In the halcyon days of the craft beer revolution, a trip to the Beavertown Brewery on an industrial estate in Tottenham for its beer festivals was a real treat. They became increasingly popular, and queues down the road to enter became commonplace as growing numbers of drinkers were attracted by the impressive range of beers they had sourced from breweries around the world.

When we’d run out of steam trying high-strength hoppy and sour beers, my friends and I would retreat to a nearby dishevelled looking pub on the corner of a main road linking Seven Sisters to Tottenham Hale. Mannion’s Prince Arthur was a welcome retreat from the specialist beers at the festival and the mayhem of the crowds. We could relax and decompress while enjoying pints of Guinness in a calm environment with the mixed clientele of locals.

The contrast between the two drinking experiences could not be more marked. Whereas the appeal of the Beavertown festival was obvious, the attraction of Mannion’s was less so. It had no notable features as such. With no classy menu, it stocked only a modest choice of beers (Guinness was the default for beer fans), and there was an absence of any architectural merit. It was difficult to put your finger on its appeal.

Regardless of this, it has found itself in the recent Top 50 best pubs in London list, published by Time Out, in the impressive position of number 11. It sits alongside many other pubs that Time Out defines as ‘proper pubs’, with the publication highlighting that the list eschews places renowned for fancy food, high-end wine lists, impressive historical back-stories and any other fripperies.

It strikes me that there is something of a renaissance taking place for old school boozers that sit at the heart of communities. When studying the list, it is noticeable how many of these pubs only offer modest amenities and are frequently situated in backstreet locations. Another unusual common characteristic is the number of the pubs with carpets. JD Wetherspoon has been ridiculed over the years for its carpets, but this Time Out list positively celebrates those venues with soft (sometimes worn and sticky) furnishings underfoot.

Just as with Mannion’s, it is tough to put your finger precisely on the specific attributes that makes these pubs attractive to drinkers – especially the younger end of the market that are just discovering them. I’d suggest there is a move towards less pressured environments, where no demands are placed upon those people visiting and high expectations don’t really figure. These pubs are all about inclusivity and relaxing.

The appeal of such community-led pubs is also reflected in the US, judging by an experiment that was undertaken recently in Manhattan, where a journalist visited the 11 bars on the island that had achieved scores of 4.8 stars from 90 or more responses on Google Reviews. The expectations were that these would be flash trendy establishments with rooftop terraces, high-end drinks lists and other exotic characteristics. In total contrast, all the bars turned out to be low-key, small places with no outlandish elements. The common aspect was their welcoming community feel, where people could bump into their neighbours and the bartender knows your name.

In a hospitality landscape that seems increasingly driven by influencers placing content on Instagram and TikTok, the expectations of customers have been cranked up. They are all too often pushed up to unrealistic levels and disappointment is undoubtedly prevalent. Beyond replicating the money shot, what has the customer derived from the experience? When I recently questioned some people queuing outside a noodle bar in London’s Soho, their reasoning for waiting in line on a cold winter’s night was solely because they had all seen the venue on social media. A recipe for disappointment for many, I’d suggest.

Meanwhile, pubs like Mannion’s and the other unique gems in the Time Out list don’t promise anything even remotely worthy of going viral on TikTok. But whatever it is they do provide, there is a growing appetite for it, and that can only be a good thing for traditional pubs, communities and the wellbeing of society in general.

Glynn Davis, editor, Beer Insider

This piece was originally published on Propel Info where Glynn Davis writes a regular Friday opinion piece. Beer Insider would like to thank Propel for allowing the reproduction of this column.