London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Kings Stores Pub

I’m working my way carefully around the Good Beer Guide pubs of London, with the Kings Stores being operated by the Metropolitan Pub Company, which is part of Greene King. They note that “every single one of our 71 pubs in and around London is unique and each of them is individually run by its manager”, which adds some confidence to arrangements, as Greene King aren’t always the finest purveyors of beers in their pubs.

The welcome was prompt and friendly, with the pub feeling all clean and organised. The beer choice was just about satisfactory, although to be fair, better than most Greene King pubs. There was Greene King IPA, Amagansett from Bedlam Brewery and Swift from Truman’s Brewery, so a not particularly balanced selection and nothing of any real note for a pub listed in the Good Beer Guide. I limited myself to a half pint of Swift, which was well kept and moderately interesting, but I wouldn’t have much wanted much more of it.

The pub seems to be well reviewed for food and it looks a reliable option for that, and the pubs has a multitude of wines available. The observant might notice in the above photo that sausage rolls and Scotch Eggs are being sold for £5, with other food prices all being towards the higher end of the range. The pub shows sports as well as trying to appeal to a dining clientele, which seems an interesting mix, and the whole arrangement felt a bit formulaic to me.

Anyway, the pub was welcoming and that’s important, with the service being efficient and warm. It’s nearby to London Liverpool Street railway station and I can think of worse places to wait for a train than this pub.