BV London Pub of the Year 2024-25 - part one

Like the proverbial Renegade Master, we are 'back once again'. It's time to pick a London Pub of the Year, and I feel like a very old hand at this lark nowadays.

Will there be a surprise winner? Has the Greater London pub scene dramatically changed in the last 12 months? Am I still deeply frustrated with the quality and choice of cask ale in the capital? 

All these questions and more will be answered over the next few days and soon enough a winner will be crowned.  If you're not familiar with how the contest works (because even I have some rules to stick to!) check out the previous years. 

Now we'll crack on by revisiting each of last year's Top Five, and in a few days time we'll have the five newcomers/retreads. One of these ten pubs is going to be announced as my London Pub of the Year 2024-25. Ooh goody. Whoop-de-bloody-do. Can't fucking wait. And so on.

 

Last year's Winner: Star & Garter, Bromley

Something of a surprise champion last time, perhaps, the Star & Garter continues to do its thing and those who know, know. It's been a few years in the making, a slow grower if you like, but this place is now a fixture on Bromley High Street as far as beer enthusiasts are concerned. And it's very much a 'proper' pub, with an imposing late Victorian frontage and some interesting period features blended with a sense of airy modernity. Beloved by locals but arguably still undiscovered by outsiders, it's a star that shines brightly, but can it hold on to top spot?  

A good reason to visit Bromley

Range of draught beers: When all the taps and pumps are flowing, this place is practically unbeatable. You'd get a choice of about 16 keg and half a dozen cask, with a strong emphasis on top-tier craft breweries (Thornbridge, Elusive, Verdant...) and an extensive choice of styles. Loving your Imperial dessert stouts or fruity sours? They've got you covered. And if you inhabit the normal world of lager, bitter and IPA, there will be fine examples of all of those too. I have noticed, however, that a typical selection on any given visit might be a bit less than in the past and you might see an empty handpump, or nothing of session strength on keg, for example. But these are minor quibbles - the range here is very good and it's worth 2.5 points. 

Quality of real ale: It's probably slightly telling that the beers I've enjoyed most here over the past year have been keg, not cask. That's partly down to the usual problem of breweries making some of their best beers available in keg only, but I have to say that the quality of the cask here has dipped. Pints are still perfectly well kept, but in previous years they've absolutely blown me away. Abbeydale Clown Poison, supposedly an APA but actually far more in the traditional bitter style, was so lifeless and lacking in condition I had to speak up about it. The scale here runs from -3 to +3, and they get 1.5 points.

Bonus points: I appreciate that they're subscribed to Untappd and keep their online beer list pretty up-to-date, which is important when it's a bit of a trek to get somewhere. There's not normally much need to bother therewith, but the range of canned and bottled beers is excellent and has its own dedicated 'shop' area. In the past this place would win an bonus point for its varied snack selection, but on my last couple of visits that has been almost impressively lacking, which is a shame. I do like the overall feel of the place, and will give it a point for that, resulting in the maximum 3 bonus points overall, though that feels slightly generous. You owe me one!

Overall, this is still a great pub, but maybe not quite as good as it was at its peak, 18 months or so ago. 

 

Last year's Runner-up: Hope, Carshalton

The Hope needs no introduction, does it? It's won this award three times, along with numerous other prizes of far greater import than my stupid fucking opinion! A shining example of how to run a community pub, and get everything right with an effortless consistency. Aww bugger, I went and done them a teh introduction, when they didn't need one. My bad... 

We live in (the) Hope

Range of draught beers: There are usually seven casks to chose from, including the two house beers that are presumably consumed by unadventurous locals in sufficient quantity to justify keeping them on. Of the remaining five, two will usually be dark ales of some description. The keg range typically includes highly-hopped IPAs, fruity/sour beers and strong/imperial stouts. What you will get is the work of some of the most boundary-pushing breweries around (Azvex, Holy Goat, Yonder...) When a beer festival is on, the range increases substantially, with an additional range of rare cask and keg out back in the marquee, those these sometimes sell out in a single day. As far as 'normal' times are concerned, 2 points. It's excellent - I just feel that they could justify expanding it, given the size and popularity of the pub nowadays.

