Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Good Irish Pubs in London

Options
  • 16-08-2013 4:29pm
    #1
    dd972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,563 ✭✭✭


    Anybody know any good Irish pubs in London?, ( by London I mean Zones 1-3, actual bona fide London ) by good I mean on a par or nearly on a par with the Porterhouse in Maiden Lane in terms of food, drink and clientele.

    Not some dosshouse in Cricklewood with some drink addled 60's emigrant dribbling down his shirt reading a Racing Post.

    Not some converted shopfront in Feltham full of plasterer's and cockney **** or some Social Club next to a R.C Church with a GAA team,


«1

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    who the fug
    Registered Users Posts: 4,041 ✭✭✭who the fug


    dd972 wrote: »

    Not some dosshouse in Cricklewood with some drink addled 60's emigrant dribbling down his shirt reading a Racing Post.

    ,

    Sorry I left in 87, but can you answer me one when question when did snobbery like yours become the norm in Ireland, also have you been in the Crown in Cricklewood


  • Options
    #3
    dd972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,563 ✭✭✭dd972


    who the fug wrote: »
    Sorry I left in 87, but can you answer me one when question when did snobbery like yours become the norm in Ireland

    I usually post and read in AH so the brashness isn't quite intended.


  • Options
    #4
    who the fug
    Registered Users Posts: 4,041 ✭✭✭who the fug


    dd972 wrote: »
    I usually post and read in AH so the brashness isn't quite intended.

    point taken

    I believe your generation now hang out south of the river

    For future reference the hard nut Irish pubs are not in Cricklewood, but in a back street near you


  • Options
    #5
    theteal
    Registered Users Posts: 7,593 ✭✭✭theteal


    dd972 wrote: »
    some Social Club next to a R.C Church with a GAA team,

    hey, I'll not have a scornful word said (typed) against st cedds, £2.30 a pint = win, in my book! :D


  • Options
    #6
    rainbow kirby
    Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 26,928 Mod ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    Sheephaven Bay in Camden is great for watching sport, pints not the cheapest though.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    FTA69
    Registered Users Posts: 9,252 ✭✭✭FTA69


    who the fug wrote: »
    point taken

    I believe your generation now hang out south of the river

    For future reference the hard nut Irish pubs are not in Cricklewood, but in a back street near you

    Monaghan's in Wood Green. "Where everybody knows your name...."


  • Options
    #8
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    dd972 wrote: »
    Anybody know any good Irish pubs in London?, ( by London I mean Zones 1-3, actual bona fide London ) by good I mean on a par or nearly on a par with the Porterhouse in Maiden Lane in terms of food, drink and clientele.

    Not some dosshouse in Cricklewood with some drink addled 60's emigrant dribbling down his shirt reading a Racing Post.

    Not some converted shopfront in Feltham full of plasterer's and cockney **** or some Social Club next to a R.C Church with a GAA team,

    I'm sure the cockney **** wouldn't like to have an Irish pr1ck drinking with them either...:rolleyes:


  • Options
    #9
    dd972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,563 ✭✭✭dd972


    seachto7 wrote: »
    I'm sure the cockney **** wouldn't like to have an Irish pr1ck drinking with them either...:rolleyes:

    that's you out of the picture then, bud!


  • Options
    #10
    dilallio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,728 ✭✭✭dilallio


    The Claddagh Ring in Hendon is a good spot, and the food is great


  • Options
    #11
    Marcusm
    Registered Users Posts: 10,228 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    dd972 wrote: »
    that's you out of the picture then, bud!

    The Porterhouse would be unlike 90% of Irish bars in London; it would share its characteristics more with other microbreweries or super pubs than Irish bars. You might have to go to Waxy's for a similar large pub with lots of sections experience. The O'Connor Don in Marylebone Lane might illustrate to you the sort of good establishment you might aspire to fitting into.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    who the fug wrote: »
    Sorry I left in 87, but can you answer me one when question when did snobbery like yours become the norm in Ireland...
    It never did - it's all been exported to London.


