Top 5 Craft Beer Pubs in London series – The Harp
London’s craft beer scene is booming and there are growing numbers of great pubs in the city. Jane Peyton wrote us a guide to the best craft beer pubs in London. Pub number two is The Harp.
Trafalgar Square is considered to be the centre of London – the spot from which all distances to the capital are measured. If you are looking for the craft beer pub at the centre of London then look no further than the Harp, a one-minute walk from the square.
You cannot miss the Harp because depending on time of day, you will spot first the hanging baskets resplendent with colourful flowers or the throngs of drinkers, beer glass in hand standing on the pavement outside and sometimes when it is particularly busy even on the opposite side of the narrow street.
This pub is rightly celebrated. At all times there are 10 cask ales in a variety of styles from small and medium sized breweries, several keg lines and there is always a selection of real cider in boxes. Awards galore have been bestowed on the Harp, including the coveted CAMRA National Pub of the Year, and London Cider Pub of the Year.
Have a look above the serving area – the space is plastered with countless pump clips from beers that have graced the bar over the years, creating a psychedelic aide-memoire.
The interior walls are decked with portraits of well-known and unknown people painted with varying degrees of talent. It makes an amusing challenge to guess whether that painting really is, for instance, Elizabeth Taylor or someone who resembles her.
The Harp is a very popular pub so it is almost always packed out. Being long and narrow this means getting up close and personal with the other customers. But if ever a pub was worth getting repeatedly elbowed in, this is it.
Address: 47 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HS
Telephone: 020 7836 0291
Twitter: @harppub
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarpCoventGarden
Website: http://www.harpcoventgarden.com
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