Let's Go On a London Pub Crawl!

Few things are more English than a good, old-fashioned pub.

During our stay in London two years ago, I absolutely fell in love with the city’s pubs.

I wrote a newsletter about how much I adored them.

What frustrated me about that article was that I could only include a handful of the photos I’d taken, and most were collages like this.

Boo! That doesn’t really give readers a sense of how gorgeous these pubs are. And many of my favorite pictures never saw the light of day.

Now, with Michael Takes Too Many Pictures, I can rectify that.

But I’m not simply going to show you a bunch of photos.

No, no, no.

Instead, we’re going on a virtual pub crawl to some of my favorite London pubs. And we’re going to drink ourselves silly along the way.

Please note: these are not just any pubs. They’re some of London’s best “theme” pubs.

What’s a theme pub? It’s awesome, is what it is!

Okay, I’ll be more specific: a theme pub uses its decor, menu, and ambiance to create a unique, immersive experience.

Hmm, that sounds kind of boring. Clearly, I should just show you what a theme pub is.

So off we go!

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OLD BANK OF ENGLAND
Address: 194 Fleet St, London

That’s pretty fancy and stuffy looking for a pub, innit? Let’s go inside and check it out anyway.

There’s the bar, and, yeah, this place does look pretty swank. Let’s have our first drink, shall we?

I love ciders, which the Brits do quite well. Mmmm, this one is quite tasty.

This gorgeous building dates back to 1888, when it was the closest branch of the Bank of England to the Royal Courts of Justice. Maybe that’s why it has such a hoity-toity feel.

But check out these chandeliers. I love the golden light bathing the interior.

The bank’s vaults once stored a lot of gold — and supposedly even the Crown Jewels. The grand interior is Victorian, which explains the ornate chandeliers, high ceilings, and intricate woodwork.

The original bank was converted into a pub in 1994, undergoing extensive renovations that kept many elements that make this pub so iconic.

Given its original use as a bank, it’s not surprising this pub doesn’t have the homey feel of a more traditional pub. But come on, this place is gorgeous.

Okay, finish up those drinks. We’ve got a schedule to drink, er, keep. Let’s go!

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THE BLACK FRIAR PUB
Address: 174 Queen Victoria St, London

Our second stop is the Black Friar Pub.

Time for our second drink. Mmm, still refreshing!

The Black Friar was built in 1875 on the site of a former Dominican friary. It’s especially well known for its Art Nouveau style, including the intricate mosaics on the exterior and the stained glass inside.

The interior was reimagined and redone in 1905 by architect Herbert Fuller-Clark and artist Henry Poole. The highlights are the copper reliefs depicting cheerful friars in scenes inspired by the friary's heritage.

In case you don’t know, a “friary” is where friars live, while a “monastery” is where, yes, monks live.

What’s the difference between a monk and a friar?

Monks live a more secluded life of prayer and contemplation, mostly staying inside a monastery’s walls. Meanwhile, friars lead more active lives, frequently engaging with the outside community.

Think Friar Tuck running around with Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men versus St. Benedict, who founded the Benedictine Order.

I definitely would have been a friar.

But friars and monks did have something in common. Both brewed beer! That makes this spot a perfect place for a pub today.

Monks and friars brewed beer as a way to be self-sufficient.

This also made them pretty important in medieval Europe, where water supplies were often contaminated, and beer wasn’t just safe to drink but also provided much-needed nutrition.

And you thought drinking was only for taking the edge off!

Okay, finish up your drinks. It’s time to move on!

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THE SHERLOCK HOLMES PUB
Address: 10 Northumberland St, London

Are you ready for our next pub? Because the game is afoot!

You're probably not a Sherlock Holmes fan if you don’t recognize what I’m saying.

(In the otherwise excellent version starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Holmes offers a much more boring, “The game is on.)

Let’s head inside and get our drinks.

I normally have one cider every couple of weeks, so I’m already feeling a bit light-headed. But in for a penny, in for a pound! Or since we’re in England, should that be “in for a pence, in for a pound?”

When I first heard about the Sherlock Holmes Pub, I thought it was probably a gimmicky new place cashing in on the rise of themed pubs. And I figured its collection of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia had all been ordered from Amazon.

But no! The Sherlock Holmes opened way back in 1957, almost seventy years ago. It was a themed pub before themed pubs were even a thing.

Much of the collection on display is even older. It dates back to 1951 when the Marylebone Public Library decided to create a collection for the Festival of Britain.

But the pub isn’t only a collection of Holmes memorabilia. Patrons can also check out a recreation of Holmes’ sitting room at 221B Baker Street.

Since opening, the pub has been a draw for Holmes’ enthusiasts — including myself. As a boy, I loved watching classic Holmes movies, like The Hounds of the Baskervilles, starring Basil Rathbone.

But I also loved the new series on PBS a few years ago. How about you folks? Any Sherlock fans here?

Okay, everyone, time to go. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a wee bit tipsy. Be careful getting up!

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FLIGHT CLUB Bloomsbury
Address: 6 Sir Simon Milton Sq, London

Okay, this place took more work to find than I thought. I guess three apple ciders have really gone to my head. Hoo boy!

Speaking of which, maybe we should’ve come to this pub first. Why?

