Endurance

Selections on the 1960s jukebox confirm this trendster hangout isn’t aimed at the Mariah/Beyoncé fancier. You can sometimes spot real rock & rollers or media darlings among the pale & interesting things crowded inside. The Endurance (formerly the rough-edged King of Corsica) occupies postwar premises in the midst of Berwick Street market. Distressed banquette seating around a horseshoe bar affords views of the good-natured poseurs who have replaced the market traders of yesteryear. Lunchtime-only gastro-dishes, served casual-style (perhaps too casually by the occasionally offhand staff), are better than you might expect. Wines too are a cut above supermarket ‘three for a tenner’ plonk, with good Burgundy & Bordeaux for under £30, but a trip to the dartboard demands a pint of Deuchars, London Pride or Amstel. The rear beer ‘garden’ may or may not be operating, depending on local politics; the pub’s neighbours landed it the equivalent of an Asbo.