkable pubs she experienced while in London in 2011.

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