Review by Joshua V:

Cock N Bull Pub
2947 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: (310) 399-9696

Good
British
Food

Choose two of the three, the old saying goes. Good food, yes. British food, it exists. Good British, sure. But never, ever, ever may one employ all three at the same time. There can be no “good British food…”

A visit to the Cock & Bull supports that old saying, but one shouldn’t hold that against the Bull. It’s not their fault that their nation’s food is a vitriolic mixture of morning beans, chips that aren’t really chips, and probably far too much tea that is good for even the most rabid of tea-fans (they exist…. i hear).

But you’re not going to this British eatery/pub to eat the food. No no no. That’d be the equivalent of going to Disneyland to ride the teacups and leave (not that bad an idea, come to that, but more on that later). If you love football (not the cheeky American football; rather, foot futbol) and live within thirty minutes of Santa Monica, your only destination to watch a game would surely have to be the Cock & Bull. Not only because the atmosphere seems authentically British (bald bartender with a cool accent who seems nice enough (like a big teddy bear…. that could pummel you alive if it wanted to). Dingy floors. Copious amounts of alcohol. Weird old guy sitting on a stool towards the periphery of the bar), but the sheer amount of effort they put into providing an awesome viewing experience is unparalleled by a regular ‘American bar.’

Suppose Manchester United is up against Birmingham at 4:30 in the morning. On a Sunday. The Cock & Bull will be there for you. Suppose there are more than three games on at a particular moment, what to do? Cock & Bull has about 6 telly’s, including a giant projector that’ll usually be devoted to the match of the day or some rugby matchup. Being surrounded by football, authentic fans who love the game, and copious amounts of alcohol and you have a recipe for some jolly good fun.

I’d recommend a visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday when Champions League is in session or on a Saturday or Sunday morning when one of the big four is play (Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, & Liverpool). You could also visit on an international friendly day, but it’ll usually cost 10 bucks to gain entrance since they have to pay loot to get the games via satellite (they get games via satellite, how bad ass is that?)

Even if not for the football, just swing by one day, play some darts, and get drunk enough to feel as if you’re somewhere across the pond.

Just don’t eat the food, unless you’re really drunk.

And you only order toast….. not even the brits can mess that up.

Tags: Los Angeles · Nightlife · Restaurant Reviews · Entertainment · Food ·