Penny in Lambeth

Four of us — in our fifties — popped into this bar for a quick late drink or two for a birthday celebration. After a round of drinks, I went to the toilet. I was about to have one of my sneezing fits. I went to cubicle to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. When I emerged there was a giant bouncer loitering outside, pretending unconvincingly to wash his hands. After I’d returned to my friends I was called over by one of the door staff. They said they thought I’d been taking cocaine in the toilet. They had heard me sniffing and sneezing. At first, I thought this was funny. I’m hardly a prime candidate for snorting class As in the toilet. And if they’d any experience, sneezing and blowing your nose is not a sign that someone has snorted a bit of Colombian. I offered to allow the security to search my person, and inspect my features for traces of contraband stimulants. I explained that i was mildly allergic to alcohol but that the sneezing would soon stop. They accepted all this at first, and went away. But they approached me again, having changed their minds, as the sophomorically underexperienced bar manager decided that I, a 55-year-old man considering drawing his pension, was snorting jazz talc in their little boys room. On a Thursday night. For sneezing. Hilarious. A behemoth with poorly developed facial hair invited me to leave with some degree of menace. I told my friends to stay, but they opted to leave in solidarity. One of us had just bought a bottle of wine and she had to leave it. Two of these people had come down to London especially, from Cheshire. I now wonder if it was just a case of “Slaughtered Lamb” parochialism. We were stared at on entry by one old luvvie, and a couple of other stagey types tutted at us. So I wonder if actually, we simply weren’t welcome, and they needed an excuse. Maybe it’s just a locals’ bar for local people. A big shame. A nasty little dump. Avoid.

Bajo el Old Vic, bajando unas escaleras fuera de la carretera. No lo logran su cuenta si un café o bar. Se abre tarde, personal amable.

Asistir a una obra en el teatro con dos intervalos de arriba, terminamos en el café de abajo. El espacio es limitado, y un número de las mesas estaban en uso como oficinas mini cuando llegamos, además de algunos de los asientos habían reservado. No obstante, es un ambiente acogedor y nos quedamos impresionados por el menú temático en conjunción con la producción en curso.

Siempre está lleno, a menudo con personas con computadoras portátiles ocupaba un montón de espacio. Gruñón pero así sé que molesto cuando quieres una comida rápida antes del teatro, y no me inició en las colas para los inodoros. Cuando me las arreglé para comer la comida es buena.

Es perfecto para re-alimentar antes de salir temprano (e. g ver. 7:00), pero es tan pequeño. Sirven comida interesante hecho de ingredientes locales, así como las bebidas, pero apenas había asientos. Los bebedores todos la habitación permanente y las mesas compartiendo no son suficientes. Interesantemente, hay al menos 3 personal de seguridad allí añadiendo a la multitud!