QYPE*

I think you could call this the best pub in London, although it may be a little modern for some tastes, being rebuilt in 1667. I might be a few years off. As you can imagine, this pub is straight out of an episode of Blackadder or the pages of Dickens, who I’m sure drank here since all the writers did, including, famously, Dr Johnson.

This is a Samuel Smiths pub, so the beer is the cheapest and best in London. Their cheapest pint is £1.80 (yorkshire bitter)and the most expensive bottle is £3.50 (oatmeal stout i think). There is brilliant food served in every bar (steak and kidney pud will finish you off) and if you can manage to get a seat in the tiny restaurant (no bookings) you can enjoy pheasant for a tenner! Mind you don’t chomp on a bit of shot though. Smiths make their own spirits, so their shorts and mixers are cheap as well.

The upstairs bits are reserved for private bookings, and are very nice indeed, and the fantastic cellar bar is closed on the weekends, but after a couple of pints, which should cost less than a fiver (in central London!) you won’t care. Particularly if you’re sat next to the real coal fire.