Quality of real ale: My biggest frustration with the Hope is that casks turn over so quickly that certain beers often run out before I get there - this is partly because there are only seven handpulls and they could easily justify double figures, but the rapid turnover goes a long way to ensuring that the ale here never has time to go off! A great many pubs could only dream of turning casks over in a matter of hours, but that's about the life expectancy for a popular pale ale here. I'd possibly want some of my ales slightly cooler, but that's a personal preference and I really can't criticise. Each pint of cask here is perfectly conditioned, fresh and delightful, sometimes elevating ordinary beers to the point at which they become exceptional. Drop Project Toasty - a beer I really don't like very much - was conditioned to the point that it became eminantly drinkable, so it has to be the full 3 points!

Bonus points: Beer festivals. Almost once a month. Absolutely fucking awesome. Get to the next one! Their food policy is bang on the money too. As well as lunchtime and early evening specials, you can eat at any time of day, thanks to the simple 'pot meals' that change over time and which show genuine creativity above and beyond standard pub fayre (Ukranian sausage casserole? Pork Bigos? Moroccan lamb? All good!) And there's rolls and hunks of pie, not to mention little tubs of Bombay Mix and Wasabi nuts. Snacktackular! I also have to give them credit for their very fair pricing policies; For London the beers are reasonably priced (£6 for a whole pint of 8% Impy Stout the other day!) and so is the food. There are so many reasons to hand out bonus points here that there is no way they don't pick up the full 3.

As always, it's a very strong showing, and one would expect nothing less!

Last year's #3: Cask, Pimlico

One of the first pubs to really take the 'new generation' of craft brewing seriously, the Cask Pub & Kitchen has been with us since 2009. It is, perhaps, unlikely to have never won the big prize, especially when some of its sister pubs have a history of making the top two. But maybe this is the year, hmm?!? 

Lighting up Pimlico

Range of draught beers: If visitors ask me where is the best place for beer in, or close to, central London, I usually point them here as it's only about a 10-15 minute stroll from Victoria. The keg choice (numbering 20 or thereabouts) is genuinely about as diverse as it can be. ABVs range from 0.5% to double figures, colours from ultra-pale to the deepest black, hop levels from 'meek' to 'mindfuck'... and it's not confined to these isles either - genuine imported draught plays a part here too. There's a hell of a lot to choose from. Now, on the cask side, things are a little less radical. There's usually ten beers on the handpumps, all of which change constantly, but as is often the case, generally more in the standard bitter/pale ale category with a couple of stouts or porters. No macro stuff, of course, as a matter of policy. The only reason I can't give maximum points is that there seems to be a reluctance to stock more experimental beers in God's chosen form. But 2.5 is hugely impressive nonetheless.

Quality of real ale: It's very good. Close to being perfect. I argued years ago that pubs with big craft keg ranges often serve the best cask too, because it's a sign that they care about beer quality, and that is still true of this place. Nothing flaccid and tired, nothing too green, just pint after pint served in the right way at the right time, almost effortlessly! If I've given 3 points to the Hope, I have to award the same score here.

Bonus points: The bottled and canned beer selection here is legendary, including some very rare specific vintages of Belgian classics, and there is a takeout discount. Likewise the whisky and other spirits selection is a thing of wonder - it's just that my sense of wonder wonders how anybody ever gets round to drinking them when there is so much good beer to be had! I'd give a final bonus point for their food and snack offering, as really good pork-based pies and parmesan truffle fries both make great accompaniments to beer - albeit to very different beers. Now, pricing. The elephant in the room. This place can be expensive. It remains the site of my most expensive pint ever (£63) and even some ordinary beers might be considered on the pricey side. I'm not completely swayed by the argument, but it's something that matters a lot to a lot of people, so as a concession to that view, I'll deduct just a half point, leaving a total bonus tally of 2.5.

 

Last year's #4: Three Hounds, Beckenham

Whether or not it really qualifies as a 'pub' is debatable. It's a shop, it's a sometime brewery, it's an empty retail unit, it's very dog-friendly, it's... a strange one! Regardless of categorisation, the Three Hounds won me over enough to make last year's final, largely off the back of a couple of fantastic beer festivals. Let's check back in... 

Range of draught beers: Very much keg-oriented with something like 18 taps dispensing a decent range, with a bit of a bias towards London/local brews including, at least sometimes, their own beers. Up to four casks are also on offer, but this is often fewer. Again a Three Hounds brewery cask can sometimes be found here. Otherwise, expect to see the big (but good) names like Oakham, Thornbridge, and Siren. In the previous year, they really excelled by having special cask days, where the adjacent premises housed many more casks on stillage, but these, sadly, didn't seem to happen in the 2024-25 period, unless I was specifically uninvited! This years score, given the overall kegginess, is a fair 1.5 points.

