Howling Hops

Hopped over to Howling Hops for a friend’s birthday drinks after a quick drink at Crate next door. The space is nice — big, plenty of seating, conducive for convivial gatherings. Friendly staff who will keep on letting you taste their different beers, too.
The drinks are what brings this down a tad. We tried a few and settled on one that was just a bit tastier than the others, but not by much. The drinks were interesting enough, but possibly too ‘different’ and experimental for my taste. Most of the time, when I crave beer, I would like full-​bodied, refreshing, or a bitter. I found their beers to be a bit on the sour side because of some of the more unusual flavours.
I’m glad I tried this out and wouldn’t be opposed to visiting again, but for now, it’s 3 stars from me.

This place is great. The beer selection is good, as is the quality. One drawback is that they are only selling beer in ²⁄₃ pint measures, which is fairly restrictive if you want to work your way through some of their 10 or so different beers. The service is friendly, though, and they will give you samples. The venue itself is big, so even if it’s busy it shouldn’t get too crowded. The food looks solid but I didn’t eat on my first visit. The tank room is located directly next to Crate Brewery, so you can do a nice little one-​two visit with them both.
Overall, this place is s great addition to the London beer scene. Quite different from other stuff out there at the moment.

Another pub/​brewery in Queens yard! Just like the crate, most of the HH brews are too hoppy for my tastes, but the red ale is quite enjoyable. They have a kitchen which *doesn’t* do pizza, so they also provide a menu alternative to the crate.
At a uniform price of 2.90 a half, it’s pretty spendy but not insanely unreasonable. I haven’t tried the food, but it’s definitely looked edible on other people’s tables.
Dog friendly, and less crowded than the crate, all in all a decent alternative — it’s good to have choice :)