Situated on boho Broughton Street (once the ancient ‘Barony of Broughton’), this understated little pub has long been one of the capital’s best-known and most revered boozers. A classic vintage local in a trendy area popular with tourists, it’s the sort of place where nobody is ever in a rush and you can spend hours reading the papers in front of the open fire without being moved on. Wood-floored, darkly panelled and lined with old Victorian tiles, it has a lived-in feel – although the service can be intermittently surly. Avoid the food, say those in the know, and be prepared to go limbo dancing in the ridiculously tiny gents. On the plus side, live music brings in the fans on Sunday nights and there’s a regularly changing line-up of decent real ales.