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Recommendation added: 12/06/2006 12:32
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +704)dewberry has been thanked 4 times for this contribution
"Given the fact that when visiting London a visit to Trafalgar Square is a must, we did the tourist thing and then went off in search of a pub to quench our thirst in the May heat (it wasn't raining that day!).
After a couple of false starts (boozers full of either winos or prostitutes) we came across a little gem in Covent Garden called The Harp.
The atmosphere in The Harp is great, when we arrived at 3pm it was quiet and there was plenty of seating available both propping up the bar and with traditional pub tables and chairs. Customers seemed to be a good mix of the tourist variety (us!) and also older gentlemen who I think were there because of the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ales) status, which means a good selection of both local and national ales are available.
The inside of The Harp is made up of one long, thin room which adds nicely to the atmosphere as all customers are together, rather than split between a lounge and bar. It's very tastefully decorated with some fantastic old oil paintings on the walls, and quiet music is played in the background. I loved this, because I found a lot of the pubs in London tend to favour loud music and in here I felt I could talk at a normal level and still be heard – no shouting to attract my fella's attention!
Staff are fantastically helpful which, again, is unusual for a London pub. No unwelcoming grunts and groans in The Harp, staff will do their best to answer any questions you might have and generally seem very knowledgeable about both the beers available and the local area.
There's a very limited selection of food available here, as The Harp attracts drinkers rather than restaurant goers. You can buy a sandwich or baguette, but don't expect a full menu when you arrive because they simply don't serve meals. The sandwiches are well priced and absolutely delicious. Definitely try a sausage sandwich, you can choose from a pretty wide variety of sausages and also have one of each on the same sandwich. I chose Cumberland sausage and it was gorgeous, the bread was unbelievably fresh with the sausage being cooked to absolute perfection – I actually licked my fingers after I'd finished so it must have been good! The sandwich prices range from £1.95 to £4, with the fabulous sausage sandwich being priced somewhere in the middle.
Going to the bar, I can see why CAMRA gave The Harp their listing. While lager, spirits and cider are readily available, the real choice of drinks comes in the form of real ale. The barmaid told me that there is always a wide selection of 'regular' beers, including Timothy Taylor Landlord, Black Sheep and Harvey's Best, and two or three guest ales are available at any one time. At the time of our visit the guest ales were Lancaster Bomber and Elgoods, both of which I sampled and they were smooth and wonderfully flavoursome without being harsh.
My partner drank a different beer each time he went to the bar, the selection was so good. He particularly enjoyed the cask conditioned ale, Harvey's Best. This was a very rich and pungent beer, which Mark said was paired perfectly with his sausage sandwich.
Another thing I loved about The Harp is the wonderfully 'hoppy' smell which is a nice byproduct of so many fresh ales being sold. It reminded me of a small ale house which I used to visit with my dad as a child, and brought back some lovely memories.
Upstairs is a small non-smoking room; and although it's nice that The Harp cater for people who don't fancy breathing in other peoples smoke, this room was definitely lacking the atmosphere of the main bar room.
We spent around four hours sitting in this pub, and the place got steadily busier as the afternoon wore on. By around 5.30pm it was impossible to get a seat and I was glad we'd nabbed our table before the influx of workers popping in for a quick pint. Ales are competitively priced, averaging around £2.40 per pint and we spent approximately £30 that afternoon which was money well spent in my opinion as we had a lovely relaxing few hours – much called for after navigating the tube and various tourist attractions beforehand.
The easiest way to get to The Harp is get the tube to Charing Cross, Leicester Square or Covent Garden station and walk through the bustling central London streets. The best route from the tube station is through Trafalgar Square, then walk down the A400 Charing Cross Road which will lead you to William IV Street. Chandos Place (home of The Harp) is located on the left hand side, down a narrow street. You really can't miss it, and if you do then just ask anyone passing for The Harp and you'll get directions – unless you happen to ask an American tourist as we did!
Don't even TRY visiting The Harp by car, as it would be a nightmare. Parking is pretty much non existent and you have to pay the congestion charge for the privilege of not being able to park your car. Not good. If you *do* decide to try it by car, then simply follow the directions I've given you above, but because of the bizarre way London streets are laid out you'll need to double back on yourself along Charing Cross Road and get onto St Martins Place (A400) before finding William IV Street. Good luck with parking!
The Harp
Chandos Place
London
WC2N 4HS
Tel: 0871 984 3504"
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