St Christopher’s Inn is a decent choice if you want to pass the time in intimate, fuss-free surroundings.

The Venue
Sitting on the super-busy Borough High Street, St Christopher’s Inn has plenty of competition nearby. Flower pots hang outside and this botanical theme is continued inside where there are pots of fresh herbs dotted around the dining area. Despite this attempt at bringing the venue to life, the dim lighting, emerald green walls and wooden tables and chairs make it quite a dark space. To remedy this, small tea light candles are placed on each table to create intimacy among diners and to brighten up the room. On Friday and Saturday evenings, a live band performs at the front of the pub, but diners need not worry as you can hardly hear the music at the rear of this long pub.

The Atmosphere
Staff are very friendly and patient despite being small in number. You can expect to be surrounded by a crowd of relaxed twentysomethings who want a place to catch-up and chill out at reasonable prices. A mix of music is played at a decent volume for friends to chat without shouting.

The Food
The soup of the day (potato and parsnip, £5.50) has a very thick, floury texture which is improved by bits of bacon and good use of seasoning. Using their local resources, the Borough Market cheese platter (£10.50) gives a selection of four cheeses including a blue cheese, a soft creamy brie and a strong-flavoured crumbly cheese. Served with warm bread and mini gherkins, the portion of each cheese is enough for two to share as starter.

From the specials board, the chorizo, squid and butterbean stew (£8.50) is fantastically full of heat, spices and flavour. Served with a rocket garnish and a dollop of sour cream, the spicy tomato base, tender chorizo and soft butterbeans work perfectly together. However, the inclusion of squid serves little purpose as it gives no additional flavour. The Heidi pie and mash (£9.95), filled with goat’s cheese, spinach and peppers, is deliciously creamy. However, the meat gravy poured over it is unnecessary. In addition, the mash lacks enough butter or cream to make it smooth is instead rather stiff.

For dessert, the vanilla cheesecake (£5.95) served with warmed berries has a disappointingly thin, slightly soggy biscuit base and a heavy filling, instead of the usual lighter creamy one. The apple strudel (£5.95) is better, with crispy filo pastry and plenty of sultanas and raisins enhanced by a strong cinnamon flavour. Served with a scoop of real vanilla ice-cream, the two counterbalance each other perfectly.

The Drink
The San Floriano Pinot Grigio (bottle £13.95) is very easy to drink and nicely crisp for a summer evening. With only three of each colour wine, it’s clear that beer rules the drinks menu. In this respect, the venue excels: an impressive selection of Trappist brews from Belgium are available in bottles, as well as a very respectable selection of ales and stouts on the pumps.

The Last Word
St Christopher’s Inn has great potential and the food is, at times, very good even if it could do with a bit more consistency. Nevertheless, it’s clearly a popular place for a drink, and if you’re a fan of specialist beers and ales, you’ll find plenty on offer here.

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