Thursday 19 January 2017

18/01/17 - Old Street Good Beer Guide Pubs

I find myself at a customer meeting at Old Street Station, looking completely out of place with no discernible facial hair or wheeled transport more suited to a toddler.

Great Eastern Street
Street Art.  Trains.  On Buildings.  We must be near Hoxton.
Meeting completed and there is time to tick off the two Camra Good Beer Guide Entries in the area.

The Crown and Shuttle, Shoreditch High Street, Adnams Southwold Bitter

I had checked the view out of Google Maps.  It looked exactly my sort of place.

Crown and Shuttle
Crown and Shuttle
Unusually, this pub has no entry on beerintheevening.  Other web resources show that this former Trumans (got that from the Architecture) was closed down for 12 long years before reopening in 2013.

Good work.  The building really couldn't have been used for any other purpose.

Inside, it's a hipsters paradise.  Chairs that look like they have been salvaged from schools and extended to high stools by someone who is handy with a welder.  Two rooms, both bare brick, with the backroom hosting a street food serving cart.

Three real ales on in the front bar - there may have different options in the back room.

Crown and Shuttle
That's mine - Southwold Bitter

Crown and Shuttle
Check out the Chairs.  Check out the Street Food Dispensery
A little bit different to the usual GBG Entries and I imagine it all makes more sense when its much busier at night.

The Old Fountain, Baldwin Street, Hackney Best Bitter

Having rectified my wrong exit selection mistake at the Old Street Roundabout, I find the Old Fountain in a tiny little side street around the back of Moorfields Eye Hospital.

And this is why I love the Good Beer Guide.  There is no way I would have ever found this place without it.

Old Fountain
Crane still putting the finishing touches onto London
Traditional looking boozer both inside and outside.  I enter and am met with a cheery hello by the barman who explains where all the beers are and how I can use the blackboard to make my choice.

Old Fountain
Such Choice - An no more expensive than Banbury
Hackney Brewery Best Bitter was chosen and it proved to be a perfect pint.

It was tough to wrench myself away from this classic boozer, but now I know where it is, I'll be sure to come back.

Old Fountain
Timeless Pubiness

2 comments:

  1. I think anyone would need help with that blackboard, it looks like something by Jackson Pollock.
    Great pub though.

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    Replies
    1. It led me to a decent pint of Hackney Best, so I'll forgive it :-)

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