a little bit about the reviewers
Ever wondered who's behind this thing? Here's a quick rundown on some of the intrepid adventurers who have dedicated a good portion of their lives to finding the perfect pub for you.
Pubdog
This whole thing is his fault! Pubdog started a personal pubguide back in 1986 and has been pursuing this area of research ever since. An "expert" in several fields, until recently, he was working in telecomms, but has now quit to run Fancyapint and become a "consultant". A transplant to East London in the late 70's, he's never been too far from a pub. As a professional drinker he claims to have been in most of the pubs in London. Judging by his almost encyclopedic knowledge of pubs, it's probably true. He believes in re-incarnation in the (probably vain) hope that he will come back as a pub dog in his next life.
Septic
As the name suggests, Septic is from "over the pond" (though, on account of his demeanour, he's been made an honourary Yorkshireman on more than one occasion). He professes to like it here to the consternation and confusion of the local populace. Formerly a theatre designer, he's been contenting himself with graphic design for large establishments in the City in recent years. While he has been practicing his drinking in the Smoke for more than ten years now, he is still getting to grips with using a knife and fork in the proper manner (not to drink, mind), but there is still hope.
Jack
When we asked Jack for his contribution to this section he could only utter the words "Jack is unwell", so we've had to make this up for him. Although he isn't an asylum seeker (Daily Mail readers can relax), he is yet another reviewer who is not from round here and has been drawn from the far, far north by the prospect of fame, fortune, floozies and flat beer. When he emerges, twice a day, from his troglodyte existence amongst the archives of one institution or another he can be seen striding manfully in the direction of his latest notion of the perfect pub.
Piranha
Our first freelance reviewer, Piranha likes a nice pint, good food and a drop of malt now and again; but, he hates theme bars, crappy lager, stroppy service and smelly pubs. Of course, he will drink most things if it says > 5%ABV on the label. By day he's a telecomms professional. By night… well that’s another story. His qualities as a reviewer here at Fancyapint include being drunk on three different continents - mostly courtesy of his expense account, knowing lots about northern beer and having impeccable taste in drinking establishments.
Columbo
When not tracking down special guest stars, Columbo is in search of fine pubs and the perfect pint of Guinness. Leaving Mrs. Columbo at home, the Lieutenant will not rest until a case is closed. He often works alone and puts in all the hours that God sends. His wrinkled mac may be seen scouring London's backstreets in all kinds of weather because, like a good citizen, Columbo always leaves his car at home. His trail? The faint smell of cigar smoke.
Venichka
Venichka, despite his name, is from no further east than the easternmost reaches of the District Line (mind you, that is pretty east). Although he left Essex years ago, he has retained an unfortunate tendency to drag his friends, against their will and his better judgement, to unsalubrious (or, occasionally, splendidly salubrious) pubs, often within spitting distance of the A13 or A12. His professional interests include researching the politics of various countries someway to the East than the place of his birth, and, as a result of trips there, he can commend bars to visit in Banja Luka or Tartu, and detail dives to avoid in Kielce or Odessa. He is still awaiting the right time to visit Petushki.
Sokolov
Although a boulevadier and raconteur of some distinction (so he tells us), Solokov rarely leaves his south London abode unless in search of the spiritual enlightenment which can be found in pubs. He currently claims to be working on a five act tragedy concerning the philosophy and history of drink.
JohnnyFP
JohnnyFP is the Brummie reviewer who drinks draught lager and Jack Daniels, isn't aware what brewery owns the pub, and rarely notices the range of beers on offer. In and out of pubs since he was fifteen and still going strong, JohnnyFP focuses more on whether a pub is a good place to meet, right for a quiet drink, ideal for a session, or the sort to watch sport. When not out he can be found recovering in his north London flat.
Glider
Glider is a country boy dragged kicking and screaming to The City seven years ago because there isn't much to do in rural Sussex except get drunk (oh and that other thing). To Glider's great delight he found that the same was true in town, except that there was this novelty of "going to a different pub". This was such a knockout idea to the boy that he has become frankly evangelical about trying out different juicers ever since. Loves country ales, brewery tours, busty wenches, lost weekends...
Dr. Booze
Dr. Booze was attracted to London after university by the promise of streets paved with gold. After 5 years there he has not found any gold yet, but has been to a couple of good boozers. If you see someone in a pub trying to write up a PhD thesis, there’s a good chance that you’ve found Dr. Booze.
Quixote
A recently (and some say, deservedly) exiled exile, this Scot’s move to London coincided with the halt of the phrase “brain-drain”. The sheer pace of the capital and the draw of the boozer meant he had to retire to Spain at a still tender age. Even though his local tapas bar now stocks pint glasses and calls if he’s been absent for too long (around 8 hours), he regularly drops back to Blighty for a proper pint. He avers, that from afar, the allure of the pub does indeed increase, as does the expectation of good service and friendly clientele. Although he is now a fan of colourful tiles, fresh olives, cold Mahou and boozing ‘til dawn.
Krupnik
Krupnik is a thoroughbred Londoner, although she has always lived in the suburbs of the Capital and you'll mostly find her in South Easterly drinking houses. She spent three years studying in a very rural and remote town in the West Country and the only thing that saved her from desperation was the town did at least have a goodly proportion of pubs (along with a cows, sheep etc etc.). She fled back to the smoke as soon as she graduated and has of course studiously continued her programme of pub research. Although Krupnik recognises what makes a good or bad pint, wine is her preferred tipple
and has been known to award a pint purely on the quality of the pub’s Pinot Grigio.