Familiar, dark, and homey, each pub has a selection of cask ales and classic British grub like fish and chips, bangers and mash or shepard's pie. We went into one the other day that had a sign saying this exact pub was opened in 1886 but a pub had been at this location since 1744 - that is older than the US has been a country!
Our friend, Becs, refers to them as 'old man pubs'. You can always count on finding at least one particular person inside: the same old man that goes to that same pub at the same time everyday for the same cask ale pint - talk about routine! And you can always tell if it's an old man pub by it's name. The name will usually include an animal (The Duck and The Dog, Lamb and Flag, The Red Cow) or a British military/story/royalty word (The King's Head, Durrell Arms, Prince of Wales). Sometimes they even include both! (George and the Dragon). Also, don't expect to order a fancy, schmancy cocktail - only order pints or one liquor drinks like a gin and tonic unless you want to stand out.
But there's a new trend in Londontown where ordering a cocktail isn't shunned, it's encouraged. The age of the Speakeasy. Secretive, dark and exclusive, we decided to check this trend out and the biggest challenge was finding the door.
Our first stop was the Experimental Cocktail Club, also known as the ECC in hushed whispers to the doorman ("Hey, is this the door to the ECC?"). It's completely non-descript from the outside with no sign or door number tucked away between two restaurants in Chinatown, but inside the atmosphere brings you back to a Gastby-like era. And the cocktails were amazing. Aaron ordered a cigar-infused whiskey cocktail while I selected a frothy lemon gin one that had a spicy kick to it.
Afterwards we met up with friends and headed to The Blind Pig because with a name like that I wasn't going to not go : ) We came upon the "Opticians" neon sign hanging above a dark door and knew we were at the right place. From looking at the outside, you would never guess what was inside - a dark hideout of people in plush booths sipping cocktails in the candlelight. Our cocktails were over the top creative; the Thermo Nuclear Daquiri came with a bio-hazard sticker and glowing green ice cube, Aaron's Buck Stops Here had little 100 dollar bills clothes-pinned to the glass and my Picnoteque had a glow stick. And yes, you read that right; they were dollars not pounds.
But as we headed out the door we felt like we need to go to one more place for a nightcap. While the speakeasies were fun and a nice change of routine, an old man pub is where we ended the night at. And I think the old men have it right: there's nothing better than ending a day with a pint of beer in a British pub... "Except maybe if the pint was a bit colder," said every American in London : )
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