Pub Scene

The pub scene across the world is characterised by its casual warmth and conviviality. It has none of the pretences or formality of a restaurant or cocktail bar. It is the relaxed setting in which friends and strangers alike can choose to meet. The pub is where we go to celebrate a special occasion with a group of chums, but also where we might go to flirt intimately with a prospective lover. It is a comfortable destination for seeking out the company of others. Whether located on a street corner in the Scottish Highlands, Munich or New Zealand, a favourite pub is defined by its own distinct atmosphere and character.

Pubs are distinguished as much by their interior décor, as by the beer and liquor they sell and the customers that mingle around the bar. These qualities combine to give a ′local′ its particular appeal, with a draw far beyond its immediate locality. These very unique, idiosyncratic attributes of pubs, which were once taken for granted, are now in real danger of extinction, as bar chains with standardised designs and drinks′ menus are rolled out across city centres and main streets.

Turning its back on the trend towards homogeneity of today′s watering holes, Pub Scene celebrates the often exuberant, sometimes elegant décor, and always singular, wow factor of public drinking places, whether they are big or small, traditional or contemporary. In her engaging and anecdotal style, author Jane Peyton describes some of the world′s best looking pubs, including British Victorian Gin Palaces, classic Art Nouveau Belgian café bars, Germany s Beloved bierkellers, Australia′s amazing beachside beer–gardens and America s notable brew–pubs.

Preface.

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

Ye Olde Masterpiece – Classic Pubs.

Introduction.

A La Mort Subite, Brussels, Belgium.

L Archiduc, Brussels, Belgium. The Black Friar, London, UK.

Café Royal, Edinburgh, UK.

Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast, UK.

Davy Byrnes, Dublin, Ireland.

Löwenbräukeller, Munich, Germany.

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, Liverpool, UK.

The Vines, Liverpool, UK.

Warrington Hotel, London, UK.

The Builders Arms Converted and New Build Pubs.

Introduction.

The Colombian Hotel, Sydney, Australia.

Counting House, London, UK.

De Ultieme Hallucinatie, Brussels, Belgium.

Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, Ireland.

Manor Farm Barn, Southfleet, Kent, UK.

The Salisbury, London, UK.

J D Wetherspoon pubs, various location, UK.

Woolwich Pier Hotel, Sydney, Australia.

The Green Man Beer Gardens.

Introduction. The Harrow, Hadlow, Kent, UK.

Munich Beer Gardens, Munich, Germany.

Newport Arms Hotel, Sydney, Australia.

Jack The Giant Slayer Brew Pubs.

Introduction.

Galbraith s Alehouse, Auckland, New Zealand.

Gordon Biersch, various locations, USA.

Mash, London, UK.

Paulaner Braühaus, Munich, Germany.

The Six Yum–Yums Pubs With Quality Food.

Introduction.

Black Lion, London, UK.

Catcher in the Rye, London, UK.

County Arms, London, UK.

Prince Alfred and Formosa Dining Room, London, UK.

Salt House, Epsom, Surrey, UK. The White Horse Hotel, Sydney, Australia.

Beer A Truly International Brew.

Listings.

Pub Details.

Designers and Architects.

Photographers.

Bibliography.

Jane Peyton is a London–based writer and journalist, whose work appears in national newspapers and a range of glossy magazines in the UK. Pub Scene is her fourth book for Wiley–Academy. Other titles include: Fabulous Food Shops (2005), Looking Up in Edinburgh (2004) and Looking Up in London (2003).

"London–based writer and journalist Peyton...profiles and provides lavish color photographs of individual pubs within the categories of classic, converted and new–built, beer gardens, brewpubs, and pubs with quality foods." ( Book News, February 2008)

"...a valuable photo–reference for anyone involved in pub design/refurbishment, or just interested in pub architecture in general." (Architectural Technology, April 2006)