Brad S.
Yelp
I grew up in Milwaukee, an American city with a history defined by the neighborhood bar, and one that - like many pubs in England - have also struggled to to redefine themselves for the 21st century. The threats aren't exactly the same, though the results certainly are: on one side of the ocean, our bars are being brightened and electrified into colorful sports bars, with a menagerie of televisions surrounding every possible vantage point and friendly waiters in colorful uniforms selling us cheap microwaved food. On the other side, pubs are being bought and consolidated into mega-chains, all offering roughly the same food and strategically-placed memorabilia to make you forget that all of the beer on tap is produced by the same brewery. Obviously, this isn't very good, but neither are those dark and dank pubs of my youth - I want to drink in a modern bar that offers a variety of local taps and maybe get some good food while I'm at it. Since Heston Blumenthal popularized the gastropub, the idea of a bar with an eye for good food and quality beverages has been embraced by many bars simply looking to eschew corporate ownership. Success varies, depending on the establishment, but when they manage to strike the balance between beer, food, and atmosphere, the result is quite nice indeed. Kingston Arms is one of those places.
As someone who's not from this country, I appreciate the abundant and free wifi. As someone who drinks, I appreciate the wide variety of real ale casks on tap. As someone who likes food that tastes good, Kingston Arms is more or less in my camp, too. A charcuterie appetizer didn't impress me too well - there were some obligatory peaces of prosciutto and salami, along with some cumbersomely whole artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, a too-thick rendition of hummus, and with only two halves of a pita with which we were to scoop everything up, it ended up being a lot of finger food.
Things improved with the main courses. The rotating trio of sausages on special seemed a little too on the nose for a traveller like me, but the queen scallops (also on special) were nicely and simply prepared over an appreciable black pudding. Served with some roasted baby potatoes, it was a very nice lunch.
I obviously don't come to England very often, but as someone who likes to make my meals count, I've seen what pitfalls can befall the traveler who decides to just walk down the street and pick the first thing that catches their attention. This very nearly happened to me, in fact, thanks to a taxi driver who assumed that I, like all other Americans, would have been content to just head to The Eagle and call it a day. Do a little more research and walk down a few unassuming streets and you might find something with a bit more character, a bit more concern for your food and drink needs, and a better pub in which you can spend an afternoon.