Quality of real ale:  I have to report that I have had more keg than cask on my visits here over the past year. This is partly because the keg offering was so much more generous, but also, sadly, because the cask has been average, or slightly above. A bit lifeless, a bit lacklustre. Meh. It's not bad per se - I'm not going to return my pint or give a minus score here, but the mediocre truth is a verdict of 0.5 points. It sounds mean, but I have to call it as I see it.

Bonus points: This is where the Three Hounds can catch up a bit. The takeaway/bottle-shop facility is excellent and clearly worth a point, and so is the 'craft' snack selection - the charcuterie is particularly good, though watch out for hungry and opportunistic dogs looking to chomp it from your hands! They can't get a point for the special 'cask' events this year - a Sierra Nevada tap takeover with some very rare casks was held the other day, though that fell just outside the 12 month survey period for this year's competition. All of which means 2 bonus points. 

The Three Hounds is an interesting place that may still be finding its feet and deciding what direction to go in. It's great for locals to have on their doorstep, and I like the quirkiness of it, but asking it to be one of the five best pubs in all of Greater London might be a bit too much, especially given my cask-first biases, if we're honest! 

  

Last year's #5: Prince, Wood Green

When was peak Gastropub? About 10-15 years ago? Certainly in recent years such places haven't figured much in this competition, mainly because however good the chef is, however classy the decor, however bulbous the number on the food hygeine certificate, this is a pub competition and a lot of gastropubs fail somewhat in the 'being an actual pub' department. Increasingly they have evolved into restaurants in former pub buildings.

The Prince N22 bucked this trend, making my final five last year. Yes, there's a separate restaurant area, and, yes, the food is very good, but it still feels pubby enough to go in for a few pints and not feel like you're being judged for doing so.    

May all your Greens be Wood

Range of draught beers: Six handpumps provide cask offerings, and there's a mix of the usual North/East London suspects (Five Points, Howling Hops) and, peculiarly, a lot of beers from Tyneside, with Almasty and Two by Two both featuring regularly. There are maybe 15 keg taps with a few safe lager/pale options as well as hoppy IPAs and APAs and something fruity and sour. Don't expect anything batshit-strong here, but they do have low-alcohol options on draught. It's pretty good for the area and worth 2 points.

Quality of real ale: A feature of the gastropub - sometimes - is that the quality of the food is directly inverse to that of the cask ale. But we're not going to be seeing a -2 score at the Prince. It's a safe selection and the condition is pretty good, suggesting that North London locals might actually like a good honest pint of cask pale ale with their fancy-schmancy-prancey gastro food. (Not that the food is actually fancy-pantsy-etc. of course!) They also seem to get that certain hoppy pales need to be cooler - Two By Two Citra Idaho 7 Azacca pale was a particularly refreshing highlight! 2 points.

Bonus points:  So, the food, on which they pride themselves. Yeah, it's good. I like that you can have a small plate like a (nicely runny) scotch egg or a portion of beef-dripping chips to match with your beers, without needing to sit at a formal table and eat a multi-course meal. (That option does exist, but they don't force it upon you). That's definitely earning them a point. However, beyond this it's genuinely hard to find any more - there's not even a tatty sofa to look behind. 

As a 'gastropub' - and I don't think they'd disagree with the definition - it's very good. One of the best, I'd suggest. The food is good and the beer is decent. But what does it offer beyond this? These are the searching questions it is my sworn duty to ask. 

 

And so, that's how the first five pubs have fared - in a few days we'll run down the remaining five. Stay tuned. Stay the fuck tuned!

 

Where to find 'em...

Star & Garter 

227 High Street,

Bromley

BR1 1NZ (map)
website / whatpub
********* 

The Hope
48 West Street,
Carshalton
SM5 2PR (map)
website / whatpub
*********

 

Cask Pub & Kitchen
6 Charlwood Street
Pimlico
SW1V 2EE (map)
website / whatpub
*********

Three Hounds
57 Beckenham Road
Beckenham
BR3 4PR (map)
website / whatpub
********* 

Prince
1 Finsbury Road
Wood Green
N22 8PA (map)
website / whatpub
*********