rglondon | Entries tagged with bloomsbury

Greetings!

This week's featured article comes with a warning - for cauliflower content! Thankfully at Brixton's Naughty Piglets there are other non-hideous foodstuffs available. Ham! Cod! Hazelnuts! Not all at once though. (A ham-cod-hazelnut combo would still be preferable to cauliflower).

Our list of vegan-only establishments continues to expand with a new page for Thenga Cafe in Bloomsbury, where you can try a coconut milk masala tea. There's also vegan food available at the Brookmill pub in Deptford, including the always-mysterious vegan mayonnaise. How do they manage it? We will never know (i.e. I don't want to know).

A little further eastward are two pub updates, following a visit to Greenwich: I remember the Pilot having a pleasantly spacious beer garden, but perhaps skip their eggs florentine if you're having breakfast; you might be better off with a scotch egg at the Cutty Sark, which would go nicely with a pint of Young's Ordinary, and depending on the weather, a picturesque view across the river.

Finally, the Bull & Last is closed for a refurb. Hopefully this will include eradicating all traces of cauliflower from the premises.

katstevens

Evening crew, here's another update to kick off your week, featuring 100% pub content.

Our featured article is for a pub that's become one of my 'old reliables' over the years, the King and Queen in Fitzrovia. A haven for office workers and weekend rugby-watchers requiring no-nonsense drinking, it was mere 3 minutes away from my (now-demolished) office back in the 2000s. It has offered the same well-kept pints of Tribute, scuzzy carpet and bookable upstairs room for as long as I can remember.

Sadly another 'old reliable' on the other side of Tottenham Court Road has closed - the Jeremy Bentham is now a Simmons bar (I doubt they've kept the shrunken wax head which looks more like Tim Rice than Jezza B). Other closures include the Station Tavern in Brimsdown, the Well in Clerkenwell, the Balham Arms (guess where), and the Crown near Hillingdon Hospital.

Some slightly more cheering news from Muswell Hill, where the Victoria Stakes has reopened after a fire. The Camel & Artichoke in Waterloo has also reopened, while the Melbourne in Wallington is now The Star and the Norbiton & Dragon in Kingston has dropped any pretense at mythology to become merely The Norbiton. I guess I'll now have to get my dragon content from Duolingo Welsh, which seems very keen that I learn the phrase "mae ddraig goch yn ddiflas" (hashtag #notalldragons).

ewan

Hello all, and apologies for the particular delay this week, caused by jet lag (on my behalf).

This week's featured article is a Korean restaurant in Earlsfield called Cah Chi, SW18 4HP. Dumplings, noodles, efficient service and K-pop are your selling points for making the southwestern trek.

There's one reported closure, of Hason Raja, a Bangladeshi restaurant in Holborn described by our reviewer as "OK".

There's an update to the reopened The Beehive gastropub in Marylebone.

Finally an art materials shop which was by Aldgate then Brick Lane, called Atlantis Art, has moved premises to Old Street.

katstevens

Evening all!

This week's featured article is for Chang's Noodle on New Oxford Street. Their intriguingly-named Man and Wife offal turns out to include some spicy tripe! It feels like ages since we featured tripe on the RGL blog, doesn't it? If that doesn't get your mouth watering, there are plenty of other Northern Chinese dishes to try - the pork belly with shredded cucumber and the baked buns sound pretty good.

There's a new page for the Meantime Beer Box, located just outside the O2 in Greenwich. Meantime may not be quite so locally-focused as they used to be, but their beers are all present and correct in this bar, including some experimental ones.

Last but not least, we have an update to the Rockingham Arms, aka the Elephant & Castle Wetherspoons (housed in the former Ministry of Health headquarters, the Grade II listed Metro Central Heights). Given the location I would say it's a good Spoons for bus spotting, but the outside space is a bit limited and it's hard to see out from inside.

ewan

This week, as members of the RGL community prepare to visit the Great British Beer Festival, our featured article is a pub: The Oval Tavern, CR0 6BR in sunny Croydon. It does around five real ales served from the cask, pub quizzes, food, darts, proper locals' pub stuff done well, just like you need sometimes.

We also have three new articles for you. There's Redemption, not the brewery but instead a vegan restaurant in Shoreditch, which I can co-sign on because I have visited myself, though I didn't add it to RGL. But it does tasty food. Note that aside from dairy, honey and other animal products, they are also free of alcohol.

There's also Bloomsbury Farmer's Market, a regular market every Thursday in Torrington Square; and Manor Bar and Grill in Tooting.

We have a significant update to The Prince Arthur in Hoxton, a classic Shepherd Neame pub.

Sadly lots of reported closures this week: The Good Samaritan in Whitechapel; Boho Mexica in Spitalfields; The Duke of Wellington in Marylebone; The Only Running Footman in Mayfair (though it's still a pub, just not gastro, which sounds fine actually); and The Tyburn, a Wetherspoons by Marble Arch.

ewan

Hello all! I forgot to do my duty this week so apologies for the lateness.

