The Rake

[trainman]

I'm intrigued by Roger's review, excellent as always, of The Rake at Borough Market. I've actually looked in the door a couple of times, once asked a bored & unresponsive barman about the drinks set-up, and am none the wiser. I've seen two handpumps; is the 3rd that RB (& Gill) mention a recent addition? A Traf regular really rates the place & claims they have a lot of stuff on stillage but I looked, and asked, and am yet to discover any. Maybe just during 'fests?
I'm amazed that this characterless little box has a relatively large reputation, and staggered to read that it had a previous incarnation as the Old Kings Head - with another of that name down nearby Kings Head Yard, is that right Roger?
Gill, I wish you'd sent the Moondance back, it would have been interesting to read their attitude to providing a replacement - proper ale pubs should have no problem with changing a poor pint with good grace.
Finally, have you been given a tape measure recently Roger? Or maybe one of those laser measures? Will square footage become a new dimension in your already comprehensive reviews?

[RogerB]

I originally went to the Rake a couple of weeks after it (re)opened in 2006, made my notes and like so many reviews, never got round to writing it up. It isn't easy to make out exactly what they have in stock as the place is so packed and there may be stuff round the back that isn't visible to the punters at the bar. I have never noticed any boards or beer lists - maybe something they should introduce although I don't generally go for bottled stuff and my mind never wanders much further than the hand pumps.

My original notes, now fading and beer stained, mentioned 2 ales (Devon Wheat Beer and Hopworth Old Ale) at £2.60 a pint! I have been in there a couple of times since then but last night was the first time I have seen 3 hand pumps so I assume the third is a recent addition.

Sorry to shatter your images of me on my hands and knees with a tape measure but all the info, stats, measurements etc were on the web - it was quite newsworthy at the time it opened and there were plenty of web articles to draw the info from. My old notes actually mention the official capacity of the pub is 44 although I wouldn't want to be in there when they reach it!

[trainman]

with a tape measure but all the info, stats, measurements etc were on the web

Another illusion bites the dust!
Re 'packed'; my visits were at opening, completely empty, so I should've seen whatever they had. I'll get around to a pint one of these days, just for the sake of it, but Gill's reportage of cloudy Moondance perhaps suggests shoddy policy on pulling beers through properly - not good for a real real-ale house, or the brewers whose product should be served in better condition than that.

[RogerB]

I only popped in for a quicky update so I could finally post my hitherto out of date review. I was meeting some friends in the Market Porter before moving on to the Wheatsheaf and finally Katzenjammers where Mrs B & 5 fellow redundantees were having their leaving do. I needed to get some decents ales in before a night on the Bavarian wheat beers! For what its worth, I had the Cairngorm Trade Winds in the Rake and it was fine, a contender for BotW no less.

PS I don't know if redundantee is a real word but it sounds good and fits the bill.

[gillhalfpint]

We should have exchanged the Moondance, but we arrived in London around 10.50 and got to Cask Pub and Kitchen half hour before they opened, so the Rake was our first watering hole. It opened at 12 according to book and we were there 12.15 so you are probably right that they hadn't pulled enough through.

The Beartown beer was fine and the Moondance didn't taste off. Trouble is thirst took over and hubby quaffed a load of it so we thought we may as well finish it. Plus we were anxious to find somewhere better - the Market Porter as it happened.