2.1 miles 41 minutes
The Lyric 37 Great Windmill St London W1D 7LU
The Lyric is a longstanding favourite, not least because its location is near a fantastically crowded part of London’s West End. The Victorian pub’s 18 taps pour out reliable pints including Camden Hells and Brooklyn Lager, as well as more unusual fare from the likes of Magic Rock.
2i’s Coffee Bar 59 Old Compton Street W1D 6HR
The 2i's Coffee Bar was a Coffeehouse on Old Compton Street in Soho, London, that was open from 1956 to 1970. It played a formative role in the emergence of Britain's skiffle and rock and roll music culture in the late 1950s, and several major stars including Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard were first discovered performing there. When Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent played the Liverpool Empire in March 1960, their British manager, Larry Parnes, agreed to organise a one-off concert at Liverpool Stadium with Alan Williams that May. Cochran was killed in a road crash in April, so Williams added local groups to the bill, but not the Beatles. He did not consider them good enough. After the concert, Parnes asked Williams to organise an audition for potential backing groups for his artists. As a result, the Beatles went to Scotland for a week to back the singer Johnny Gentle. Williams had a share in the New Cabaret Artists’ club, a strip joint in Liverpool, and booked the Beatles to accompany a Manchester stripper for a week. When he sold the venue, he and his partner, a calypso singer called Lord Woodbine (Harold Phillips), went to Amsterdam and then Hamburg to assess the club life. At the Indra in Hamburg, Williams heard a German band attempting rock’n’roll and told the club’s owner, Bruno Koschmider, that he could supply Liverpool bands to do a better job. A few weeks later, Williams was with another Liverpool group, the Seniors, at the 2i’s coffee bar in London and found Koschmider there. As a result, the first Liverpool band to play in Hamburg was the Seniors, with the vocalists Derry Wilkie and Freddie Fowell (later better known as Freddie Starr). Koschmider wanted more. Howie Casey, the Seniors’ saxophonist, told Williams not to send “that bum group, the Beatles” because of their inexperience. However, Williams drove the Beatles to Hamburg.
Trident Studios 17 St Anne’s Court W1F 0BQ
In mid-1968, Trident Studios was the first in the UK to use Dolby noise reduction, and employ an eight-track reel-to-reel recording deck. While Abbey Road Studios still only used four-track at the time, Trident's Ampex eight-track machine drew the Beatles on 31 July 1968 to record their song "Hey Jude". Paul McCartney later said about recording the track at Trident: "Words cannot describe the pleasure of listening back to the final mix of 'Hey Jude' on four giant Tannoy speakers which dwarfed everything else in the room ..." The White Album tracks "Dear Prudence", "Honey Pie", "Savoy Truffle" and "Martha My Dear" were also recorded there, and on 22 February 1969, the Beatles first recorded "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" for the album Abbey Road. John Lennon and Yoko Ono later returned with the Plastic Ono Band to record "Cold Turkey" featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar. Many Apple Records artists used Trident Studios, including Badfinger, Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin and James Taylor. Part of George Harrison's triple album All Things Must Pass, containing the hit "My Sweet Lord", and Ringo Starr's "It Don't Come Easy", were also recorded there. Harry Nilsson recorded "Without You" at Trident, and portions of several of his 1970s albums. Follow the link to see the full range of albums that were recorded at Trident Studios (including the first six Bowie albums, "Transformer", "Fire & Water", "Let It Bleed", seven Elton John albums etc)
Dog & Duck 18 Bateman Street, London, W1D 3AJ
Small, brilliant Victorian drinking hole. Admire the wonderful green tile-work and the Victorian glass. This is an ale house, so drink whatever the beer of the week is – there are four on pump and they change regularly.
The Coach & Horses Soho, 29 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 5DH
This is still branded Norman’s Coach & Horses after the legendary landlord, Norman Balon. But the old bugger’s gone now and it’s rapidly turning into – shudder – a young person’s pub. Regular sing-songs with a piano accompaniment provide welcome lo-fi entertainment. Real ales are usually well kept.
Brian Epstein’s Office 13 Monmouth Street WC2H 9DA
In 1963 NEMS opened its first London office here. Situated above a sex bookshop, it was also home to the Beatles Fan Club and PR Tony Barrow’s press office
Craft Beer Company, 168 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7AA
One of the Craft Beer Co chain with an astonishing amount of beer on offer – 30 keg lines, 15 cask pumps and actual hundreds of cans and bottles. Expect to find the bar quite busy as a result, with hop-heads browsing the selection and asking for advice from expert staff/
Lamb & Flag 33 Rose St London WC2E 9EB
Everything about this pub says old. Walls are covered in Punch cartoons and the floorboards definitely creak. Peer out of the top-floor window, and you could be in gaslight London. In summer, expect to see punters lining the pavement directly outside the pub.
Harp 47 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HS
A former Camra pub of the year, the Harp is the closest thing you’ll get to a local in Covent Garden. The dedication to cellar craft means the full-bellied ale-spotter is well represented among the crowd, but there are often a fair few tourists delighted to have found somewhere with real character among the neon steakhouses and chains.
