East Devon Pubs

London calling

Right then, one for the London massif... Regular drinkers visiting our illustrious capital city in the near future, would find themselves in a happy haze of bars, pubs, wine bars, old time boozers, restaurant bars, cocktail bars (and juice bars, though I prefer not to think about them too much) So how to choose which one of the thousands to go to? Well there are many and I will no doubt be outlining a few of them, all in good time. But one venue worth a look is the world famous (their words) Dog and Fox in Wimbledon village. Less than two miles from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the Dog and Fox is possibly the most popular drinking hole in the village. An interesting if pricey, range of lagers like Peroni and Asahi are on sale, as well as a good mix of wines. This being London, there are also champagnes on the menu, a decent variety ranging from the average to the exceptional. One to think twice about may be the Young's own brand champagne. It's popularity comes from it being one of only two available by the glass, the rest come by the bottle only. But having sipped a few bottles with an estimed drinking partner during my year in the rat race, the taste was not one I would recommend to friends. Without wanting to be rude, let me just say that there are better bottles out there, although you would generally have to pay more for them, suprise suprise. However, champers aside, the Dog and Fox, post its referb of two years ago had a large restaurant area which is somewhat quieter than the main bar area. Main courses vary between £10-£15. There is also a perennially popular outdoor drinking area, now ever busier thanks to the smoking ban. Overall, the Dog is a great place for a get-together, with enough space in a good sized bar for several large groups. And I think this is what makes this such a good place - lively atmosphere, good company and quality drinks, although it may take you time to actually get one, the bar staff are not the speediest in the world.