The Richard I

French-born Richard the Lionheart may have had trouble speaking the local lingo, but the accent at this pretty pub that bears his name is distinctly English – right down to its spruced-up traditional decor. To drink, expect well-kept Young’s and Wells beers, plus a regularly rotated guest ale, Euro-lagers and a modest selection of bargain-priced wines. Located away from the main tourist drag, with a garden for warmer Greenwich days, this friendly local is also worth hunting down for its express lunch menu, Sunday roasts with all the trimmings, deep-fill sandwiches, platters and classic evening fillers – casseroles, hotpots, veggie salads, fish and chips, steak and full-fat puds. Once most English pubs felt like this: but as the reign of Elizabeth II enters its seventh decade, the Richard I represents a halcyon boozy past that is increasingly under threat.