Old Red Cow

Beer is serious business at the Old Red Cow – a tiny drinking den on Smithfield market that now looks brighter & more cheerful following a refurb. No fewer than nine ales are normally on tap, ranging from Camden Pale to Austrian Schremser Rye or Maisel’s Weisse from Germany. But it doesn’t stop there: Trappist classics feature among the 30 or so bottled brews on the list, along with a worthy bunch of IPAs & fruit beers. Head up the creaky staircase to a quieter (but equally pokey) room for serious pubby sustenance in the shape of beer-battered cod & chips with mushy peas or wild mushroom & pea risotto with truffle oil. Despite the emphasis on beer, no one will be offended if you plump for something from the compact wine list.