My 2 Pints
This is one of my favourite pubs in London; probably the top one at the moment. What’s even better about it, is it’s the closest pub from work, right across the street in fact.
Where to start? The staff maybe. It’s only got a staff of around 3 or 4 bar people. All of them full-time, working most days and nights, so you get to know them, get familiar. Still don’t talk to them obviously, we’re still in London here. We’re not gonna be arm in arm singing and dancing and doing each other’s homework are we?
The prices? Normal London Pub prices to be honest - £3-£4. Not ultra cheap like some of those Sam Smith’s places in Soho, but hey… you get branded beers so if that’s what you want it’s not too bad. They don’t put you off having 1 or 6 anyway.
The people? There’s a few offices around that area, a couple of creative style businesses, and some kind of gated office space estate more for suit & tie businesses, so it’s a work crowd mostly. The only housing around the area is Council Flats, and I guess the prices cut most of them out (especially when there are cheaper, more downtrodden pubs in the area). Everyone’s generally in a good mood… they’ve been at work (mostly in a boring office) all day, and they’re so relieved to be there, they’ll be friendly with anyone.
Beer Garden? Tick. 4 Picnic style tables, a couple of heaters, a plant, all on the back patio away from the street. It’s small and cosy enough to retain the main pub’s atmosphere, and it stays warm enough into the evening what with the heaters and people n’ that.
Food? One of the best things about the place. If you’re coming in at lunch time, they put on a good cheap menu. Burger, Surf and Turf, Sausage and Mash, Vegetarian options, it’s all there. It’s around £7-8 as I remember, for a main. I wouldn’t strictly call It Gastro, but it’s not Wetherspoons’ ‘Rip the lid off a plastic container and shove it in a microwave’ – proper, good quality grub. It’s all cooked a kitchen behind the bar, that’s not walled off so you can see into it. Even if you’re coming in the evening, they do food until 10 (although I’ve never seen anyone eat a main after lunch). They do a tasty take-away pizza as well, so if you live nearby and fancy getting home with a pizza, you won’t have to iPhone the nearest take-away for a bowl of tomato flavoured grease soup. Even if you’re in for just a couple after work (most likely), you can get a small (Amercian McDonalds size small, so still massive) bowl of chips for £2. And a large (I don’t want to think how big that would be) for £3. They must have them on constantly too, they arrive almost instantly.
All these points… they’re pointless really aren’t they? I mean I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to write down why you like a pub whilst separating your points into Food/Prices/People etc… I have, it’s very hard. This isn’t the kind of stuff that makes a pub (not a proper boozer anyway) No no… it’s the atmosphere, just the ‘feeling’ of the place. Some of course may passionately disagree with me, everyone’s opinion is allowed, and therefore will be entirely different. But The Lavender’s atmos is relaxing, comforting, cheerful and easy. From the colour of the walls, the lighting, even right down to the furniture. It’s the little things. All the tables and chairs look like they’ve been bought from different car boot sales, all slightly different sizes. Most of the chairs have trays in the back. I don’t honestly know why, but I like to think that they used to be used in a church (which subsequently sold them on) – and the trays were used to keep the bibles.
There’s a bit of background music, but they don’t force it on you. Yeah, you have to raise your voice, but you can still comfortably have a conversation with a person across the other side of the table. I don’t have how they’ve done it, but somehow the acoustics allow you to hear the background music, but not anyone else talking. When you’re in there, either with one other person, or a large group, everyone and everything else just bleeds into the background. And what you’re left with is just you’re friends and some drinks. No interruptions. No problems. Just good conversation and good times.
I’ve never quite experienced any other place that gives the same standard offer. If you live anywhere near the area, I strongly suggest you drop in after work, for lunch, or on a weekend. I ask just one thing, if you DO go, let me know and I’ll get them in.
BEER SELECTION: Stella / Fosters / Carlsberg / Becks / Bitter / Magners Kronenberg. Great - *****
COST OF A ROUND: £8-£10 - ****
STAFF: Friendly, small team, don’t get angry when it’s busy. - *****
FOOD: Lovely well cooked mains served all day. Cheap chips and take-away Pizza - *****
SKIRT RATIO: Mostly office types, not bad. But not generally people on a night out. Try the weekend - ***
Overall: *****
The Lavender - Vauxhall - Brought to you by James Wormald -