The Bolton Earls Court
Belgians, Germans, and Czechs, oh my! So many beers to choose from here. To name a few, at the Bolton they’ve got Delirium, Paulaner (3 different types - a dark, a lager, and white!) and some Pils Urquell. A Mitchell & Butlers pub, it’s got a great independent feel, with a great selection of beers on tap and in the bottle.
Try this beer: Since it’s not seen too often in pubs, I’d go with a Paulaner - maybe a Paulaner blonde
The beer. When I was here in August, the visiting craft on draught was Sierra Nevada. They also have Anchor on draft - 2 great options for some California beer. Anchor is a slightly darker (and therefore tastier) lager. As mentioned above, it’s pretty heavy of the Belgians - both on tap and in bottles, so if you don’t see one of your favourites on the bar, check the fridges, as it is likely it could be in there. The selection here is great, with multiple beers above and beyond smaller breweries’ star beers. From California-based brews like Lagunitas and Anchor, to Czech classics like Kozel, to local favourites like Five Points, Brew Dog, and Camden.
The ambiance. I came to this pub on a Thursday, and they had great live jazz music starting around 9PM. When I first arrived to meet my friend around 6:30 PM it was pretty chilled out - not many people around the pub, but by about 7:30 / 8 PM it was starting to get more busy. On a weeknight, since the pub is so close to Earl’s Court, you will get a mix of after work crowd, and tourists who are lost finding their way back from South Ken. That being said, it’s a good date place - a lot of booths and comfy chairs in corners that offers a level of privacy from the rest of the pub. The pub also shows sporting events, and for popular
The food. I didn’t eat here, but they do have a menu with standard pub fare.
Some extras. Specials: Thursday & Friday Fizz for £15 for a bottle of prosecco. Bring on the ladies night! There’s also a room upstairs, so if the ground floor bar gets crowded, the upstairs bar is an option. It’s open on most Thursday - Saturday evenings. It can also be reserved for private parties.
And the wrap up. The Bolton is a great pub in the Earl’s court area. For an area that isn’t exactly known for its pubs - most people wander toward Chelsea or South Ken - it’s a great find near the station (about a 7 min walk from Earl’s Court). Definitely try and get there for some of the live music - it’s a nice addition to the evening. Great beer selection at a relatively cheap price point for West London. Show up with a date for a quiet evening during the week, or show up with friends and reserve a table for a football match on a weekend - overall the beer is excellent in a lovely environment, and you can’t really go wrong with it.
Average price per pint: £5.70
