rglondon | Entries tagged with se10

Handpumps at the Cotton Mill, Swanley, BR8

Evening folks! It's that time of year again when we investigate pubs in the new edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, leading to a whole barrelful of new pub entries on RGL:

The Cotton Mill, Swanley
The Dartford Jug, Dartford
The Black Dog Beer House, Brentford
The Black Lion, Surbiton
The Tap Tavern, Richmond
The Nonsuch Inn, North Cheam (Wetherspoons)
The Earl Beatty, Motspur Park
The Jolly Gardeners, Earlsfield
The Sir Julian Huxley, Selsdon
The Real Ale Way, Hayes (the Kent Hayes, not the Middlesex Hayes)
The Portland Arms, South Norwood
Suttons Radio, Lewisham
The Morden Arms, Greenwich
The River Ale House, Greenwich
The Rusty Bucket, Eltham
The Libertine, Borough
Draft House Camden Road, Camden
St John's Tavern, Archway
The Golden Fleece, Manor Park
The Coach And Horses, Leyton
The Miller's Well, East Ham (Wetherspoons)
Craft Beer Co., Aldgate

In non-GBG news, there's a new page for the Daily Petit Dejeuner cafe (good bus watching opportunities) and an update for Communitea, both in South Norwood. The Hornbeam Cafe in Walthamstow has had an update, as has the White Hart in Hampton Wick. Finally, the Kings Arms in East Molesey has reopened after a refurb - we've been along to try their breakfast jigsaw.

mrs_leroy_brown

¡Buenas tardes!

This week's featured article is Tierra Peru, which as its name helpfully informs, is a Peruvian Restaurant in Islington. Reviewers praise the food's flavour and textures, and the portions appear rather generous.

Four new articles have gone up. In the east, we have Familia Cafe, a wee gem of a cafe in Forest Gate which offers up a Spanish breakfast sure to be a hit with garlic lovers. In central London, we have Lao Cafe, a Laotian restaurant in Covent Garden with industrial decor; best to arrive early as it seems to fill up fast. In the south, we have Rocoto Pepper, a Latin American restaurant in New Cross serving perfectly cromulent tea and arepas, along with breakfast choices and a lunch selection that has a vegan option. Just down the road from SE14, Pho Street in Greenwich is a Vietnamese cafe where unsurprisingly, pho and other noodles soups feature heavily.

Updates have been made to:

- Vasanta Bhavan, a totally vegetarian Indian cafe in East Ham
- Compton Arms, a pub near Highbury & Islington Station
- Akari, a Japanese restaurant near Essex Road station
- Parcel Yard, a Fuller's pub inside King's Cross station

Finally, we've two reported closures - China China, a Chinese restaurant in Lewisham and Village East, a bar and restaurant near Tower Bridge

katstevens

Good evening RGL readers! Or should I say good e-vin-ing, as this week's featured article is for the Wine Gallery in Purley. Look out for some 'vine art' on the walls and 'corkingly' good tapas, in 'oeno-rous' portions. Sincere apologies for the low quality of these puns, it's been a long day. Perhaps I need a glass of pun-ot noir?

There are updates for a couple of Young's pubs, the Wheatsheaf in Borough Market and the Windmill on the Common in Clapham. Chai Naasto in Beckenham has also had an update, it sounds like a decent local option for Indian street food with friendly service.

Peruvian restaurant Tito's has moved from its old home near London Bridge station to Stockwell, though if you're still in the mood for spicy prawns there is now a different Peruvian restaurant on the premises. Over in Twickenham, the Rifleman has had more reimaginings than Madonna over the last few years; it's reopened once more under new management.

Finally, two closures to report: Brasserie Vacherin in Croydon, and the PlumTree Cafe in Greenwich.

katstevens

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 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.

katstevens

Evening everyone!

This week's featured article is for the Brixton branch of the Craft Beer Co, where you'll find the usual vast selection of keg and cask beer. There's seating space on the first floor but be careful when carrying your drinks up the 'fool of a' staircase: your correspondent's other half suffered an Exciting Injury in this manner a couple of years ago. Readers may also wish to note that the excellent Kings College Hospital A&E is but a short bus ride away!