  • Options
    #13
    who the fug
    Registered Users Posts: 4,041 ✭✭✭who the fug


    djpbarry wrote: »
    It never did - it's all been exported to London.

    Looks like they brought the property waffle with them as well


  • Options
    #14
    Pudders
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭Pudders


    I wouldn't actually class the porterhouse an irish bar. Unless you mean one of the superbars in dublin.

    There are great irish bars all over london.

    The Coach and Horses on Wellington Street, around the corner from the Porterhouse. Tipp pub. Great salt beef sandwiches, fine pint, geat staff.

    The Harp, on Chandos place. Food is retsricted to a suasgae sandwich butwas/is the CAMRA pub of the year.

    Philomena's, great queen street - a good irish sports bar with fine pub food and probably the best staff around, open late.

    All 3 are within 500 yards of the porterhouse and I would say are better. Peter who runs the porterhouse funnily enough drinks in all 3. Says something about those pubs.

    Further from zone 1, the sheephaven as stated above is a good spot, as is the claddagh ring. I prefer The Corrib Rest in Queens Park to the cladagh in Hendon but it and the quays in Holloway road are all similar.

    The Faltering Fullback in Finsbury Park is brilliant.

    I could go on, however, I am not sure what type "clientelle" you are after!


  • Options
    #15
    FTA69
    Registered Users Posts: 9,252 ✭✭✭FTA69


    Jesus lads the Claddagh Ring/Quays/Corrib Rest chains are awful meat-markets. They remind me of Rearden's in Cork or even Coppers but way more messy at the weekends. I sometimes walk past The Quays and go in there come an evening but it wouldn't be my kind of gaff on a Saturday night. The Swan is an awful, awful place by all accounts.


  • Options
    #16
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    FTA69 wrote: »
    The Swan is an awful, awful place by all accounts.
    I've actually met a number of people who claim to have had a great night in there, but to me it looks worse than Coppers, from the outside at least. I cycle by it on my way home every day and still can't understand how anyone could look at that exterior and not think "I'll take my hard-earned shillings elsewhere".

    It actually looks like the kind of place I would have gone to when I was about 16/17 because I couldn't get into proper pubs.


  • Options
    #17
    woof im a dog
    Registered Users Posts: 195 ✭✭woof im a dog


    the auld shillelagh on church street you get a lovely pint of guinness in there


  • Options
    #18
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    Staff are good as well in the auld shill. They don't just stand there and look at you like a lot of pubs in London, they ask you if you are ok when you're pint has gone! ;)


  • Options
    #19
    bill_lehane
    Registered Users Posts: 59 ✭✭bill_lehane


    The Blythe Hill Tavern in Forest Hill is also pretty great. Has a classic Irish barman who pours nice Guinness.


  • Options
    #20
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    Tir Na Nog in Wandsworth used to be a welcoming place, not exactly hopping but not the worst.


  • Options
    #21
    FTA69
    Registered Users Posts: 9,252 ✭✭✭FTA69


    Monaghan's in Wood Green is a fantastic place as well. They have an extensive food menu (several flavours of crisps and mini-cheddars) as well as a lively music scene (a juke box guarded by Travellers blaring country music.) The quality of the beer is second to none (no less than four premium lagers on tap). The craic and high-jinks from the clientele is also the stuff of legend.

    (I one saw a fella outside it throw a scaffolding pole at a bus.)


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Henry9
    Registered Users Posts: 418 ✭✭Henry9


    FTA69 wrote: »
    (I one saw a fella outside it throw a scaffolding pole at a bus.)
    What did the Polish lad do?


  • Options
    #23
    FTA69
    Registered Users Posts: 9,252 ✭✭✭FTA69


    Henry9 wrote: »
    What did the Polish lad do?

