Enjoying the charms of The Eagle Ale House

BY BILL LACY

During these times, I often think about the first pub I will visit when the restrictions lift.

I decided I am going to be choosy, even though a pint of rainwater down The Duck and Dog would be welcome at the moment.

I first alight on the idea of a nice pub meal with friends (the rule of six never bothered me, as I only have three friends), probably somewhere pleasant but anonymous, catching up on what we’ve all been doing indoors.

But scrap that. I’m going somewhere on my own. I’m going somewhere like The Eagle Ale House.

Located at the intersection of Battersea and Clapham, The Eagle Ale House is on a side street just off the busy Northcote Road.

The area thrives with pubs and restaurants. But because it is just slightly off the main street, and is distinct from most of the other places, it feels like a backstreet boozer – in a good way.

Nobody is eyeballing you when you walk in.

It is many things at once – a local, a destination real ale pub, a place where Northcote Road customers can escape identikit humdrum.

Everybody I’ve met who knows the place describes it as a “hidden gem”.

It is not quite “hidden” – it is a regular on the regional CAMRA’s shortlist for Pub of the Year, and I deliberately sought the place out.

It also boats an impressive history, having been restored in 1890 by the Holloway brothers who also reconstructed Trafalgar Square.

But it certainly feels like a hidden gem when you walk in.

The cocktail of clientele, surroundings and chat makes the pub feel instantly welcoming.

I saddle up to the bar (oh the joys) and order a pint of Five Points Railway Porter on cask (the beer selection changes regularly).

Even the inane chatter of the two barmaids feels like evidence of the pub’s charm rather than bad customer service.

The future for pubs looks uncertain. The estimate that pubs would reopen in March, made by some at the beginning of this lockdown, now looks unlikely.

Pubs are in dire need of financial support, with many in the industry claiming the package the Government has offered is insufficient.

Even great pubs like The Eagle Ale House are at risk of closure.

When they reopen, pubs will still look and feel a bit different to before.

Pubs like The Eagle Ale House are a bastion of the traditional British pub, a community hub; slightly old-fashioned, yes, but everything properly done, in a way that isn’t niche or exclusive.

I was only in the pub for an hour, but that was enough to put it on my mental map.

I sincerely hope that my first visit was not also my last.