Strand Tandoori 45 Bedford Street, London WC2 9HA
The Lyric is a longstanding favourite, not least because its location is near a fantastically crowded part of London’s West End. The Victorian pub’s 18 taps pour out reliable pints including Camden Hells and Brooklyn Lager, as well as more unusual fare from the likes of Magic Rock.
2i’s Coffee Bar 59 Old Compton Street W1D 6HR
The 2i's Coffee Bar was a Coffeehouse on Old Compton Street in Soho, London, that was open from 1956 to 1970. It played a formative role in the emergence of Britain's skiffle and rock and roll music culture in the late 1950s, and several major stars including Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard were first discovered performing there. When Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent played the Liverpool Empire in March 1960, their British manager, Larry Parnes, agreed to organise a one-off concert at Liverpool Stadium with Alan Williams that May. Cochran was killed in a road crash in April, so Williams added local groups to the bill, but not the Beatles. He did not consider them good enough. After the concert, Parnes asked Williams to organise an audition for potential backing groups for his artists. As a result, the Beatles went to Scotland for a week to back the singer Johnny Gentle. Williams had a share in the New Cabaret Artists’ club, a strip joint in Liverpool, and booked the Beatles to accompany a Manchester stripper for a week. When he sold the venue, he and his partner, a calypso singer called Lord Woodbine (Harold Phillips), went to Amsterdam and then Hamburg to assess the club life. At the Indra in Hamburg, Williams heard a German band attempting rock’n’roll and told the club’s owner, Bruno Koschmider, that he could supply Liverpool bands to do a better job. A few weeks later, Williams was with another Liverpool group, the Seniors, at the 2i’s coffee bar in London and found Koschmider there. As a result, the first Liverpool band to play in Hamburg was the Seniors, with the vocalists Derry Wilkie and Freddie Fowell (later better known as Freddie Starr). Koschmider wanted more. Howie Casey, the Seniors’ saxophonist, told Williams not to send “that bum group, the Beatles” because of their inexperience. However, Williams drove the Beatles to Hamburg.
Trident Studios 17 St Anne’s Court W1F 0BQ
In mid-1968, Trident Studios was the first in the UK to use Dolby noise reduction, and employ an eight-track reel-to-reel recording deck. While Abbey Road Studios still only used four-track at the time, Trident's Ampex eight-track machine drew the Beatles on 31 July 1968 to record their song "Hey Jude". Paul McCartney later said about recording the track at Trident: "Words cannot describe the pleasure of listening back to the final mix of 'Hey Jude' on four giant Tannoy speakers which dwarfed everything else in the room ..." The White Album tracks "Dear Prudence", "Honey Pie", "Savoy Truffle" and "Martha My Dear" were also recorded there, and on 22 February 1969, the Beatles first recorded "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" for the album Abbey Road. John Lennon and Yoko Ono later returned with the Plastic Ono Band to record "Cold Turkey" featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar. Many Apple Records artists used Trident Studios, including Badfinger, Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin and James Taylor. Part of George Harrison's triple album All Things Must Pass, containing the hit "My Sweet Lord", and Ringo Starr's "It Don't Come Easy", were also recorded there. Harry Nilsson recorded "Without You" at Trident, and portions of several of his 1970s albums. Follow the link to see the full range of albums that were recorded at Trident Studios (including the first six Bowie albums, "Transformer", "Fire & Water", "Let It Bleed", seven Elton John albums etc)
Dog & Duck 18 Bateman Street, London, W1D 3AJ
Small, brilliant Victorian drinking hole. Admire the wonderful green tile-work and the Victorian glass. This is an ale house, so drink whatever the beer of the week is – there are four on pump and they change regularly.
The Coach & Horses Soho, 29 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 5DH
This is still branded Norman’s Coach & Horses after the legendary landlord, Norman Balon. But the old bugger’s gone now and it’s rapidly turning into – shudder – a young person’s pub. Regular sing-songs with a piano accompaniment provide welcome lo-fi entertainment. Real ales are usually well kept.
Brian Epstein’s Office 13 Monmouth Street WC2H 9DA
In 1963 NEMS opened its first London office here. Situated above a sex bookshop, it was also home to the Beatles Fan Club and PR Tony Barrow’s press office
Craft Beer Company, 168 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7AA
One of the Craft Beer Co chain with an astonishing amount of beer on offer – 30 keg lines, 15 cask pumps and actual hundreds of cans and bottles. Expect to find the bar quite busy as a result, with hop-heads browsing the selection and asking for advice from expert staff/
Lamb & Flag 33 Rose St London WC2E 9EB
Everything about this pub says old. Walls are covered in Punch cartoons and the floorboards definitely creak. Peer out of the top-floor window, and you could be in gaslight London. In summer, expect to see punters lining the pavement directly outside the pub.
Harp 47 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HS
A former Camra pub of the year, the Harp is the closest thing you’ll get to a local in Covent Garden. The dedication to cellar craft means the full-bellied ale-spotter is well represented among the crowd, but there are often a fair few tourists delighted to have found somewhere with real character among the neon steakhouses and chains.
Strand Tandoori 45 Bedford Street, London WC2 9HA
