Visit to Highgate
So yesterday we (the family) went to Highgate — which has a reputation of being a really nice and historical part of London that we’ve been living near but have never been to. Highgate itself was beautiful — village atmosphere with Georgian architecture, etc… but we were a bit disappointed by the proliferation of chain restaurants. In particular, were refused a table at Strada, which is a mediocre pizza chain anyway but we had stopped out of desperation. Getting hungrier and hungrier, we finally tripped across a fantastic pub called The Flask. They had an amazing beer collection* and good food — and they were very friendly, even though the place was crowded beyond belief. So the day was at least partially redeemed.
* It’s actually very difficult to find a pub in London that has a good selection of beers. This is because most pubs are chains that are owned by brewers, and because most people (yes, even here) settle for whatever — usually Carling for some inexplicable reason. Locally owned pubs usually offer a better selection, or at least offer some good hand-drawn ales, but they’re few and far between.
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Did you take a tour of Highgate Cemetery? It is well worth a visit. You will find that the Flask pub is even on the London A-Z maps. It is the most famous pub in Highgate and as such, sadly, always filled with visitors. The pitchers of Pimms in summer, Fish & Chips Tuesdays and mulled wine in winter are legendary. Please keep it to yourself, locals like myself are incredibly fed up with the masses of visitors.