Fox & Anchor

Resisting the urge to turn this Clerkenwell boozer into just another gastropub, its new owners have buffed up the brass fittings but left its Victorian character intact. What has changed is the standard of the cooking: traditional pub dishes are perfectly executed & beautifully served on wooden slabs or old-fashioned crockery. For the merely peckish there are light bites: think homemade pork scratchings or kipper pate on toast. Alternatively, go the whole hog with a glistening specimen from the oyster bar ahead of a wholesome starter of potted beef with chunky piccalilli. By the time you’ve had one of the generously-filled pies (steak & oyster, fish) there’ll be scant room for the nursery puds & English cheeses. The global wine list includes an English Bacchus & there are six real ales on tap, not to mention Guinness & Aspall Cider. Ask the genial staff for one of the snugs at the back – the ‘fox’s lare’ [sic] is great for groups, while the two-person cubbyhole is perfect for a cosy tete-a-tete.