Comments on: THE FT TOP 25 PUBS OF THE 00′s No 25, The Kings Arms, Borough

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:28:35 +0000

I meant oiky. Though my oik in this case is just loud lager swilling city boys completely filling up tables and leaving bags in the way.

Cross Channel Ferry pubs, thin and long, with multiple rooms. Its impossible to get any depth at the bar and you end up drinking in a completely different room to the one the bar is in, making it just like drinking on a cross channel ferry.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:02:28 +0000

One of the problems with the George is that it has a good reputation that has spread far and wide. The times I’ve been out drinking in that area with people who are not regular London pubgoers (with no disrespect – I’m hardly one myself nowadays) they have invariably mentioned The George. In itself this isn’t a sign of anything bad – and it’s a good pub, no worse than many others in that stretch – but multiply the effect and it makes the G very busy indeed.

I also think – and this may just be the basest prejudice – that the pub enjoys its good reputation a little too much. There is a particular feeling you get from a boozer which fancies itself a bit, and I get it from the George. A few years ago I didn’t, mind.

By: Andrew F

Andrew F — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:39:17 +0000

Haha I can’t think of a word more likely to endear me to anything that ‘oiky’ – was it really the one you meant, Pete? I do really like the tables, when you can get them: inside has generally been warm in any weather, care to expand on the ‘cross-channel ferry’?

Of course my weakness in these debates is that I have a tin tongue for beers – I only drink cider, and will drink any cider (that isn’t that one you only find in the Foundry).

By: CarsmileSteve

CarsmileSteve — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:10:21 +0000

I think it was when they painted the walls magnolia throughout that i went off the george. this was pretty much the same time as GK took over i think…

the KP is much nicer and proper cosy.

also, there was the night, after the radio that we watched the brits ceremony on the telly in there, much to the disgust of most of the locals…

By: marna

marna — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:48:09 +0000

Patches of it had a lovely aged stale beer smell that always made me happy. (Patches of it probably still do have that smell, but eugh eugh Greene King beers mean I’ve not been there in *ages*.)

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:37:14 +0000

The George has always been either too busy in the summer with its rows of oiky tables outside, or oddly poky and cold in the winter, and often akin to drinking on a cross channel ferry.

By: marna

marna — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:34:23 +0000

The George is managed by Greene King these days. I preferred it when it was the National Trust – tastier beers, for one thing.

By: sarah logged out

sarah logged out — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:04:18 +0000

I dreamt once that I had a pint of Deuchars Dark in the Kings Arms – I am not sure if such a drink exists, but it should…

By: Andrew F

Andrew F — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:49:34 +0000

I think I’ve been with Matt when he wasn’t in this one – One of the pub crawls nearly foundered on its rocks!

I admit that I don’t understand the things that make a great pub, but for a place to sit and have a pint, The George is very good.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Always, its remains a lovely pub I believe. The weekend closure thing makes it a bit annoying, it would certainly be higher if we would have been able to use it earlier this year to meet in.

By: Matt DC

Matt DC — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:36:36 +0000

I have never actually been in this one. FAP sometime?

By: Pete

Pete — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:17:54 +0000

Ah yes, I forgot this particular part of the legend. When arranging to meet at this pub there was often much debate over whether this was the Kings Arms or the Kings Head and as such, the pub got referred to as the Kings Part as it covered both bases.

By: Not logged in carsmile

Not logged in carsmile — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:59:38 +0000

Kings Part, call it by its name!