PubsAndBeer.co.uk - East India Arms, City, Central London

PubsandBeer

East India Arms (Shepherd Neame)

Beer (sort)	Average Score (sort)	No. Samples (sort)
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale)		1
Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale Ale		1
Shepherd Neame - Master Brew Bitter		1
Shepherd Neame - Rudolph's Reward (No. 18 Yard Brewhouse)		1
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger	Not Tried	0
Shepherd Neame - Kent's Best	Not Tried	0
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire Gold (or Spitfire Golden Ale)	Not Tried	0

Picture 1. East India Arms, City, Central London

Visits Details

02 Jan 2018 (Stephen Harris)

City Boys are nothing if not creatures of habit. And one of their habits is to shun City pubs in the first week of January. I was one of just two customers here at 6:30pm, normally the peak of the rush hour crush.

Beer	ABV	Score	Notes
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale)	4.20		I usually avoid this beer, associating it with a toffee flavour. But this was a really good, traditional bitter, tasting of English hops and served in perfect condition.
Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale Ale	3.90	Not Tried

03 Dec 2015 (HSB)

11:30 Meeting point for six of us before we set off on an East End tour of potential CAMRA Heritage pubs. We were the first in and left 25 minutes later. Got surprisingly busy before we left.

Beer	ABV	Score	Notes
Shepherd Neame - Rudolph's Reward (No. 18 Yard Brewhouse)	3.70		Unusual grading strip at the base of the clip showing a line on a sliding scale between bitter and sweet. This was shown as slightly over the halfway mark. I found it sweeter than expected. Started well but soon faded.
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale)	4.20	Not Tried
Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale Ale	3.90	Not Tried
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire Gold (or Spitfire Golden Ale)	4.10	Not Tried

01 Oct 2013 (Stephen Harris)

This pub still fills the role of a stand-up bar for commuters in a hurry.

Beer	ABV	Score	Notes
Shepherd Neame - The Faversham Steam Brewery - Whitstable Bay Pale Ale	3.90		The first impression is of the usual SN yeast taste, which I do not greatly like, but once over that hurdle I found this to be a nicely balanced beer.
Shepherd Neame - Master Brew Bitter	3.70	Not Tried
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale)	4.20	Not Tried
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger	5.00	Not Tried

23 Jan 2013 (Stephen Harris)

I’m out surveying for the Good Beer Guide once again. This pub was busy when I arrived, but starting to thin-out by 8pm. Many hop garlands around the bar, shame they couldn’t spare any for the beer.

Beer	ABV	Score	Notes
Shepherd Neame - Master Brew Bitter	3.70		I was weaned on this beer as a teenager. It was full of character, with a farmyard whiff (courtesy of SN’s old yeast strain) and a bite of Kentish hops. That was many years ago – and pretty much none of it now applies. Perhaps the most positive I can be is to say that this beer is ‘easy-drinking’.
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale)	4.20	Not Tried
Shepherd Neame - Kent's Best	4.10	Not Tried

About the East India Arms

The pub sign. East India Arms, City, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

	Total
	-
	-
	2
	2
	-

Website.

The pub is found in City, Central London, EC3M 4BR.

It is usually said that a pub has existed on this site since at least 1630. The present, Grade II-listed, red brick building dates from around 1830, at which time it was trading as the India Arms. Historically a Charrington’s Brewery house, it has also been called the Station Tavern, and it was acquired by Young’s in 1973 in a pub-swap with Charrington’s. At around this time it was knocked through into the single bar layout of today. Now owned by Shepherd Neame Brewery. Lots of wood panelling and old photographs. Very convenient for Fenchurch Street railway station and something of a City institution.

We have visited this pub 4 times, seen 7 different beers and tried 4 of them.

Map location

Postcode: EC3M 4BR