The Stranded

The Stranded is a beer bar on the Strand, directly opposite Charing Cross station at the southern edge of Covent Garden, with Somerset House and Trafalgar Square each a few minutes' walk away. Its tagline, wet foam is beer, sets out the whole idea: fourteen taps, a serious attitude to Czech-style pouring and a room where the beer is the point. Behind the bar sits a small brewery-style tap wall with kegs stacked in view.

The bar is run by Bloomsbury Leisure Group and trades as The Stranded Pub. The tap list is anchored by four lagers from Budvar, joined by five guest kegs and four guest casks that rotate through, and the bar staff pour to the three classic Czech measures: Mlíko, which is almost all foam and meant to be drunk in one go; Šnyt, a short pour with two fingers of dense foam; and Hladinka, three parts beer to one part wet foam. The kitchen is a residency from Liu Xiaomian, the Chongqing street noodle specialists, serving spicy, numbing noodle bowls and gyoza alongside the beer.

A craft beer bar on the Strand with Czech pouring

The combination of side-pour lager and Sichuan-leaning noodles gives the place a distinct character among the chain pubs on this stretch. There is a pool table by the front windows, branded dimpled glassware for the lagers and a regular programme of live sport on the screens around big fixtures. Tables can be booked online, and the room takes private hire and group enquiries by email.

What to expect on a visit

The Stranded opens at 3pm on Monday and Tuesday and from midday Wednesday to Saturday, closing at 10pm every night, and it is closed on Sunday. Its position by the station makes it an easy first or last stop for anyone arriving by rail, and the early close means it suits an after-work session rather than a late one. For a longer evening of Spanish and Italian small plates, The Opera Tavern on Catherine Street is a ten-minute walk north, and our guide to bars in Covent Garden lists more places to drink across the district.