Scone and jam at the Quaker Cafe, Euston, London NW1

[Picture CW: not vegan, although vegan options are available]

This week's featured article is Quaker Cafe, NW1 2BJ, which is a cafe open to the public in the Quaker Friends' House opposite Euston Station. It has hot food, bright white walls (to compensate for lack of natural light) and is child-friendly.

There's a new sandwich shop addition to our articles with No. 5's in sunny Forest Hill.

We also offer significant updates to the articles for The Misty Moon in Northwood which entirely coincidentally I walked past recently. It still looks like an (ex-)Wetherspoons and it still has handpulls. For the 'real deal' go instead to The William Jolle in nearby Northwood Hills. It's what you expect from a JDW.

Finally we report the impending (permanent) closure of Brew Wharf by Borough Market. It was an early adopter of trendy brewing scene but never really gained the cachet of other SE1 operations. Another reported closure (only possible at this stage; it might be a refurb) is Vegetarian's Paradise on Marchmont St.

ewan

Welcome back after a wee break. The next update will be after Easter, so in a couple of weeks.

Les Delices de Tresor, New Cross, London SE14

This week's featured article is Les Delices de Tresor, SE14 6TJ. I know what you're thinking from the photo, you're thinking that's a pub! Well, it is a pub still, down the back, but this front bar is now given over to an Ivorian restaurant. It's a one person operation, so expect some flexibility in the opening hours, but it will serve some if not all of your fufu and stew needs.

New entries for Singer Tavern, a Barworks pub at the bottom of City Road, where it meets Finsbury Square: a big spacious place but with a good drinks range. Plus there's On the Hoof Bistro in sunny Sydenham, a friendly little cafe near the station which does excellent Sunday roasts. Finally, Orchard, a veggie cafe on Sicilian Avenue by Holborn, rocking the 70s wholefoods vibe.

There's an update to the Bloomsbury (or Bloomsbury Tavern, if you will), a Shepherd Neame pub which is located in... well, I'd call it St Giles or Holborn, but knock yourself out.

Finally, we regret to report the impending closure in June of Food for Thought, a classic veggie cafe in Covent Garden, basically the origin of that very 70s wholefoods vibe we detected at Orchard (although they do it much better at FfT), and a proper old timer on the scene.

ewan

Hello all! This week we travel a world of food.

There's a new featured article again this week, which is Maida, SW16 6AB. It's a good value Somali cafe/restaurant where you can load up on as much tender lamb as you want.

New articles are: Ergon, a Greek restaurant/deli in Marylebone; Bunga Raya, a good Malaysian restaurant and takeaway in Thornton Heath; VQ, a 24hr cafe in Bloomsbury; Castle kebab shop in Walworth; and the Guy's Hospital branch of dependable coffee stall AMT Coffee.

Permanently reported closures are, sadly, the very excellent locals' pub The North Pole on the Isle of Dogs, and Moyo-Ma, a Nigerian restaurant in Walworth.

ewan

Hello all!

The featured article is the Calthorpe Arms, WC1X 8JR, a proper old school traditional pub with carpet and locals and tasty unchallenging beer with a friendly atmosphere. I'm not sure I'd call it Bloomsbury, but who has a better name for the area? Is it Holborn?

There are two new articles, again for pubs. There's The Monarch, which is on the Chalk Farm end of Camden Town, and often has gigs on, but certainly could be a lot worse than that suggests. And then there's the new BrewDog outpost in Shepherd's Bush, which is great if you like that kind of bar (industrial look and feel), and that kind of beer (there's nothing on cask, but there's an interesting range of both BrewDog and guest beers in the hoppier vein of "craft").

Finally, the St James Tavern in Bermondsey has closed in its guise as an old-fashioned locals' boozer and has reopened as St James of Bermondsey (website link here for those who want to judge what kind of market it's going for now).

ewan

Welcome back, and for this week's update your featured article is the wonderfully named Bongo East, IG11 8RW. It's an unflashy Ghanaian bar and restaurant in Barking, with a nice line in spicy fufu and a tempting kelewele. Seems like it might need a few more customers, so why not pop in next time you visit Barking?

My colleague Kat has added an article about Back on Track Coffee in Marylebone which is a coffee shop with a model train twist and a punning name to match. We also have a Chinese restaurant in Bloomsbury, China City, but you might be better off avoiding it for dimsum.

I've also added a bunch of pubs: The Hack and Hop, near Blackfriars; The Draft House on Goodge Street (or "Draft House Charlotte" as the website calls it); and Mother Kelly's "tap room and bottle shop" in Bethnal Green. All three do great beers, in slightly different ways.

There's an update to Hampstead Heath Station (it's accessible!), and a temporary closure at The Half Moon in Herne Hill. Closed more permanently is The Prince of Wales in Battersea, which I certainly have memories of. Finally, a possible closure is Manus Palm Grove in Stratford, pending further information, but it hasn't been open for a while it seems.

katstevens

Afternoon everyone!

Our featured article this week is for the excellent Abeno, WC1A 1LY, a small Japanese restaurant near the British Museum, specialising in okonomi-yaki. This is a sort of omelette that the staff cook in front of you on a hot plate, and I can confirm it is delicious (though it seems they no longer have the intellectual-property-defying OLYMPIC mix on the menu).

There's a brand new article for a brand new pub, in the shape of the Forest Tavern, in Forest Gate. Well, brand new might be pushing it - it's a revamp of the old Railway Tavern. It probably won't surprise you that it's part of the Antic chain, and as a result is pretty similar to its siblings in Forest Hill, Leytonstone and other places I am failing to buy a flat in. In further Antic news, Jam Circus, their pub in Brockley, is finally going to be reopening in November following a fire last year.

Sadly there's also a pub closure to report. according to their website, the Pakenham Arms in Clerkenwell has been sold off, mirroring the fate of the Royal Mail sorting office opposite. We've many happy evenings there, and are sad to see it go.

ewan

This week's (and next week's) featured article is another excellent little pub, The Lord John Russell, WC1N 1AL, just up the road from the Brunswick Centre in leafy Bloomsbury. It's quite different from last week's, since it's more of a traditional single-room pub mostly focused on a range of cask ales and so many taps along the bar that you can barely see the staff behind them.

We have one new article: Muncho, a cafe and sandwich shop in Croydon with chewy bread and Turkish breakfast.

There's a significant update to The George in Belsize Park, which has rebranded as a 'premium' Spirit Pub Co pub, completely with blond wood furnishings and "craft beer" on the taps. It's okay.

Also, happily, a reopened and renamed pub! The Chandos Arms replaces the old New Chandos near Colindale tube station.

As implied above, the next update will be in two weeks' time.

ewan

Lucky Seven, Stoke Newington, London N16

Happy New Year! This week's featured article is Lucky Seven, a second-hand bookshop and (mostly) record shop in Stoke Newington. I went there for the first time the other week having not even registered its existence before and it was filled with things from floor to ceiling, often precariously piled and stacked.

One temporary closure is Imperial War Museum, for six months.

Three reported permanent closures are, very sadly, Hoopers Bar, an excellent real ale-loving local in between Camberwell and East Dulwich; the Camberwell branch of Wing Tai; and the N1 Centre branch of Yo! Sushi (in Islington, that is). The last is the least sad, as I've ranked them on a sliding scale. Feel free to disagree with my ranking (unimportant as it is) in comments.

Also, Foote's Music has moved from Soho to Bloomsbury, so take note, music instrument fans.

In more positive news, a pub has reopened! In this case, The Wheatsheaf by Borough Market (no, not that one), meaning there are now two competing Wheatsheafs within a few steps of one another, ostensibly the SAME PUB (the first was opened when this pub closed for the Thameslink work and the management went around the corner to the Hop Exchange).

ewan

Hello! This week's featured article is The Dartmouth Arms, SE23 3HN, a gastropub in Forest Hill with good food and very expensive lime and soda.

We have one addition, the Two Brewers in Chigwell, added by my colleague and countryside walker Kat. The beer is well-kept and it's all very in keeping with the general area (upmarket Essex), it sounds like.

Closures are the Crooked Billet in Barking, as well as various branches of Nicolas wine merchants (branches in Kingston, Putney, Southfields, Fulham, Hampton Hill, Bloomsbury and Norbiton).

A number of the remaining Nicolas branches (but not all of them) have been taken over by Spirited Wines and renamed as such. Therefore, there's now a Spirited Wines category.

ewan

This week's featured article is an excellent pub in Leytonstone, The Red Lion, E11 3AA. Lots of good ales and beers, and tasty food. Heartily recommended.

Three new articles are: The Crown and Anchor, a new "craft beer" pub in north Brixton from the people behind The Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington; The Hatchet, a Greene King pub by Mansion House station largely catering to vertical-drinking City workers; and Store Street Espresso, a well-regarded coffee shop in Bloomsbury.

Three reported permanent closures are: The Ivy House pub in Nunhead; The Northumberland Arms pub on Goodge Street (set to become a Draft House pub in July); and Amano, a cafe not far from London Bridge.

ewan

This week's featured article is Sagar, W6 9JT, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Hammersmith. I've been there and can recommend it.

New additions are: The White Swan, the only pub near Brent Cross (but thankfully an alright one); Vegetarian's Paradise, a bhel poori house near the Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury; The Bricklayers' Arms, a pub in Beckenham; and The Garden Gate, a pub near Hampstead Heath station.

Permanent closures are: Coffee Republic's branch in Beckenham; and LiquidNation, a theme bar under the railway lines at Ladbroke Grove, which has probably been closed a while.