“Bensoir! It's me, Benjamin. I like to eat and drink. And cook. And write.

You may have read stuff I've written elsewhere, but here on my own blog as Ben Viveur I'm liberated from the editorial shackles of others, so pretty much anything goes.

BV is about enjoying real food and drink in the real world. I showcase recipes that taste awesome, but which can be created by mere mortals without the need for tons of specialist equipment and a doctorate in food science. And as a critic I tend to review relaxed establishments that you might visit on a whim without having to sell your first-born, rather than hugely expensive restaurants and style bars in the middle of nowhere with a velvet rope barrier, a stringent dress code and a six-month waiting list!

”There's plenty of robust opinion, commentary on the world of food and drink, and lots of swearing, so look away now if you're easily offended. Otherwise, tuck your bib in, fill your glass and turbo-charge your tastebuds. We're going for a ride... Ben Appetit!

Showing posts with label Bermondsey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bermondsey. Show all posts

Monday, September 7, 2026

BV London Pub of the Year 2025-2026 - the results

It takes a lot of hard work and strenuous drinking to run this little Pub of the Year contest. 

Yes, there's travelling and making notes and taking the occasional photo'n'shit, but it mostly involves drinking beer, which is what I love about it. 

(Except when the beer isn't up to much, obviously, but that hardly ever happens because we're talking literally the best pubs in the area and even That London, for all its myriad faults and horrors, can still boast a fair few decent pubs if you know where to look. And if you don't, read on because I'll tell you!)

In part one we reassessed last year's finalists, and in the second part five new contenders and retreads joined the party, with the ultimate aim of picking out the best pub in Greater London.

Once again it's now time to pick out an overall winner, and, like so many of life's little experiential trinkets, it comes around faster and faster with every passing year, so let's get on with it, before it's next year or 2038 or the 14th segment of Advanced AI Supertime...

Monday, August 17, 2026

BV London Pub of the Year 2025-26 - part two

Here's the second batch of contestants in the latest London Pub of the Year survey. 

In part one we reassessed last year's top five and now we have five new contenders. Well, technically three new contenders and two 'Re-Entries' if you still watch old Top of the Pops episodes - and why wouldn't you?

Can we find ourselves an overall winner amongst these five pubs?  

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

BV London Pub of the Year 2015-16 - part two

The other day we revisited the top five pubs from last year's competition. Now comes the arguably more interesting list of the five new challengers on the 2015-16 shortlist.

Narrowing it down to five was a challenge. Trying to ensure all parts of Greater London are represented is borderline impossible, while there is always a strong temptation to include more pubs that are undeniably great but similar to those already in the competition - such as another Craft Beer Company outlet.

I've tried to pick pubs that I think are worthy of entry in the competition whilst retaining a bit of variety, and this is what I've come up with: