Large enough to please most of the people most of the time, this Westminster boozer operates on three levels: basement bar, ground-floor open-plan pub with sports screens and local ales, plus a first-floor bar available for private hire. Most of the action takes place on the ground floor: a relaxed, unfussy space with polished wooden floor, straightforward dark-wood furniture and beers from the likes of Sambrook’s, Twickenham and Truman’s on the handpumps. Every wine apart from fizz on the ten-strong wine list costs £20 a bottle, and a batch of London gins heads the selection of spirits. Food is also served at street level and is similarly back-to-basics, the menu encompassing homemade burgers, pub-grub classics such as fish & chips or shepherd’s pie, sandwiches and sharing platters. Whitehall office workers head to The Barley Mow to watch the big match after work.