Because Flight Club — a play on the movie Fight Club starring Brad Pitt — is a pub built around the very British game of darts!

So let’s everyone be careful of our aim, okay?

Let’s head inside.

Check out the gorgeous wallpaper. This place is class with a capital “C.” But don’t get distracted going down those stairs.

If you think the entry is gorgeous, wait until you see the bar right around the corner.

How fantastic is that? Inspired by a carousel, it’s a one-of-a-kind, and I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be one of the highlights of our pub crawl.

The Flight Club has a lot of classy touches, including these fun stained-glass windows.

The horse you see below is named “Andrea” and goes right along with the bar’s carousel theme.

Why is this pub named Flight Club Bloomsbury?

Because the club is located in the Bloomsbury district in London’s West London, long considered a cultural, intellectual, and fashion center of London.

If you’ve heard the name Bloomsbury, it’s likely in association with “the Bloomsbury Set” — writers and thinkers such as Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, and E.M. Forster. I bet they used to get drunk and play darts here.

Speaking of which, grab a drink and play a game ourselves.

Check out this sweet setup. It has great wood paneling and that fantastic mural, and it has a high-tech scoreboard that electronically senses where your dart hits.

Here’s my first throw…

Oh, geez, sorry about that, Barb. Are you okay?

That doesn’t look like too much blood. Okay, yeah, it really was a bad idea coming here this late into our pub crawl.

Why don’t we all finish up our drinks and head out before someone loses an eye? That’s four down and two to go!

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MR. FOGG’S TAVERN
Address: 58 St Martin's Ln, London

Is everyone here? Let me count. One, two, three, five, two…

Wow, those ciders are potent! Oh, well, it’s not like you guys signed releases.

Okay, so this is Mr. Fogg’s Tavern, and I fell in love with it the minute I walked by.

Take another look at the doorway!

As us Americans like to say, “Go home big!” No, wait, “Go big or go home!” That’s not it either. Got it!

“GO BIG OR GO HOME!”

Anyway, Mr. Fogg’s really went big. Let’s go inside and check it out. I hope we can get a seat. The first time I came here, it was absolutely jam-packed.

Look, there’s an empty table. Grab it!

What did I say about going big? Have you ever seen so many Union Jacks? And look at that ceiling! There’s a French horn! A pram! A birdcage! Why?

Why not!

There are also antique pots, a brass diving helmet, and taxidermy.

Crazy, huh?

This rounds on me, and then I’ll tell you a bit more about Mr. Frogs, er, Mr. Foggs.

This Victorian-style pub is inspired by Phileas Fogg, the fictional adventurer from the Jules Verne novel Around the World in 80 Days. Maybe all the stuff up on the ceiling are things would’ve Mr. Fogg picked up on his travels?

Unlike some of the spots we’ve been to today, Mr. Fogg’s really goes in on the old-fashioned English pub feeling, and I love that.

On Thursday evenings, the pub hosts Cockney sing-alongs. Those sound like a blast.

Did you notice the bartenders? They’re dressed up like we’re back in the 19th century, which would be totally awesome. Well, except for all the pollution from burning coal, the horse manure in the streets, women and minorities not having rights, and the whole Jack the Ripper thing.

But I digress.

On that note, it’s time for us to head off to our final destination. Grab your coats and I’ll meet you outside.

What’s that? Yes, I’m ready. I just wanted to take one last look because I like this place so much.

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THE RABBIT HOLE PUB
Address: 151-153 Greyhound Lane, Streatham

Are we ready for our last pub?

I saved it for last because it’s pretty trippy and I figured it would be good if showed up here…snoggered? Snookered?

Well, whatever they call drunk in Jolly Old England.

The first time I walked by the Rabbit Hole, I thought I was hallucinating. Was I really seeing a bunch of blue rabbits on that building?

Yup, I was.

Then I went inside — and things got more trippy.

How is that for a freaky mural? What vibe is this pub going for? Orange maniac? English LSD trip?

Because that mural freaks me the hell out.

Let’s go to the bar and get a drink, although given how bizarre this place is maybe that isn’t the best idea.

Oh, well! We’re almost done anyway.

At least the bar looks relatively normal. Get your drink and take a look around and see if you can figure out what’s going on here.

Check out the blue little girl. And that bloody rose.

I told you this pub was trippy!

As you can see, the theme is Alice in Wonderland.

But not in a “let’s take the kids to the pub sort of way.”

It’s more like, “Let’s take some shrooms and see what happens” kind of way.

Let’s look more closely at Alice.

Her face is blue, but her hair is strawberry blonde. That’s unsettling. And is that really the face of a kid? She looks kind of hard to me as she spies on the Cheshire Cat, which is so far the most normal thing here.

The entire experience would be deeply unsettling if my head weren’t spinning from six pints of cider.

But the rest of the decor is quite classy. I could see hanging out here with a pint. Well, at least if they covered these murals.

Let’s pull up a chair and wrap things up.

What did everyone think? Aren’t London’s themed pubs pretty danged cool?

Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. But again, Barb, I'm really sorry I hit you with that dart.

But at least it looks like the bleeding has finally stopped.

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Michael Jensen is a travel writer, amateur photographer, and novelist. Check out his other newsletter about his travels at BrentAndMichaelAreGoingPlaces.com.