Our RGL crew has been hard at work of late investigating the delights of Tooting - this week we bring you Saravanaa Bhavan, a veggie-only Indian restaurant whose menu includes the intriguingly named 'Business Meal'. There's also a new page for Affogatto, a modern coffee shop in Norbury. Some closures to report too: the miniscule Oriental Chinese Shop in Surrey Quays, and Chinese Family in Greenwich.

Finally, I'm sad to hear of the closure of HK Diner by Leicester Square - the first place I ever tried bubble tea.

katstevens

Hello all! Apologies for the slight delay this week - leaves on the line, and such*.

Our featured article is for the PlumTree Cafe in Greenwich, a child-friendly spot with plenty of veggie options and most importantly, an all-day breakfast menu.

A bunch of new pages have sprung up this week! Fresh Fields Market in Croydon has a good beer selection as well as fruit and veg; the Duke's Head in Highgate is a very pleasant pub with lots of nice beer and gin cocktails, and the Wild Card Brewery Tap Bar in Walthamstow is also pretty great for beer fans, though it's a bit out of the way. I've been to the latter two establishments and I would firmly recommend both! My verdict is a bit less certain regarding the Waterloo Bar and Kitchen though - reasonable bistro food but quite pricey. Better value in Waterloo is Po Cha, a Korean restaurant recently moved from near the Centrepoint building, and the Waterloo branch of Wahaca.

There are three pub updates following visits: the Express Tavern in Brentford, the Wellington by Waterloo station, and the Albion in East Molesey. The Express looks like the pick of the bunch to me.

Elsewhere, Da Vinci's bar in Waterloo has closed, as has the Fountain Restaurant inside Fortnum & Mason's.

Finally we can give a big RGL welcome to Dartford Station, which has joined TfL Zone 8 and thus has become 12.5% more excellent!

*Okay, fine. I was buying woodland-animal-shaped biscuit cutters in Ikea.

ewan

Hello all! We've got a full update this week, as we're catching up with various changes to pubs from London Drinker magazine.

Old Tom's Bar, Leadenhall Market, London EC3

The featured article this week is a little dive bar under the Lamb Tavern in Leadenhall Market, namely Old Tom's Bar, EC3V 1LR. They have ales from the Young's range and a short list of food options. Get away from the bustle.

One new article is The Star at Night, a coffee house by day in Soho but at night a gin bar. Many gins! Drink gin! (It's not a candidate for a good photo of the establishment until they finish the Crossrail works though.)

There's a temporary closure to mark for The Railway in West Hampstead, until March next year.

The following pubs have all closed since we last visited:
* The Newton Arms out back of Covent Garden, near Holborn;
* The Old Loyal Britons in Greenwich;
* The Elephant on Fenchurch Street;
* The Crown and Greyhound in Dulwich Village (though this is due to reopen in 2016);
* The Oakhill in Beckenham;
* Glow Lounge in Clapham;
* The Gate bar on Newington Green; and
* The Florence off Upper Street in Islington.

Finally a few renamings:
* Finch's in Moorgate (was The Master Gunner);
* The Pleasure Boat in Alperton (now The Boat);
* The Express Tavern by Kew Bridge (now The Express Ale and Cider House); and
* The Thatched House by Ravenscourt Park station in Hammersmith (now The Butcher's Hook).

ewan

Hello, it's that time of year, time for the new Good Beer Guide and all the new pubs it brings. The category page for this book is therefore, of course, the featured article.

Before we get into that, there's one new unrelated article, which is Banh Mi Hoi-An in London's trendy Hackney, which will do you a decent noodle salad.

