M@Wanted: London's Best Pub ChalkboardsOutside a pub on Commercial Street, by Maggie JonesThe Bell in Spitalfields thinks it's OK to discriminate against hipsters. Image by M@.The Crabtree in Fulham is famous for its massive beer garden and summer BBQs. Despite this cartoon, vegetarians are welcome.The Prince Albert beside Battersea Park is riddled with chalkboards. Its main outdoor one currently heralds the changing season. Image by M@.Not exactly a chalk board, but this warning, also on the Prince Albert, apes a famous sign on nearby Albert Bridge. Image by M@.Arf, arf, from Ye Olde Mitre in Holborn. Image by M@.At least they're honest. The Nell Gwyne off Strand, by Mark Baynham in the Londonist Flickr pool.A long-standing sign outside the Founders Arms, Bankside. Image by M@.A vintage bit of slander on a long-gone pub in Camden Town. Image by M@.Cetacean oddness at the Owl and the Pussycat, Shoreditch. Image by psxyjaw in the Londonist Flickr pool.More peculiarity from the Owl and Pussycat. Image by M@.The Gunmakers in Clerkenwell, pictured by Jason B Standing. By way of explanation, the pub is kind-of located between the offices of Agent Provocateur and Ben Sherman.
Hilarious pub chalk boards have been around almost as long as pubs. But the art form, if such it can be called* seems to have accelerated in recent years, spilling over into coffee shops and restaurants. We now defy you to walk along any London high street without smirking or scoffing at some barista's witticism. We've rounded up some recent discoveries in the gallery above. We'll add to the gallery over time, with reader favourites to be sent to [email protected], or uploaded to the Londonist Flickr pool. Although we've stuck to pubs above, we also welcome signs from other gag-happy venues.
