Feel grand on The Strand

It's not easy to escape the hustle and bustle of The Strand in London, but when you manage to find a nice little gem to relax in, it should be treasured.

And that's exactly what The Coal Hole public house is.

Right on the main through-fare, The Coal Hole is inconspicuous from the outside, but majestic and traditional on the inside. While there is no promise of speedy service at the bar on entering due to its location and popularity with workers as well as tourists, the waiting time lends a chance to admire the surroundings.

The peri peri chicken wings were certainly a sizzling treat

We were met by the welcoming Vitas, who advised us that our table downstairs was ready when we were. I decided to sample a pint of Nutty Black, from the Thwaites Brewery. I was met by a smooth, chocolatey delight, with a slight hint of toffee apple!

Upon finishing my pint, we were showed downstairs to our corner booth table by Vitas, and told that waitress Egle would be looking after us. As she handed our menus over with a cheery smile, I was looking forward to some good old British fare!

The salmon starter was sufficient and fresh-tasting

I decided on the peri peri chicken wings for starter, while my partner went for the smoked salmon with dill. The chicken was suitably seasoned which is often taken for granted, and the meat was tender and juicy. I was left wishing I had gone for the larger portion (£7.95) as for £4.95, could have been more.

My partner commented that the salmon had a lovely flavour, and unlike in some restaurants, it was more melt-in-your mouth than chewy, and the portion of fish was suitable for a starter.

The rich and 'special treat' of venison sausages and mash

After consuming my spicy selection, for main course I plumped, by popular opinion, for the premium line cod fillet. I say popular opinion as the research I carried out prior to this review saw me stumble upon endless recommendations to try this house favourite.

I also decided on a pint of Jaipur ale, from the Thornbridge Brewery, apparently a house special, on the recommendation of Egle. The ale was crisp and refreshing, and seemed like a perfect accompaniment to my fish dish.

Sourced using sustainable fishing methods, the fillet is hand- battered in the company's own Nicholson’s Pale Ale and served with skin on chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. As a northerner, I like to think I know a thing or two about decent fish and chips (The Wetherby Whaler being a local favourite)

And I had the only complaint I had here was that there wasn't enough chips on my plate! The fish was juicy and the batter cooked to a perfect crisp with no doughy bits in sight. The chips were hot, and the side of mushy peas was must for such a delightful dish.

My partner selected the venison sausages and mash. Three venison and red wine sausages served on
creamy mashed potato, topped off with homemade onion rings and redcurrant jelly. Again, there were no complaints on this one either. The gravy was flavoursome, which added to the rich texture of the fine sausages.

The fish and chips is now recommended by me as well as many other previous diners!

Unfortunately we were too full for dessert, which may have come as a pleasant surprise to Egle as the restaurant was certainly filling up and she appeared to be very busy.

All in all we had no complaints about the food, service or venue, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to The Coal Hole. However we would like to make some observations.

While not being unique to The Coal Hole, there is a lack of lighter options on the main menu. While this rarely, if ever, affects me, it could be an issue to some. Eating at The Coal Hole, we found, was a bit of a treat. It was a time to ignore 'calorie-content', to kick back with a nice pint of house ale, and rest our weary feet. I would advise when making a booking or eating at this venue to take a similar stance, so as to fully appreciate the fine British food on offer.

Saturday night diners tuck in to some good quality British food

Also, prospective diners/drinkers should be aware that the venue is likely to be busy at most times during the week and at weekends, due to its central location, close to Charing Cross, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. So no clicking your fingers here please!

Scores on the doors (out of 10)

Setting -8
Service -9
Quality of food -9
Cleanliness and decor -8

Total score  - 34/40

To make a booking for The Coal Hole, click here

Christmas time, mistletoe and..... ALE!

As a follow-up to the fantastic afternoon sampling Nicholson's ale festival specialities, I was cordially invited to sample the company's Christmas ales one evening at the De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar in Soho London.

Accompanying me on this festive delight was long-time school friend Daniel.

Nicholson’s Pubs celebrates the festive season by producing a selection of seven exclusive Christmas Ales in collaboration with some of the UK’s key top brewers.

The speakers line up to present their Christmas ales

The company’s experienced Cask Masters have specially crafted their own ales, brewed in collaboration with Moorhouse, Oxfordshire, Andwells, Broughton, Sambrooks, Vale and Brentwood breweries and available across over 80 pubs nationwide throughout December 2012. 

So our evening involved tasting the seven specialities on offer, and here they are, with a brief description, our thoughts and ratings!

Ding Dong - but did it make the bells ring?

Ding Dong

ABV: 4.5%
Taste: A warm chestnut beer with a rich marmalade aroma
Brewery: Andwell

This was our first Christmas ale of the evening, and was some start. It had a sweet, dessert flavour, and as oppose to some other ales that promises a flavour it can't really provide, the sweet aftertaste of marmelade was delightful.

Scores

Daniel - 7

John - 8

Meads Must

ABV: 4.7%
Taste: A superb dark ruby red ale with a hint of honey and quince.
Brewery: Oxfordshire

Although higher in ABV content than the first, this ale lacked any kind of bite, and had a rather weak aftertaste. We both deduced that unfortunately it's smell, which was rich and sweet, was better than its taste.

Scores

Daniel -6

John - 5

The representatives from those involved with The Only Way Is Santa  put on an enthusiastic presentation

Five Gold Rings

ABV: 4.8%
Taste: A dark mahogany coloured brew with an aroma of roasted malt, the taste of fruit and subtle spice flavours are followed by a long , warm and slightly bitter finish.
Brewery: Vale

A lovely, warm and spicy ale, a real winter special. This had a good, all-round solid taste which could be felt in between drinks. Although early in the evening, we knew this was going to be up there with the best.

Scores

Daniel -7

John -8

 
London Winter Ale

ABV: 4.6%
Taste: A deep red ale which takes its spicy aroma from a blend of English hops.  With a rich sweet and tangy taste this beer is an ideal accompaniment to steak, venison, game and Christmas Pudding.
Brewery: Sambrookes

Both of us had heard of the Sambrookes brewery, so were pleasantly surprised to hear that it had only been brewing from Battersea since 2008. And with this concoction, they are on to a winner. It had a real chocolatey taste, and we felt was one of the more powerful on the palate of the evening.

Scores

Daniel -8

John -7

Elves Bells

ABV: 4%
Taste: A deep chestnut brown coloured ale, brewed with Maris Otter malted barley and crystal malt to give hints of sweet malt, biscuit and caramel tones.  Balanced by the use of cascade hops to give floral and spice notes on the nose, there is a pleasant full bitterness in the aftertaste.
Brewery: Moorhouse

This was the 'most drinkable' ale of the evening - that is to say it was the one most suited to staying on all night. This may be to do with the alcohol content, but it was also to do with its succinct, dessert taaste, where each of the ingredients were discernable. Also, the fact that is was devoid of sugar added to its popularity!

Scores

Daniel -8

John -8

The Only Way Is Santa

ABV: 5.2%
Taste: A rich ruby beer with a smooth malt character, Willamette hops give this beer spicy, blackcurrant aromas and flavours. Plums and cinnamon have been added to compliment the beers character with a delectably rich flavour and a gentle spice. 
Brewery: Brentwood

The highest ABV of the evening, and also, the joint-highest overall score from our ratings! While Joey Essex and Chloe Simms from TOWIE may not choose this tipple on their night out in the Sugar Hut, Essex should be very proud of this particular concoction (could these characters also be labelled 'concoctions' though??). We were told this ale gives you 'one of your five-a-day' and if five glasses of this sorted that out, then we'll raise our glass to that!

Scores

Daniel -9

John -8

Santa's Oatmeal Stout SOS

ABV: 4.8%
Taste: Bursting with oatmeal and chocolate aromas, this dark brown ale uses a blend of five malts and oats, delivering a mouthful of smooth roasted flavours and a lingering rich taste.
Brewery: Broughton

Certainly one of the liveliest ales on the palate of the evening, and with a lingering taste in the mouth and throat, this finished joint-top in the ratings with The Only Way Is Santa. Again, the flavours mingled exceptionally well, and the aftertaste left us wanting more. It felt as strong as the previous ale, and felt, as we did here, it would be the perfect pint to round off an evening with (and probably start off with too!).

Scores

Daniel -9

John -8

The presentations all came across as genuine and knowledgable

After the presentations from representatives from the various breweries were finished, expertly hosted by British Craft Guild of Beer Writers member and author Melissa Cole, those present were invited to help themselves to the casks of Christmas ales. There was no desire to take advantage of the volume of alcohol on offer - it was the kind of night to enjoy the varied tastes of all the respective ales, chat to others present, and then be on our sober way home.

Well, most of that is true!

For more information on Nicholson's Christmas Ales, visit the website at www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk

Nicholson’s offers an historic and distinctive collection of pubs across the UK, with warm and inviting hospitality through its authentic British pub atmosphere.  Delivering quality hearty British classics served with a modern twist, take a break from Christmas shopping and enjoy lunch or dinner at many of the hidden upstairs dining rooms.  Alternatively the festive menus provide a great solution for office get-togethers or groups of friends and family.

Guest ales are expertly matched with dishes from the food menu, or alternatively, experience Nicholson’s equalled passion for fine wine with its impressive cellars containing classics and vintages from the old and new world.  

 

 

 

Warm the cockles with Nicholson's Autumn Ale Festival!

An afternoon sampling ale sounded right up my street. Added to that was the fact that I was scheduled to be meeting up with a couple of old University friends, and the seed was sown, and we were cordially invited to sample the delights of Nicholson's Ale Festival. (Click here for history of the Nicholson's branding on the 'reviews' page).

The Nicholson's London Ale trail runs through Soho and Oxford Street, Theatreland, Piccadilly to Westminster, the Financial District, historical Blackfriars and London Bridge to Tower Bridge, in the city centre.