    Which Polish lad? In fairness this was on Wood Green High Road around the corner. I assume your man got the pole from a skip that was outside Monaghan's. Awful bloody place.


  • Options
    #24
    FTA69
    Registered Users Posts: 9,252 ✭✭✭FTA69


    Aha! Pole and "pole". Sorry I'm a bit fuzzy this morning! Not even 11am and I've gone full retard.


  • Options
    #25
    BigCol
    Registered Users Posts: 45 ✭BigCol


    Marcusm wrote: »
    The Porterhouse would be unlike 90% of Irish bars in London; it would share its characteristics more with other microbreweries or super pubs than Irish bars. You might have to go to Waxy's for a similar large pub with lots of sections experience. The O'Connor Don in Marylebone Lane might illustrate to you the sort of good establishment you might aspire to fitting into.

    What a great pub I spent many a happy hour in there but alas I think it's closed now.


  • Options
    #26
    upmeath
    Registered Users Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭upmeath


    I watched the recent Limerick-Clare SHC semi-final in the Coach and Horses on Acre Lane. I'm not sure if it's related to another Coach and Horses previously mentioned here but it's Dublin/Meath-run and the Guinness is as good as you'll get here.

    If you're in search of live GAA in south London it offers much better views than I had become used to in the Alex on Clapham Common, where they seem to enjoy placing television screens behind structural columns and inside people's armpits.


  • Options
    #27
    BraziliaNZ
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,671 ✭✭✭BraziliaNZ


    upmeath wrote: »
    I watched the recent Limerick-Clare SHC semi-final in the Coach and Horses on Acre Lane. I'm not sure if it's related to another Coach and Horses previously mentioned here but it's Dublin/Meath-run and the Guinness is as good as you'll get here.

    If you're in search of live GAA in south London it offers much better views than I had become used to in the Alex on Clapham Common, where they seem to enjoy placing television screens behind structural columns and inside people's armpits.

    That's not an Irish pub though is it? I did watch an Ireland international there once though (football)


  • Options
    #28
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    BraziliaNZ wrote: »
    That's not an Irish pub though is it? I did watch an Ireland international there once though (football)

    It's not but does get fairly packed for the 6 Nations...


  • Options
    #29
    upmeath
    Registered Users Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭upmeath


    BraziliaNZ wrote: »
    That's not an Irish pub though is it? I did watch an Ireland international there once though (football)
    old hippy wrote: »
    It's not but does get fairly packed for the 6 Nations...

    It wasn't when I lived in Lambeth (1-2 years ago) but the lease has changed hands recently and it's now showing live GAA and serving good Guinness. There are also a considerable number of photographs of winning racehorses on the walls if that makes it any more Irish.


  • Options
    #30
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    upmeath wrote: »
    I watched the recent Limerick-Clare SHC semi-final in the Coach and Horses on Acre Lane. I'm not sure if it's related to another Coach and Horses previously mentioned here but it's Dublin/Meath-run and the Guinness is as good as you'll get here.
    I've walked past that place on a number of occasions and, to be honest, it looks about as welcoming as a sweaty crotch. The Kings Head just around the corner is a much nicer spot, although not Irish.
    upmeath wrote: »
    If you're in search of live GAA in south London it offers much better views than I had become used to in the Alex on Clapham Common, where they seem to enjoy placing television screens behind structural columns and inside people's armpits.
    I walked in there with a mate one fine afternoon and was greeted by a gang of skinheads turning to see who had dared interrupt their viewing of some cage-fighting tournament.

    Haven't been back since.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    Jamey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 389 ✭✭Jamey


    Another vote for the Auld Shillelagh. Went in there for the Ireland V Sweden game and really enjoyed it. Friendly crowd and great bar staff, felt like I was in a pub in Ireland.

    Has anyone been to The Kingsland in Dalston? Was in there one night and it was very welcoming, sound bar staff and a decent pint but very much an older Irish clientele. Average age of about 60 - I was definitely the youngest in there by a long way.


Advertisement