Beer ? Mmmm, beer.

[venta]

Caught a train down to London last night to meet up with the newly-LJ'd-up spindlemere. He seems to have a knack of finding interesting pubs, and, in this particular case, pubs with far more E's in the name than was strictly necessary.

We headed out to Chancery Lane, to the Cittie of Yorke. Despite this bar having been largely created in about 1923 it looks pleasingly old and woodeny. And has a bar which was once the longest in the Empire alledgedly (though it didn't specify which empire). And Pintwatch was overjoyed to get its pint of nasty lager (spindlemere's fault) and it's nice pint of Sammy Smith's for £3.59.

Slightly confusing to have my change thrown at me by the barmaid - apparently accidentally - with the pound coin landing neatly in my beer. Despite my protests that I wasn't worried, they took my pint back, poured it away, gave me my pound and a new pint back. I think it's some form of slightly crap press-gang.

But the beer was nice, and the burgers were nice, and we got to sit in a strange little wooden booth - apparently the booths were intended for lawyers to use while consorting with clients. The pub was briefly overrun with CAMRA members, and some bloek trying to organise them (I think he was just in it for the shouting), but they went away, leaving the place strangely quiet for nine o'clock. That's The City for you :)

Eventually, in the interests of exercise, we upped sticks and moved, ooh, a couple of hundred yards to Ye Olde Mitre. Which is hidden off down a ginnel, and turns out to be 17th Century, all oak panels and cool wooden furniture. And - get this - friendly staff. Having ordered our half of Broadside and pint of Burton's (£3.80, which Pintwatch didn't consider too bad), we got gently ranted at by the Polish barmaid. Apparently you don't get bitter in Poland, and she thinks it's horrible, just like beer that's been open all night and you're drinking it in the morning, and did we really like it ?

This place was also full of CAMRA - it dawned on me that it's the Great British Beer Festival from today, so they were probably stoking up - until again, they moved on leaving the place more or less deserted.

Good pub, though. Suitably old, in a wobbly floors, terrifying staircase, kind of way. The landlord tells us that their policy is no TV, no music, no fruit machines... and the result is great. I'll definitely go back, if only I can find the damn place again.

Nice pubs, nice beer, nice company. Sitting in pubs and chatting is underrated as a pass-time. I should do it more :)

Comments

[addedentry.livejournal.com]

Useful. The Cittie of Yorke is round the corner from my workplace, but despite the temptation of Samuel Smith cider I've refused to investigate because of those extra Es. Will have to overcome my prejudices.

I thought the Mitre was down a twitten, though, not a ginnel (-;