Now this leaves us with all the new pubs for this year, so brace yourselves:

* The Aeronaut in Acton (also a brewpub!);
* The Argyle in Clerkenwell (Hatton Garden area);
* The Black Horse in High Barnet (also a brewpub!);
* The Clarence in Mayfair;
* The Constitution in Pimlico;
* Craft Beer Co. in Brixton (ell, can't complain about the beer selection I guess);
* The Crooked Billet in Upper Clapton;
* The Crown in St Margaret's, Twickenham;
* The Elephant and Castle in Kensington;
* The Flying Pig in East Dulwich;
* The George in South Woodford;
* The Grapes in Sutton;
* The Grove in Ealing;
* The Hops and Glory in Canonbury (Essex Road);
* The Hour Glass in Brompton;
* The Huntsman and Hounds in Upminster;
* The King's Head in Tooting;
* The Leyton Technical in Leyton;
* The Lighthouse in Battersea;
* London Fields Brewery Tap Room by the park of that name in Hackney (really a brewery);
* The Lord Aberconway by Liverpool Street;
* The Misty Moon in High Barnet (ex-Spoons, obviously);
* Oaka at the Mansion House in Kennington (the Oakham Ales pub);
* The Old Bell on Fleet Street;
* The Old Loyal Britons in Greenwich;
* Old Tom's Bar under the Lamb Tavern in Leadenhall Market;
* The Pig and Whistle in Southfields;
* The Prince of Wales in Clapham;
* The Railway Bell in New Barnet;
* The Royal George by Euston Station;
* The Shortlands Tavern in Bromley;
* The Sporting Page in Chelsea;
* The Station Hotel in Hither Green;
* The White Lion in Warlingham;
* Williams Ale and Cider House in Spitalfields; and
* Woodin's Shades around the corner on Bishopshate, by Liverpool Street Station.

There are also two stub entries which will be filled out by Kake in the next week or two:
* The Door Hinge in Welling (a micro-pub!); and
* The Hare and Billet in Blackheath.

ewan

The featured article this week is The Ashburnham Arms, SE10 8UH, a small Shepherd Neame pub in Greenwich with good fresh beer. However, it does seem as if the locals prefer wine. None of that craft beer guff here.

There are fully four new pages this week: Cote d'Azur, a French-Mauritian fusion restaurant in southern Croydon (try the crab soup); Squires, a Nigerian restaurant in Dagenham (look out for some pounded yam); Upney Cafe, a greasy spoon in Barking (you know what to expect); and The Royal Albert in Crystal Palace. This last one is another traditional locals' pub, though there are increasing numbers of locals who probably want something more gastro, so hopefully it will hold out for a bit yet.

Finally, the David Lean Cinema in Croydon has reopened in its original location of the Clocktower.

katstevens

Hello RGL crew! This is the last update of 2013, and there's plenty to report.

Our featured article for the next three weeks is the Black Cat Cafe, a vegan co-operative on the site of the old Pogo Cafe, which sounds like a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon chatting over tea and cake.

Our sources tell us that banh mi and other Vietnamese dishes will soon be back on the menu at Panda Panda in Deptford. New year, new noodles!

Unfortunately the following won't be around in 2014: the Old Duke of Cambridge in Bow is likely to be turned into flats, as will the Whitesmiths Arms in Borough (shame - they had a great jukebox) and the Victoria Cross in Thornton Heath. London is certainly short of decent, affordable flats, but at this rate it will be short of decent, affordable pubs too...

The Lamb Brewery pub in Chiswick has changed its name to simply 'The Lamb'. It's no longer a brewery, so fair enough! This follows its takeover by the Mitchell & Butlers chain (along with other former Convivial London Pubs outlets The Botanist, the Crown and Anchor and the Clifton, the latter of which may not yet have reopened after its sale).

Finally, the Pilot Inn in Greenwich has reopened after a refurb. We have no idea what it's like now! There could be a cross-dimensional portal in the ladies' for all we know. If you're in SE10 over the festive period, why not pop in and check it out for us?

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed to RGL over the last year, especially

kake and

bob (and of course my co-blogger

ewan!) for keeping everything running smoothly. See you in the new year!

ewan

This week's featured article is The Kennington Bookshop. If I need to explain what or where that might be, I shall despair. However, bookshops are lovely and so you should visit it and buy things there, either new or second-hand.

