Shefali and I spent four days vacationing in London on our way to Mumbai. Whenever we travel to a new place, we make it a goal to eat our way from one end of town to the other. This four-part series will highlight our experiences.
Visiting the pubs with a pregnant wife is hardly the best way to experience London's beer, but she was a good sport, so we hit several during our stay. Here's my pint-by-pint breakdown:
My first taste of a British bitter (Sussex) came at The Market Porter. I drank it outside the pub on a sunny afternoon near Borough Market in Southwark. Drinking in the street, under a surprisingly hot sun while my wife sipped coffee felt wrong on many levels.
Pint number two (Junction) came at The Center Page near St. Paul's Cathedral. The Pub was located between St. Paul's and the Milennium Bridge, with dark rooms, sticky tables and windows through which you could watch the cold and rain. That alone made the beer more satisfying.
Pint number three (Adnams) came at Chequers Tavern. Chequers is stuck in an alley between the Royal Academy of Arts and St. James' Square. It's been there for hundreds of years and has a unique history as a former gathering place for games of checkers. With just six tables, it appeared to be a popular lunch spot for an older crowd. All around us were couples drinking white wine and talking business. Regardless, the beer was good (I was acquiring a taste for the slightly warmer and flatter bitters) and Shef raved about the apple pie.
Pints four (Fuller's), five and six (HSB) arrived when I finally had someone to drink with. Shefali's cousin, Priya, and her husband Sam hosted us in Fulham the night before we left for Bombay and took us out to The White Horse. It was a classic neighborhood pub and packed on a Tuesday night. The food was somewhat gourmet and served the best fish and chips I ate. It featured haddock instead of cod, and both the fish and chips were fried to perfection. It was served with the obligatory side of mashed peas and an interesting but unnecessary jalepeno tartar sauce.
Visiting the pubs with a pregnant wife is hardly the best way to experience London's beer, but she was a good sport, so we hit several during our stay. Here's my pint-by-pint breakdown:
My first taste of a British bitter (Sussex) came at The Market Porter. I drank it outside the pub on a sunny afternoon near Borough Market in Southwark. Drinking in the street, under a surprisingly hot sun while my wife sipped coffee felt wrong on many levels.
Pint number two (Junction) came at The Center Page near St. Paul's Cathedral. The Pub was located between St. Paul's and the Milennium Bridge, with dark rooms, sticky tables and windows through which you could watch the cold and rain. That alone made the beer more satisfying.
Pint number three (Adnams) came at Chequers Tavern. Chequers is stuck in an alley between the Royal Academy of Arts and St. James' Square. It's been there for hundreds of years and has a unique history as a former gathering place for games of checkers. With just six tables, it appeared to be a popular lunch spot for an older crowd. All around us were couples drinking white wine and talking business. Regardless, the beer was good (I was acquiring a taste for the slightly warmer and flatter bitters) and Shef raved about the apple pie.
Pints four (Fuller's), five and six (HSB) arrived when I finally had someone to drink with. Shefali's cousin, Priya, and her husband Sam hosted us in Fulham the night before we left for Bombay and took us out to The White Horse. It was a classic neighborhood pub and packed on a Tuesday night. The food was somewhat gourmet and served the best fish and chips I ate. It featured haddock instead of cod, and both the fish and chips were fried to perfection. It was served with the obligatory side of mashed peas and an interesting but unnecessary jalepeno tartar sauce.
thank you for the mention. You may be interested to know at a wedding a few weeks ago i sat next to the chap who makes all the (natural) icecream that the white horse serve! have to agree on the jalapeno and will give them that feedback the next time we are there! priya
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