The White Lion

‘Famous for serving Covent Garden market traders since Victorian times’, says the blurb, although you are more likely to find office workers & tourists at the bar these days. Now part of the Nicholson’s chain, it offers a seasonal roster of five real ales – Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, Doom Bar & Timothy Taylor Landlord might be on alongside Titanic Centenary or Mike Hall’s Wanderer. Potable vino kicks off at just £13 for Chilean house selections, while the boozy line-up extends to fruit beers, Pimm’s & confections such as Disaronno berry twist for those who imagine that a decent cocktail might cost less than £5. To eat, work your way through Cumberland sausage & mash, beef & ale pie or Mediterranean roast vegetable tart, plus sarnies, burgers & traditional English puds.