Sloe down

Pub 243. The Sloe Bar, 16th December 2013.

A sectioned off corner of Euston Station, tucked right of the way near platfom, the only passing trade must be on the way to the station's 30p a time toilets.
But despite that it was rammed - I actually had to stand up to enjoy my John Smith's Keg-flo.

Like the new All Bar One nearby what attracts people to a place a like this? Even the Britannia is still inside the station so you can keep an eye on your departures, and that place has proper beer.

Perhaps people like the strong whiff of deisel fumes in there, or perhaps the novelty of drinking in the only pub in Camden that doesn't have its own toilets.

But to be fair, for what it is, it isn't that bad.

All Bar Me.

Pub 242. All Bar One (Euston), 16th December 2013.

Hooray - there's a new pub in Camden. Boo - it's an All Bar One.

And on this occasion it was rammed. All the nice pubs near here and everyone's in here. Maybe they're the type of people who actually like All Bar Ones, paying £4+ for a pint, and sitting in a noisy glass box with less charm than a skip full of empties.

What do they see in such a place... and all the time good pubs - or even just plain old 'proper' pubs are closing left, right & centre, and this place is raking it in. I don't know.

Bean and gone

Pub 241. Henry J. Bean's.

Now it's a touristy highly-stylised themed restaurant, it's easy to remember that there was once a touristy highly-stylised themed pub here. Henry J. Bean's was an supposedly American style pub, but as I recall once inside it was about American as an All-Bar-One. In fact, as I recall, it was just like an All-Bar-One. All blond wood and blond lager.

We used to go there after work when I worked nearby, and would either look out for or be accompanied by minor celebs from MTV. I can't really remember - such celebs are wasted on me, as are pubs like this.

It closed maybe 10 years ago now.