Pubs in and near Victora Rail Station, London

[Tilly-Miss]

Have a great time.

[trainman]

Not a good area to combine good beer with traditional/original pub architecture but London, as a whole, mostly fails to achieve that. That said, as you are a big fan of jdw, I can only assume that your other claim to be a 'traditionalist' must have been somewhat tongue in cheek?
The Willow Walk gets a bit of a slating (elsewhere) but it's far far better than the jdw above whsmiths in the station, usually has a very good choice of ales and, in my experience, the staff are relatively switched on, so I've never had much trouble getting served. The Cask & Glass is a good little pub serving Sheps in fine fettle, but expensive & a rude manager. The other Cask ('Pub & Kitchen') is a relatively new venture but offers a good choice of beers & the food looks good value for the area. Thanks for the reminder about the Cardinal, Roger, one I need to put on my list.
An alternative Hoppy, if you have time, would be to take tube a coupla stops to Temple & wander up to Edgar Wallace where a festival (t'Ales from the Dark Side) will be running 25-29Jan. Not exclusively dark or winter ales, I'm told; alternatives may be, for instance, from 'Dark'Star...
From there, you're only 5mins from the stunning interior of the Princess Louise, or Ye Olde Mitre, or... oh, I s'pose we'll be into pub crawl territory soon, better stop.

[RogerB]

If you are looking to tick off a few more 'Spoons and don't mind a stroll or being ripped off by TFL bus/tube prices, there is also the Lord Moon on the Mall (not bad) near Trafalgar Square, the Moon Under Water (not that great) in Leicester Square, the Montague Pyke (decent enough) in Charing Cross Road and the rather dingy Shakespeares Head just outside Holborn tube.

[trainman]

If you are looking to tick off a few more 'Spoons and don't mind a stroll or being ripped off by TFL bus/tube prices, there is also the Lord Moon on the Mall (not bad) near Trafalgar Square, the Moon Under Water (not that great) in Leicester Square, the Montague Pyke (decent enough) in Charing Cross Road and the rather dingy Shakespeares Head just outside Holborn tube.

Come on Roger, you're not advocating a 'spoons tour on a visit to London? Even to a jdw afficianado?
As for tfl, well, yes, single bus/tube journeys are ludicrously priced, but day tkts/travelcards are, I think, reasonable value.

[RogerB]

Come on Roger, you're not advocating a 'spoons tour on a visit to London? Even to a jdw afficianado?
As for tfl, well, yes, single bus/tube journeys are ludicrously priced, but day tkts/travelcards are, I think, reasonable value.

If anyone would do a 'Spoons tour of London it would be Hoppy! As for TFL, anything within an hour's walk is done by foot (weather/time/wife permitting). It helps build up a thirst and you never know what pubs you will find in the back streets.

[Dave M]

Edgar Wallace where a festival (t'Ales from the Dark Side) will be running 25-29Jan. Not exclusively dark or winter ales, I'm told; alternatives may be, for instance, from 'Dark'Star...

Thanks for letting us know about that one, I've added it to our listings.

[hopwas]

If you are looking to tick off a few more 'Spoons and don't mind a stroll or being ripped off by TFL bus/tube prices, there is also the Lord Moon on the Mall (not bad) near Trafalgar Square, the Moon Under Water (not that great) in Leicester Square, the Montague Pyke (decent enough) in Charing Cross Road and the rather dingy Shakespeares Head just outside Holborn tube.

I have visited Moon Under Water but not the others. Thanks for info!

If anyone would do a 'Spoons tour of London it would be Hoppy! As for TFL, anything within an hour's walk is done by foot (weather/time/wife permitting). It helps build up a thirst and you never know what pubs you will find in the back streets.

I would but I am not Londoner.. I would happily to do Birmingham's version

Not a good area to combine good beer with traditional/original pub architecture but London, as a whole, mostly fails to achieve that. That said, as you are a big fan of jdw, I can only assume that your other claim to be a 'traditionalist' must have been somewhat tongue in cheek?
The Willow Walk gets a bit of a slating (elsewhere) but it's far far better than the jdw above whsmiths in the station, usually has a very good choice of ales and, in my experience, the staff are relatively switched on, so I've never had much trouble getting served. The Cask & Glass is a good little pub serving Sheps in fine fettle, but expensive & a rude manager. The other Cask ('Pub & Kitchen') is a relatively new venture but offers a good choice of beers & the food looks good value for the area. Thanks for the reminder about the Cardinal, Roger, one I need to put on my list.
An alternative Hoppy, if you have time, would be to take tube a coupla stops to Temple & wander up to Edgar Wallace where a festival (t'Ales from the Dark Side) will be running 25-29Jan. Not exclusively dark or winter ales, I'm told; alternatives may be, for instance, from 'Dark'Star...
From there, you're only 5mins from the stunning interior of the Princess Louise, or Ye Olde Mitre, or... oh, I s'pose we'll be into pub crawl territory soon, better stop.

I am Traditionalist and sucker for historic pubs (apart from JDW!)

Actually I have been to The Willow Walk few years ago after Arsenal match.

Sadly I can't go to beer festival as I'll be with my Sister who only drink wine!

I already noted down Ye Olde Mitre as one of possible choices.

Thanks for your info!

[trainman]

As for TFL, anything within an hour's walk is done by foot (weather/time/wife permitting). It helps build up a thirst

So, if we were to decide to meet at Victoria then go to, say, Carpenter's Arms at Marble Arch, you'd work up a thirst walking there, and I'd take the bus and be on thirst quencher number three when you arrived! Really?

and you never know what pubs you will find in the back streets.

True, but I'm sure you more adventurous types would have mapped the worthy ones for me by now...!

Don't think I've been in Shakespeare's Head (Holborn), but have been in the nearby Penderel's Oak which once looked promising for footy with several screens downstairs, but I think they may have knocked that on the head (the Bard's, or otherwise).

[RogerB]

So, if we were to decide to meet at Victoria then go to, say, Carpenter's Arms at Marble Arch, you'd work up a thirst walking there, and I'd take the bus and be on thirst quencher number three when you arrived! Really?

Then it would fall under my time permitting exclusion clause. While you were queueing for a bus at Victoria, I would pop into Buck House and get Airmiles Andy to helicopter me to Marble Arch thereby arriving in plenty of time to finish the last drop of Jaipur IPA before you got there.

[trainman]

Then it would fall under my time permitting exclusion clause. While you were queueing for a bus at Victoria, I would pop into Buck House and get Airmiles Andy to helicopter me to Marble Arch thereby arriving in plenty of time to finish the last drop of Jaipur IPA before you got there.

hehehe, thus saving me from a 5.9% hangover. Thanks RB!