Not got quite enough to talk to your mates about but still want to go to the pub? Fancy showing off your ability to contain meaningless facts, or simply like to write with a biro in front of people? The solution to all of this is the mighty pub quiz, and London sure is full of them. As you've been so good to suggest some of your favourites, we've decided to test out as many as possible and let you know if they're good enough to race to after work to save a table.
Name and location of pub
The Sounds Familiar quiz is held at Jerusalem on Rathbone Street in Fitzrovia & is a downstairs bar that you might have rowdily danced in one weekend back in 2005.
Quality of drinks
Lots of expensive cocktails, lots of beers, ciders and wine. A pretty comprehensive spread.
Food
The steak was recommended to us and we went against our rule of 'don't order steak in non steak restaurants' to try it out. We should have stuck to our rule. Some went for the burgers which were pretty nice, but also pretty rare. Make sure you order up if you don't like the sight of blood.
Type of Quiz
Sounds Familiar is entirely music based with 8 different rounds which included 'That was the Year That Was', 'Mash Ups', 'Noughtie by Nature' (Pop stars got up to no good in the noughties) and 'Decade of Death' (Pop stars who've died in the last 10 years). Everything is based on you listening to some clips. It's really nicely put together and you probably, like us, think it sounds absolutely brilliant. It's a shame, then, that it wasn't quite right.
Our main concern was the volume of the music played. Right from the quiz kick off at 7.30 until the end at 11 it was booming so loudly that we were feeling ill with the volume. We think one of the things that makes a quiz good is when you feel a little bit challenged by the questions. We didn't win (6th), so you might think that we are talking complete rubbish here, but it really felt too easy. Plus it went on & on & on. Don't go thinking you're getting a quick bit of quiz fun. This is a full on night out complete with extremely drunken midweek white collar action. If you were really in the mood for a party then you'll love it, but if you're feeling a bit rundown it'll kill you.
Entry price
A somewhat ridiculous £7 per person or £30 per team of six if bought in advance. You then face a hefty online booking fee courtesy of ticketweb. This would be alright if the prizes were of suitable value in comparison. Instead, if memory serves us correctly, first prize won a £60 bar tab and a bottle of champagne. With 30 teams playing at £30 each, we felt a little bit ripped off.
Final word
Book a table and be really, really in the mood for it. It was packed and you'll save money, but make sure you take some earplugs.
The next Sounds Familiar
quiz takes place at Jerusalem on Wednesday 24 February.
To nominate your own favourite pub quizzes for our weekly roundup (or for future review), tweet the venue and day to #bestldnpubquiz or leave a comment.
