Beer & Gastropubs Editor
James edits the beer and gastropubs desk at barsforKings. He judges a beer bar on the things that are hard to fake: cellar temperature, line cleaning, how often the taps actually rotate, and whether the staff can tell you what landed this week.
He has worked the pubs of Manchester and London, the taprooms of Portland, and the brown cafes and beer bars of Dublin and Brussels. His view is that the great beer bar and the great pub are converging, and the kitchen is now part of the review.
James reviews every craft-beer and gastropub entry on the site and keeps the tap and cellar notes honest.
Tap rotation, cellar discipline, and which lists are curated rather than just long.
Where the cask ale, the welcome, and the kitchen all hold up under one roof.
Gastropubs that cook like restaurants and still pour like pubs.
Manchester, London, Dublin, and the Belgian beer cities James covers most.
James Harlow has written and reviewed 181 guides for barsforKings. A selection of recent work: