Fleet Street

Fleet Street  - apparently this is one of the most awkward squares on the board.  Being in the City rather than the West End, it serves office workers not the tourists.  This means the pubs are either not open or shut at 3pm on a Saturday.  

This is why we are going to start the pub crawl here.  Time is of the essence, so we all need to be banging on he door demanding to get in at exactly 11am.

The pub we will be starting in is the Ye Old Cheshire Cheese.  However, if there are problems, there are a few others on Fleet Street including The Old Bell, Punch Tavern and the Tipperary.  

From Fleet Street we really need to be catching a bus or a taxi back down towards the Strand.

Strand

On the Strand find a pub – for example the Lyceum Tavern and the Wellington are on the northern side. 

Bow Street

From the Strand, turn up Wellington Street and on to Bow Street – not done this on the test run but apparently we can find The Globe.

Now a 10 – 15 minute walk from Bow Street to Embankment Tube station – no falling out at this point, it does get easier later on.  Take the East London Line southbound to Elephant and Castle.

Come out of Elephant and Castle tube station, turn right on to New Kent Road, Cross over to the bus stop.

Old Kent Road

Take the 53 or 172 bus to Old Kent Rd.

Stay on this bus quite a way down until the Green Man – 276 Old Kent Road – Opposite Tescos.

Catch bus 43 to Tower Bridge.  Note it doesn’t  bloody come very often on Good Friday’s.  We had to walk 2 miles or so – all the lads very pissed off.

There is a mini cab firm 50 yards up the road from the Green Man – we’ll know next time.   

Fenchurch Street Station

Fenchurch Street Station – The Raven – Bloody shut on the test run - cans in left luggage lockers next time?

Whitechapel

Head for the Royal Exchange at start of Whitechapel – if shut (as it was on the test run) there is a pub called Seven Sisters on corner of Whitechapel and Commercial Street.

The first 6 pubs on the route are by far the hardest to travel to.  It may well be worth hiring a mini bus (plus driver) for the first hour or so.

Liverpool Street Station

Walk back to Aldgate Tube.  Tube to Liverpool St Station  - have a drink in Wetherspoons ‘Hamilton Hall’ in the station.  

Angel Islington

From station find bus Bay C and take bus 214 (driven by Jesus if you’re lucky).  Bus every 12 mins up to the Angel Islington.

Drink in Old Red Lion Theatre (St John’s Rd).  Nice enough pub but don’t have a meal there – the landlord was getting the plates down off the wall when he saw us coming in!  

Pentonville Road

Back up St John’s Rd on to Pentonville Rd – just across Rd is the Pint Pot.  

King Cross

Quite a walk now (buses 30/70/214 or flag a cab) down to Kings Cross – Coopers in the station.  

Euston Road

Very short walk to Euston Rd  - O’Neils.  

Marylebone

Must grab a cab at this stage to Marylebone – pub there called Victoria and Albert but shut when we were there.  So cans in left luggage, from offie or drink in pub just outside station.

Park Lane

From Marylebone, take bus number 2 to Park Lane / Hyde Park Corner.  No pubs on Park Lane itself and I’m pretty sure we won’t get into any of the hotels – so Old Park Lane for Rose and Crown.

Mayfair

From Old Park lane onto Hertford Street and find junction with Shepherd Street.  Now you are in the heart of Mayfair (an area not a street).  There is an old pub here called Shepherd Tavern – or others down Shepherd Street including O’ Neil’s.  

Piccadilly

Back onto Piccadilly, head towards Piccadilly Circus until you encounter Henry’s bar.  Here they have a champagne called Monopole – very appropriate – hope its not my round!

Bond Street

Carry on down Piccadilly and turn left up Old Bond Street.  No pubs on Old or New Bond Street, so turn left into Stafford Street here Shelly’s and the Goat Tavern are opposite each other.  

Pall Mall

Back onto Piccadilly, cross the road and head down St James Street onto Pall Mall.  As soon as you are on Pall Mall look for the first left called Crown Passage.  Note, it is a very small pedestrian only walkway and can easily be missed.  10 metres or so up this passage is the Red Lion.  

Vine Street

Back up to Piccadilly and just before the Circus again turn up Swallow Street where you will find Vine Street.  Vine Street is very tiny street and there are no pubs on it.  As such, we need to have a drink on Swallow Street – there a couple of places here, last time we all enjoyed a Sol with Lime in ‘Down Mexico Way’.

Regents Street

Just by Piccadilly Circus is Cheers Bar which is on the bottom of Regent Street.  

Marlborough Street

Now we can either walk up Regents Street or catch the East London Line from Piccadilly Circus to Oxford Circus and turn off Regent Street into Great Marlborough Street.  Here we’ll be drinking in the Fanfare and Firkin.  

Oxford Street

Back into Oxford Circus station and take the Central Line one stop to Tottenham Court Road.  Here we will be drinking in the Tottenham which is on Oxford Street.  

Trafalgar Square

Back on to Tottenham Court Road Station down the Northern Line to Charing Cross Station.  This will take us on to Trafalgar Square – no pubs actually on the square but a couple close enough to count.  Halfway to Heaven on Duncannon Street or The Chandos on St Martins Lane.  

Whitehall

Walk through Trafalgar and onto Whitehall – here drink in Lord Moon of the Mall or Old Shades.  

Northumberland Ave

Round the corner is Northumberland Ave and there is a pub called Sherlock Holmes on Northumberland Street.

Coventry Street

Back up to Leicester Square by foot or by tube.  Walk to Coventry Street – no real pubs here, but the is a TGI Friday’s, if you don’t fancy this, turn down Oxenden Street and find a pub called the Comedy.

Leicester Square

Walk back to Leicester Square – drink in Moon under Water which is a Wetherspoons pub.  I’ve left this till last because if we’ve run out of time, we can always have our final drink in a club.  

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