London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars updates
Central London: Clerkenwell and Smithfield
Exmouth Arms, London EC1
Contemporary pub (Barworks)
23 Exmouth Market EC1R 4QL
T 020 3551 4772 w www.exmoutharms.com f ExmouthArms tw exmoutharms
Open 1000 (1200 Sat-Sun)-2400 (0130 Fri-Sat, 2230 Sun). Children welcome until 2100.
Cask beer 4 (unusual often local guests), Other beer 10+ keg, 70 bottles, Also Specialist whiskies.
Food Imaginative tapas-style “sliders”, breakfasts, Outdoor Tables on street, Wifi. Disabled toilet.
Mon quiz, comedy, functions.
The Exmouth Arms presides over semi-pedestrianised Exmouth Market, now one of London’s trendiest shopping streets offering designer clothes, jewellery, fine food and arty books. In fact the street took its name from the pub, which was already established when the street market started in the 1890s. The market itself vanished for a while until being reinstituted in 2006. The pub’s prosperity lagged behind the street’s, until 2011 when it was thoroughly refurbished by the Barworks group, known for venues aimed at more youthful, clubby audience. Barworks has, however, slowly been building an interest in specialist beer, and the reopened Exmouth is now its beer showcase, retaining more of a traditional pub vibe than some of its sister venues, and catering to a truly mixed crowd.
The exterior has been splendidly refurbished, with black cladding stripped away to reveal striking green Courage tiling and stained glass leaded windows. Inside little heritage has survived save an (unused) fireplace, but the dark green and maroon decor, simple wooden furniture, areas of bare brick and diner-style booths create a pleasant ambience, enlivened by some truly bizarre surrealist ‘man-beast’ art that was especially commissioned for the pub. An additional upstairs bar and a generous sun-catching outdoor terrace extend the seating options.
Four handpumps rotate a changing array of interesting cask beers from the likes of Brewsters, Harviestoun, Redemption, Roosters, Thornbridge or Titanic. Keg options also change but likely include several Camden Town beers plus BrewDog, Thornbridge, several German imports, Brooklyn Lager and a US guest tap that might dispense Great Divide, Left Hand or Odell beers. The excellent international bottle selection has no dead weight, with plenty of British stuff from Dark Star, Fyne, Kernel, St Austell, Thornbridge and Williams Brothers alongside European classics (Orval, Schneider Weisse) and some unusual Americans like Bear Republic. Food comes tapas style on “sliders” with good deals on mixed plates including for breakfast, and some unusual choices (quail eggs, teriyaki salmon). A well conceived and very welcome addition to London’s growing number of beer specialists.
National Rail Farringdon Underground Angel, Farringdon Cycling LCN+ 0, 7, 8 Walking Link to New River Path
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