California, Woolwich  

North Woolwich, which is now on the DLR, has been a quiet, desolate place for some time. The California is located in a nook of the area which dodged the worst of the Luftwaffe's bombs (check out Barge House Rd for a flavour of working class housing circa 1901, and Royal Victoria Gardens, which originally opened as the Royal Pavilion in 1851). This pub's exterior, with its ornate Art Nouveau lettering, is quite handsome too. Inside, the plot thickens. These days, the California is first and foremost a "men-tertainment"venue. On our Saturday afternoon visit, we had just settled down with pints when a young woman greeted us and passed a mug around for cash donations. Within a few moments, a Scissor Sisters tune was blaring out and the East End burlesque had begun. During the act, free ham and corned beef sandwiches were put on the bar for customers. Dancing aside, there's nothing exotic here on the drink front (though the Guinness was decent). The California is also notable for the vast array of boxing photos and memorabilia on its walls. Any judgement of this pub is inevitably coloured by its main attraction, but we found it friendly enough and have experienced worse places of this type. Grubby exploitation or harmless sleaze? Your call.

reviewed:
6/3/2006

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

Sky TV (big and small screens)

pool table

rooms to let

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