the elephant's head

my friend took me here on my last night in london, i do like this place. coming from a city where mass alcohol consumption has only been a thing for the past decade, i like that this place feels very pub-y instead of having a modern feel to it— like most bars and lounges in jakarta. i feel like my trip in london is complete, a local pub is a must visit.

the elephant's head is always very lively, attended to by a friendly and quirky crowd of various age groups. you can rely on having a fun and random night here - we witnessed an entertaining dispute between a johnny depp lookalike and a drunken tramp! don't think either of them won... they have a late license here too which helps to add to its popularity. 

the music is great - a mix of classic punk / ska / rock tunes to add to the vibrant atmosphere. the place isn't really known as a place to go to eat but if you fancy some grub, i'd go for the blt. the fish and chips meal doesn't look too appealing and you could probably get it better elsewhere.

i am quite sad to report that although i did eat at the elephant's head the lure of drinking their eponymous beer took the better of me. it can't have been bad as i stayed for the next 9 hours and i can't now for the life of me remember what it was i ate. it is a fantastic pub. great and eclectic clientele wandering in and out on their way too and from somewhere else. totally relaxed and friendly atmosphere. in truth though, the real reason i was there, and that of many others, is the lure of vinyl. nothing feels like vinyl as it penetrates through your clothes, your skin and then keeps on going right on, deep into your bones. as their notorious dj batters you with hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s - delivered as a wall of ultra-compressed soundwaves that literally pump and expand the atmosphere until there is no escape - you can't help but marvel at it's sheer power. recording for vinyl was a dark dark art - multitrack digital recording and 96kh sound systems can't hold a candle to this. if you like beer, cool retro-vintage revivalism, clicks and pops served with yer music, shambling along to songs of yesteryear and saying hello alot then the elephant's head is a total must do.