London is blessed with some incredible old-school pubs, and last week we took in four of the best, with our pub crawl starting by Blackfriars and progressing to Holborn.
The first port of call was the wedge shaped, feast of lavish architecture, The Black Friar at 174 Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 4EG.
Bedecked in stunning art nouveau arches, carvings and stained glass windows, this is a real treat for the eyes.
Built in 1875 and Grade II listed, this was a great start to the evening’s drinking.
Next up – and perhaps our favourite – was another wedge-shaped establishment, The Cockpit at 7 St Andrew’s Hill, EC4V 5BY.
There has been a pub on the site since the 16th century, with William Shakespeare buying a house nearby.
The current iteration was built around 1825, and the interior seems to have delightfully stalled in the mid 1970s, with patterned carpet throughout.
Our third port of call is perhaps the best known: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on 145 Fleet Street, on Wine Office Court.
This historic hostelry features a labyrinth of bars on different levels, as Wikipedia notes:
The entrance to this pub is situated in a narrow alleyway and is very unassuming, yet once inside visitors will realise that the pub occupies a lot of floor space and has numerous bars and gloomy rooms.
In winter, open fireplaces are used to keep the interior warm. In the bar room are posted plaques showing famous people who were regulars.
Our final pub was the Ship Tavern at 12 Gate Street, Holborn, WC2A 3HP.
Established as a pub in 1549, the Tavern lurks in a passage behind Holborn Underground station and boasts a fascinating history.
