The Rake

The prodigious line-up of draught beers changes more frequently than the parade of visitors & regulars to this pint-sized boozer on the corner of Borough Market. Expect a potable feast & an ever-fascinating world tour, although there’s usually the odd cask of ale from nearby Kernel Brewery showing The Rake’s allegiance to local microbreweries. Devotees also pile in for the jaw-dropping range of bottled stuff representing every corner of the beer-drinking planet, from high-quality continentals such as smoky Schlenkerle Rauchbier from Bamberg in Germany to Goose Island IPA from Chicago. The bar menu is brief, but it does the job: Mrs King’s pork pies are the boozer’s choice for satisfying ballast. Outside, the tiny courtyard is often crammed fence-to-fence with fellow elbow-benders.