Add another three sites just outside the centre of London, and there's 43 pubs to sample the delight of Great British ales.

Left to right; Cask ale expert Ben Lockwood, The Clachan manager Greg Yates,
and yours truly

We settled for an afternoon in one of the venues (not lazy, just comfortable), and this was The Clachan, near to Oxford Circus tube station on Kingly Street.

On notifying the bar manager that we weren't just dossers taking an afternoon off to tank up on the super selection of ales on offer, but that I was there to review the festival, we were offered our first sample - a pint of the 24 Carat Gold, a Liverpool-brewed ale.

And a great start that was! The ale was lively and refreshing, the orange notes very clear in the pint, a superb selection from manager Greg Yates.

After finishing a meeting, assistant brand manager and cask ale expert Ben Lockwood joined us at the table - and after being briefed of his experience and enthusiasm for his line of work, I expected a 40-years-old + gent to be joining us.

I was wrong, as shuffling down next to us was a youthful smartly-dressed chap, who, similar to me as I am a youthful, smartly-dressed chap, was 28-years-old.

His knowledge and history in the trade was fascinating, his pride and dedication very evident, and it helped that he asked us questions as well as us quizzing him, and it made it a nicely-settled atmosphere.

After some interesting conversation, Ben decided that we would crack on with sampling some of the ales on offer. And here's how they went down, with scoring courtesy of myself, my home-brewing ale expert Andy, and some geezer we met on the way (joke) Greg.

Proper Job

ABV: 4.5%
Style: IPA
Taste: A powerfully hopped golden bitter that explodes with citrus grapefruit flavours
Location: Cornwall

It is always difficult to score an ale when it is first (discounting our pre-drink) on the menu. Yet all three of us were confident this would be right up there. The ale was crisp, the flavours of the hops spicy, yet not overwhelming, and it left a really strong mouthfeel.

Scores

Andy - 9
Greg - 7
John - 8

There were certainly a few ales to get through...

Lamplighter

ABV: 4.8%
Style: Amber
Taste: Roasted malts, fruity and hoppy
Location: Essex

This beer is brewed in memory of founder William Nicholson, whose original homemade gin, before trying his expert hand to ale, was called Lamplighter. The citric aromas, mixed with an earthy aftertaste made it seem all ends up a sure-fire house ale. The taste however, seemed like it could be of a seasonal nature, perhaps more an autumn/winter warmer, which affected the scoring.

Scores

Andy - 8
Greg - 6
John - 9


Real Blonde

ABV: 4%
Style: Blonde
Taste: Refreshing, balanced, light and fruity
Location: Batley

Admittedly, I went into this taste-test with a bias insofar that Batley is close to where I was brought up. However, this ale turned out to be my least favourite. Nothing to do with its qualities as a blonde ale, but simply that I prefer a heavy, dark ale. We all felt it tasted very 'light' and hit little effect on the palate - but perhaps it is an acquired taste!

I had a go at pulling my own - apparently it was the 'perfect pint'

Scores

Andy - 5
Greg - 5
John - 6


Black Gold

ABV: 3.7%
Style: Mild
Taste: Roasted malts giving a unique rich and luscious flavour
Location: Skipton

Again I wanted to be biased - Skipton is a lovely place not far from my home in Leeds. So I naturally scored it high - but for good reason. I found the ale very flavoursome, like a well-nurtured desert, very grainy and caramel-like. Sadly, I think my colleagues were getting full up as shown in their scoring.

Scores

Andy - 6
Greg - 6
John - 8

Think the lads were happy with the afternoon's entertainment!

Titanic Iceberg

ABV: 4.1%
Style: Pale
Taste: A fantastic wheat beer that holes any passing thirst
Location: Stoke-on-Trent

A really refreshing beer that had a very special zest that makes you forget that it contains any alcohol. This is certainly an ale you could spend a night on and be happy with your choice. However, it might lack that special edge that others might bring.

Scores

Andy - 6
Greg - 7
John - 7


Three Swords

ABV: 4.5%
Style: Pale
Taste: The three hops give a delightful citrus nose
Location: Leeds

Now here it was, the final ale, from my home town, Leeds. And I was not disappointed, and neither were my colleagues, who had no bias whatsoever! This was the clear winner! It is a real thirst-quencher, containing a different sensation on each taste. It was a complex taste with many different flavours on the palate, but each one discernible. A sure fire winner!

Scores

Andy - 9
Greg - 8
John - 9


And so we were shortly on our way. Well oiled for the evening, but with a realisation that we didn't want to ruin it with sub-standard alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, as we didn't frequent any more Nicholson's pubs on our tour of London, we knew there was no point trying the ales of other establishments as they wouldn't match up. So we decided to stay on water for the evening to as to not spoil the palate.

Well, that might not be wholly true, but our ale-tasting session at The Clachan was certainly the highlight of our meeting. Bravo!

The Autumn Ale Festival runs until November 18 in all Nicholson's pubs in London and beyond. For more information contact visit the website at www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk