London Gastropub

Visited October 17, 2013.

This is a quick walk up from T Phillips so you can kill two birds with one stone. I chose to eat at T Phillips before walking over but in retrospect maybe I should have eaten here instead. Certainly the beer list is a bit better there. They have about 20 taps and they let you do a sampler (3 beers of your choice) but most of what they have is the big name stuff. Lagunitas, Chimay, Stone, Dogfish Head, Bruery, etc. Not complaining about those but it would be nice to mix in a few more eclectic choices (though they also have multiple Craftsman taps). I didn’t even think to ask if they have a bottle list but on the way out I did see a table splitting a bottle of Chimay White. It was a bit noisy and dark for me at the moment but I could see hanging out here if I was in Monrovia for any period of time.

Ambiance: Dimly lit, high ceilings, lots of chatter, chill music, tvs playing sports. Nothing like a English pub at all.

Service: Unfortunately, the young lady serving us knew nothing about the beers she was pouring.

Selection: Again, nary a beer on tap from the UK, with the exception of Boddingtons. A little misleading. I’d rather have fresh locals any day, but some folks looking for a London experience will be dissapointed.

Food: I didn’t eat there, but the gigantic plates they were serving did look good I intend to go back and try some.

Value: The draft beer was overpriced, especially for it being Old Towne Monrovia. Old Towne Monrovia wants to be upity like Old Town Pasadena, but they simply aren’t. $7.00 for a local pint and $9 for a Belgian in an oversized schooner is just unsettling to me.

Overall: The place is new, I like the vibe and hope they work out the little kinks, and bring some good craft beer to a region of LA that needs it.