Horse & Groom

Dating to the 1870s, this cobalt-blue pub & dining room is hidden away in Belgravia’s backstreets. Drinkers head for the wood-panelled ground-floor bar (communal tables, high stools, a TV & dartboard), where straight-up staff pull pints of real ales including Shepherd Neame Spitfire & serve snacks such as dried elk sausages & no-nonsense sandwiches. Upstairs, the cute dining room is decorated with wine-themed paintings, while the flower-boxed windows give views onto the mews. Tables are primed with ketchup & vinegar: all the better to season staples such as fish & chips, scampi, or bangers & mash. Foreign embassy employees & in-the-know office workers from Victoria make the journey for lunch & drop by after work, soaking up the sun on the front terrace or holing up in the snug come winter.