The Arbitrager

To Arbitrage - the simultaneous buying and selling of securities, currency, or commodities in different markets or in derivative forms in order to take advantage of differing prices for the same asset. Now, I have been in banking for 29 years and that sentence means nothing to me! What I do know though is that this tiny pub is a most welcome addition to the City of London beer scene.

They are unique in the Square Mile as they only sell draught beer and cider produced in London, and, as they only buy in a small quantity of each beer, the selection is always changing. The beers are served in 2/3 and 1/3 pint measures, or in growlers (why they are not called flagons is beyond me.....) to take away, this option is tempting when one is having a bad day in the office I can tell you! The beers are served in excellent condition and the bar staff are always more than happy to talk you through the range and let you have some tasters. They also have a wide range of spirits, all distilled in London, the gin selection really is rather good, (I am partial to a nice G&T, especially in the summer months, or, days I should say). On top of this, they have home made tonic, which is served on draught, along with an in house punch which changes regularly.  

The Arbitrager as a pub has been around for many years, and would have been a favourite haunt for bank messengers and those brokers working at the stock exchange opposite. However, I only knew the pub as dirty, smokey and selling stale out of date crisps thrown at you by a very grumpy landlord! I can assure you it is much improved.

Not only have they upgraded in terms of personnel, drink choices and bar snacks, the place itself has had a considerable makeover, as you can see from the pictures above. On the left is how it used to be, and, I must say this picture makes it look a whole nicer and cleaner than I remember it. On the right is how it is now. It is snug, but, bloody lovely inside, they have used the limited space to great effect, well done to whoever designed it, worthy of an award in my opinion.

Near the bar is a large map of London (sadly the picture above only shows a small part of it) on it they have highlighted all the London breweries, which, as you can imagine, requires a lot of updating on a regular basis.

All told, this is a great little boozer and one that is firmly on my radar during the working week. The pub can be found at 27a Throgmorton St London, EC2N 2AN. If you are in the area, I can highly recommend it as a place to visit, cheers!

For those of that are interested, these are the beers I had on a recent visit:

Islington Lager at 4.7% by Hammerton Brewery - a refreshing tasty lager which is unfiltered and unpasteurised, proving once again that lager does not have to be clear, fizzy, cold and tasteless.

Rye IPA at 6.1% by Maregade Brew Co (these guys are new, and, are brewing below the Cock Tavern in Mare Street, Hackney, once the home of Howling Hops). I like my Rye IPAs clean, and, this one hit the mark, I will be seeking out their other beers when I get the chance.

Biere De Garde at 7.7% by Partizan Brewing - a very drinkable slightly higher than usual abv biere de garde, but, absolutely delicious, really well balanced between the fruity flavours and the sourness/funk.