Mind the Tap: An Introduction

I have lived in London now for three and a half years and for much of that time I have held a desire to visit every London Underground station. All 272 of them since the Northern Line was extended to include Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station. As far as I can recollect, I think I've entered or exited seventy-eight of them, proportionally less than ten percent of tube stops each year.

In the seven years I've legally been allowed to enter and consume alcohol in them, I've grown a great affinity for the humble public house. That staple of the British high street, end of terrace, flat roofed estate, village green and undulating country pass. And yet I've recently realised I have an inability to recall some of the great pubs I've visited in my post-teenage life.

And with that came my idea.

As a means of making my way round all of the stations across the London Underground's eleven lines, I shall visit a pub close to each stop and publish a post here detailing the experience of each tube station and tavern for your (or more likely my own) enjoyment. Such is London's enormity and diversity, from Zones 1 to 9 I expect to encounter every kind of pub and intend on showing you the charm of each and every one.

However, first it is probably best to set out the key factors which will influence my choosing and enjoyment of each establishment I shall visit. For the purposes of this lengthy expedition I shall be following Campaign for Real Ale's definition of a pub which states that a licensed premises must:

Be open to and welcome the general public without requiring membership or residency and without charging admission;
Serve at least one draft beer or cider;
Allow drinking without requiring food to be consumed, and have at least one indoor area not laid out for meals; and
Allow customers to buy a drink at a bar without relying on table service.

When it comes to selecting an establishment which befits these requirements near an Underground station, I am issuing my own rules and regulations:

All pubs must be within a 5 minute walk of the relevant tube station, unless there is no pub within in this proximity. In this case, the pub must be within 15 minutes walking distance;
The chosen pub does not have to be the closest pub to the station, provided that in remains within 5 minutes walking distance;
The pub must be located nearest to the visited station as opposed to an alternative station. In the exceptional circumstances where the nearest pub is located closer to a different station, it must be ensured that the other station has a pub located closer to it; and
Try to avoid visiting pubs for the following purposes: work-related drinks, evening entertainment including parties, sports events and having already visited a multitude of pubs on the same day. Visits to pubs for these purposes will likely skew my opinion of them.

With the ground rules set it is probably worth getting my biases out the way and letting you know my likes and dislikes when it comes pubs as these will no doubt influence my recollections.

During the winter months, I am very partial to a cosy pub. Especially a carpeted one with a fire and a wooden decor that almost certainly wouldn't get built today. An extensive literary collection is an added plus.

At warmer times of the year I thoroughly enjoy a beer garden provided it isn't filled with wankers, which, regrettably, they often are. Pubs which spill out onto the street despite not providing seating space for their patrons and, by contrast, pubs which have beer gardens hidden from the street, only known about once one has entered the pub are particular favourites.

Wetherspoons are the devil and I'm yet to be indoctrinated into the cult of Brewdog. Both shall be avoided wherever possible. Chains like Young's and Greene King I have less of a problem with, possibly because I'm unfamiliar with their owners.

I don't take particular issue with food being served in pubs, however, I do believe that if you're going to serve food, you should only serve one cuisine. Some cuisines and foods that do not belong in pubs include:

Indian and South Asian - The curry house, like the pub, is a magical place and the two shouldn't be combined. Take note Wetherspoons Curry Club.
Pasta - I would tolerate lasagne but I'm unaware of a lasagne restaurant let alone pub.
Kebabs - For obvious reasons.
Mexican - The jury's out.