Reported closures are Pappadom Indian takeaway in Camberwell, Peninsula Chinese restaurant in North Greenwich, and Ministry of Spice Indian takeaway on Greenwich-Lewisham borders.

Finally, in long-awaited happy news, The Ivy House pub in Nunhead is now community-owned and open again, after a battle with developers.

ewan

Hello! This month's featured article is The George, NW3 2AE, which has been done up by Spirit Pub Co to be the first in a new premium brand. It sure is pretty posh, with blonde wood panelling and light from big open windows at the front and rear. That said, the food is overpriced and my burger was a bit disappointing. Still, there you go.

Lots of new additions, the first two in the Kilburn area. From there we have Barraco, a Brazilian restaurant, and The Carlton Tavern, an old man pub on the Maida Vale end. From Greenwich, there's Vietnam Oriental Cuisine, which despite the name is mainly Chinese. Finally, Rose Vegetarian in Kingsbury, which perhaps won't get you rushing out to visit Kingsbury, but if you're in the area, seems as good a bet as any.

Significant update to the entry for The Moon Under Water in Hounslow, which despite having been in many Good Beer Guides had remained a mere stub entry in RGL. Possibly because there's not much you can really say about yet another outpost of a Wetherspoons pub of this name.

Temporary closure for The Ladywell Tavern to do refurbishments.

Reported permanent closures are Elephant Walk, which was a fantastic Sri Lankan place in West Hampstead, and The Red Lion, a pub in Amersham (which by very few relevant criteria can actually be considered to be in London).

Finally, the Imperial War Museum has (mostly) reopened.

ewan

Si Chuan (川妹子/Chuān Mèizi), North Greenwich, London SE10

Our new featured article is Sichuan, SE10 0QJ, a Sichuan restaurant in North Greenwich.

There's one new article, being Adams Cafe, a greasy spoon in Croydon.

There's also one closure, Dos Amigos, an unlamented Mexican restaurant in East Dulwich.

ewan

This week's featured article is a cocktail bar down some steps in Fitzrovia, Bourne and Hollingsworth, W1T 1JF, which goes for an American Prohibition era style.

We have only additions this week, no closures: The Queen's Head, a pub in Soho; Spring Cafe, a greasy spoon in Camberwell; Sichuan, a Sichuanese restaurant in North Greenwich; and Edibles, a cafe/deli in Banstead.

ewan

We took a break to get things back on track and can now exclusively reveal that this week's featured article is The Canbury Arms, KT2 6LQ, a gastropub in Kingston. (NB There was a featured article for last week, which was another pub, The Pilot Inn, SE10 0BE in North Greenwich, which I last went to years ago, but it's rather nice.)

New additions are The Moon Under Water, a Wetherspoon's pub (if you hadn't guessed already) in Norbury, and Lahore Masala House, a Pakistani restaurant in Kentish Town.

There are updates to The Gatehouse, another Wetherspoon's pub in Highgate, Shahee Bhelpoori, an Indian restaurant in Norbury, and Quinn's, a pub on the Kentish Town/Camden borders.

Two reported closures are the Good Beer Guide stalwart, The Manor Arms in Clapham, and Livebait, a restaurant on The Cut in Southwark.

ewan

This week's featured article is Moyo-Ma, SE17 2AL, a Nigerian restaurant in Walworth.

The new articles are all pubs: The Only Running Footman, in Mayfair; The Prince of Teck, in Earl's Court; and The Man on the Moon and The Randall Tavern, both in glamorous New Addington.

Three closures, the last two possibly quite some time ago: branches of S&M Cafe, dedicated to sausage and mash, in Islington and the O2 Centre; and Chakalaka, a South African restaurant in Putney.

kake

Image © Ewan-M

This week's featured article is Fish Bone, W1T 6NF, a fish restaurant and takeaway in Fitzrovia, specialising in fish and chips.

Recent additions to RGL include the Draft House at Tower Bridge, the Marylebone on Marylebone High Street, the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich, the Square Tavern in Euston, and Native Hop in Streatham.

One reported closure: the King's Head in Kilburn.