Proper old style boozer. Has a real buzz on Thursday and Friday when all the local workers spill out onto the street. Comments about the smell are spot on, but this and Colin the (Al Murray type) landlord add to it being a real pub. Makes a change from identikit All Bar One/Fine Line chain bars.

The King & Queen is a little gem of a pub in the Fitzrovia area of London. The area is blessed with a fair number of high quality ‘proper’ boozers and still the King & Queen stands out amongst them.

It’s usually relatively quiet during the week but friday night will be pretty busy, still it’s a good friendly atmosphere.

The pub is well looked after and there is a good range of beers, including St Austell Tribute which I’m quite partial to. There is a stunning selection of good quality malt whiskeys, one of the best any small pub has on offer in fact. The King & Queen also provide adequete sandwiches and some first class pork scratchings; that’s right kids, ‘proper’ pub.

Since the smoking ban the smell has altered somewhat but you’re unlikely to notice this unless you’re on your own or been stood up and have far too little to think about.

The landlord is friendly and the staff are good and be warned they’re rugby lovers; if there’s a sporting clash you’ll not win this battle. This place has that much sought after ‘local’ feel in the west end, and but for a couple of pompous dimwits that pile in from the nearby media-centric offices this is a perfect place to spend an evening.