Tag Archives: 100 Pubs

Pub #1: The Castle, Islington (Angel), Nov 1, 2010

Posted on by

The first stop on my legen — wait for it…dary (!) pub crawl mission was The Castle.  I picked a place I could walk to from home, but not close enough to make it seem like I was being lazy.  The Castle is on Pentonville road, a few minutes walk from the Angel Tube station.  I had walked past it the previous week and it had a certain appeal from the outside.  It was missing the polish of a chain pub (which often means they lack character) and also wasn’t as run down as some of the independents I’ve seen around Highbury & Islington.

I got there mid-afternoon on Monday, Nov 1 and paused outside making sure this was where I wanted to start my project.  It seemed light and airy inside, with only a handful of people so I popped my head in.

I walked to the bar and was immediately greeted with a smile (which rarely happens in London).  One of the beers on tap caught my attention, mainly because of the name.   It was called TEA, but I soon realised this stood for Traditional English Ale.  I inquired about it and was offered a taste.  I always accept a taste.  I liked it and ordered a pint.

Being a Monday afternoon, the pub was mostly empty and I had my choice of tables.  I usually prefer to sit at the bar, but British pubs generally don’t have too many stools. This allows people easier access to the bar, which I like.

The beer was a lovely honey/amber coloured best bitter.  Funnily, I found out later that TEA was voted “best bitter” in 2000.  Not a very hoppy ale, I found the beer very drinkable but somewhat characterless.  A fruity finish capped a very enjoyable £3.25 beer.

The staff at The Castle were very friendly, and as one Yelper puts it, the pub has an ambiance of being cool without knowing it.  The atmosphere is very laid back, and the few tables up front are complemented by some cushioned couches in the rear.  The lunch menu seemed very interesting, if a little pricey.  There are stairs at the rear leading to a roof deck but since it was a little nippy, I didn’t check it out.  I imagine the place is quite bustling on a balmy summer evening.

The Castle is definitely a place I’ll want to check out again when I have a little more time and money, and I’m eager to try one of the delicious looking items on the menu.

Starting my own 100 pubs mission

Posted on by

Inspired by @abandonedlondon‘s 100 Pubs Project, I decided to start a similar mission of my own.  What better way to get to know London than through its pubs? It also helps that I love beer.  I would walk a 100 miles to to try a new beer, and walk a 100 more to drink a pint with a friend.   Hyperbole aside, my fondness for beer goes back to the first drink I had after turning 21 (yes, I was 21!) during my Ann Arbor summer.  Living in Philadelphia for so many years was a treat for a beer-aficionado with plenty of specialist brew pubs and micro-breweries in the area.  I once brewed my own beer, that I like to say looked like a nicely poured Guinness but tasted like a Bud Light.

I like to experiment with beers and will go out of a my way to try a new one, so now living in Europe (and specifically London) is a dream come true for a beer lover.  I’ve already been to several pubs and tried many ales, but only now decided that documenting my visits on my blog will be a worthwhile exercise and experience. Plus it gives me something to look forward to during my unemployment.

For the purposes of this “mission” (I will be calling it a mission so as to not directly copy Doreen’s title) I will attempt to visit 100 pubs over the next few months and drink at least a pint of beer/ale/bitter/brew.  If I’m feeling spendy, I might get some food too (altho British food…not so much).  I will also write about my visit and hopefully have a picture or three to remember the visit by.  So without further ado, up next is a post about pub # 1.