Expecting Rain

I'll be the first to admit that it's miles from being the nicest or coolest part of London (not even close really) but for the past 5+ years Hammersmith has been where I've worked and hence spent countless hours eating and drinking. As this is the case I felt it only fair to pass along to my fellow Dylanites my personal highlights of the H'smith pub and eatery scene.

Here are my local faves with brief descriptions and weblinks:

Riverside Pub: http://www.blueanchorlondon.com/
If you have a few minutes to spare prior to your gig the Blue Anchor is certainly worth a visit. It's one of the oldest pubs in London and is situated right along the Thames very near to Hammersmith Bridge. It's about a 10 minute walk to the southeast of the Apollo. Good, pub-style food and nice ales and lagers on tap with lovely views of the river and Barnes across the way.

Tasty Thai in a lively pub environment: http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/ ... ammersmith
This ordinary-looking boozer serves up the quickest, tastiest Thai in the area at very good prices. The Laurie Arms is on Shepherds Bush Road - easy to find and less than 10 minutes from the Apollo. Order food at the bar, give your table number and have a seat. The food will be there before you know it.

Burritos/Tacos/Margaritas: http://tortilla.co.uk/html/pages/locations.php#
A new addition to the Hammersmith scene is this branch of the Tortilla burrito chain. Certainly hits the spot if you're looking for something filling and wide-ranging. I seem to end up here at least once a week. They also have Margaritas and Coronas if you're into that kind of thing. Very close to the venue on King Street, the local "high" street.

Vegetarian South Indian: http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3760.htm
Sagar is probably at the top of my list for restaurants in the area. They serve up traditional South Indian veggie food at excellent prices, in a relaxed environment. Large Kingfisher beers seem to go very well with this fare. A little further away than other places on this list (15 minute walk maybe?) but definitely worth considering. It's also on King Street, to the west of the Apollo.

Convenient pubs: http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/ ... ammersmith
http://web.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/ ... ammersmith
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/ ... ammersmith

The Duke of Cornwall is the closest pub to the venue and not a bad place at all. They serve Thai food there now too although I haven't actually had a chance to try it yet. It's around the corner from the Apollo on Fulham Palace Road.
The Hop Poles is a good place to go if you're in a large group and they have a nice terrace on their 1st floor (2nd floor to Yanks like Bob and I). On King Street close to the station.
The Swan is probably the "nicest" pub in Hammersmith proper with plenty of good ale on tap and food that is a cut above most pubs. Across the way from the Hop Poles.

I'll be at all three gigs with a rotating group of friends, feel free to PM me or send me an email if you are interested in a pre-gig drink or meal. I saw Bob in Rome last week and he was in a great mood. Like most of us I'm hoping for a real mix when it comes to the setlists. Cannot wait!

cheers,
Sean
(seanbev1@googlemail.com)

Nice post, Sean. I'm sure the folks going to see Bob this weekend will appreciate your effort for good places to meet/eat/drink. Wish I was there with all of you. Have fun!

Thanks Sean, I´ll be there on monday only, in fact I know the Swan from my visits there in 1988, 1990 and 2004 (seems like yesterday to me ), good to hear it still exists. I was also thinking about the Riverside Pub, well, depends on the weather to catch that nice view on the river. Too bad, it´s a long trip for me, so I need some rest during the day to get prepared for the long car ride back, so pub crawling is maybe not the best idea for me and my friend to keep in shape

Good post, I had thought of a similar and would include one other, Kerbisher & Malt : http://www.kerbisher.co.uk/
It is one of the top 2-3 Fish n' Chips restaurants in all of London according to most of the guides and it is about 10 min up the Shepherds Bush Road from the Hammersmith station.

Also 'Machine Kebab' is a few doors north of Kerbisher & Malt and the place to grab a quick Kebab. Mention Beşiktaş, the Turkish football club they all support and you'll get way more meat in your small kebab



I would also highly recommend a visit to the Thames, literally only 5-10 min from the Apollo, if the weather is nice. There are the three pubs in the area but also plenty of folks, myself included just go to the Furnival Gardens with a bottle of wine or cans of beer.

It seems that we are spoilt for choice! For some reason I had been envisioning a forbidding urban wasteland with lots of inferior 'pub grub' and a few corner shops to buy bottled water. It's something to do with travelling on my own, expect the worst and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Sean, thanks a lot for your hints! Me and my spanish friends might arrive really thirsty from the trip...Thanks again, we are to be the three nights there, so hopefully we'll meet!

Thanks a lot for that Sean, that's really great, appreciate it. I like the sound of that Sagar place. I've booked a cheap hotel in Kensington, that's pretty close, walking distance to the venue isn't it?

Arabia - thanks a lot for these further tips!
I haven't been to Kerbisher and Malt yet but have passed it by on my many trips up to Loftus Road for QPR matches - I'll have to check it out.

Also, I completely agree with your idea regarding the Furnival Gardens - great place for outdoor bevvies. The weather should be pretty much okay for that kind of thing. Thanks also for posting the map.

Nightly Moth - you can definitely walk it from Kensington, no problem. I'll probably have dinner at Sagar on Monday night prior to the show if you're willing to wait that long or return there. Let me know.

I think that at this point it's most likely that I'll be at the Duke of Cornwall prior to the show this Saturday from about 5 or so as they also show football there. On Suinday I'd avoid the place, however, as Chelsea play at 16:00 and I've seen some unsavory Chelski supporters there in the past.

The momentum builds! The expectations increase! No pressure Bob...

Sean

Thanks for the tip on where I can watch the game with my people
(The pubs by my house are always crawlin' with Hoops vermin )

Thanks for the tip on where I can watch the game with my people
(The pubs by my house are always crawlin' with Hoops vermin )[/quote]

Hahaha! Don't even make me bring up what happened at Loftus Road a few weeks back!

Seriously though, my apologies, we all have our 10% I suppose... Big one for you v Liverpool this weekend - not that this is the right type of forum to discuss that type of thing.

If Bob was a soccerFootball fan which club would he support? Hibernian perhaps since his heart's in the Highlands?

Seems like Hammersmith has gone upmarket since last I was there.... i just recall the odeon, the clarendon and the swan which was an ok pub 'bigged up' by alexei sayle.... i wonder if the original motorhead graffiti is still visible from the flyover, it was painstakingly put up in 75 and was still there 20 odd years later. What a helpful guide, I kinda wish I was going now just for a meal!

Note to Americans: when in London, it is advisable to walk around with your wallet and mobiles (sorry, cellphones) clearly visible in your hands, to talk as loudly as possible and to smile broadly at the black people. Also remember to avoid busy streets in favour of the back alleyways, where the true flavours of our capital city can be inhaled deeply.

And don't forget to wear your top hats to the shows!

...and to let short women stand at the rail in front of you!

what about short men? (not me, im not going, but it seems a little unfair to those poor stunted males)

One of the best things about the H'smith Apollo is that the floor is quite slanted which, for shorter folks like me (and Bob - were he to ever be in the audience), means that the visibility is usually very good.

yeah, that sounds good to me, I´m Bob´s size

I like standing at the top of slanty floors, makes all the little people look even smaller.

Sorry! Persons of restricted growth! Short people. Leprechauns?

the correct term is PORGs

But Arabia sees the 'little people'! (I'm beginning to wonder about him )

But sadly won't be seeing this little fella anymore after today



One of the last of the munchkins, RIP.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8897437/Karl-Slover.html

That is a tragedy. A small tragedy - but a tragedy none the less.

________________


yes, please :-9 since I am short as well.....
thank you