The Fox & Hounds

Bedecked with colourful, trailing hanging baskets, this tiny drinking den close to Sloane Square Tube station is a real gem. The name is apposite: inside, you’ll find blood-red walls covered with paintings depicting the country & its pursuits, as well as the odd poster for, say, a Spanish bullfight, while the old-fashioned interior is vintage by dint of age, with a flagstone floor, battered brown Chesterfields & traditional barstools accommodating punters lucky enough to get a seat. Gastropub this is not: apart from a selection of sandwiches at lunchtime, The Fox & Hounds is an old-school boozer (complete with resident dog) that sticks to serving real ales such as Waggle Dance, & that’s just how its loyal followers – mostly locals, mostly men – like it.