Canned Diet Cokes are kept in refrigerators, sold cheaply and taste right. Ice is provided, sometimes even voluntarily. Cold beer is ubiquitous, particularly Budweiser. It's served on tap, ice cold, everywhere. American travelers should be aware that lager beer's big attraction isn't so much the lighter, foamier taste and cold temperature.
English pubs are still quaint and cozy.
And the food's getting better. But that quaint decor just might be a modern replica, a theme restaurant created by the conglomerates that dominate pub ownership. A good tipoff of chain ownership is a plasticized menu, particularly if it features nachos and hot chicken wings. American culture and clothing are as influential as ever. Beneath the chandeliers of the Georgian restaurant in Harrod's Department Store in London we joined a huge crowd for afternoon tea.