The Fitzroy Tavern

This pub was the epicentre of Fitzrovia’s cultural melting pot in the 1920s, when Nina Hamnett & her bohemian coterie made this the literary salon du jour, hosting the likes of Picasso & Augustus John. The artistic connection lasted into the 1950s when Dylan Thomas & Laurence Durrell drank here. Nowadays a comedy club is hosted downstairs on Wednesdays; otherwise expect local media types clowning around over a pint of Sam Smith’s Yorkshire ales at this former coffee house, whose walls are plastered with fascinating pictures of historical interest. Burgers & baguettes are available should you wish to fortify yourself ahead of any bohemian absinthe-fuelled bender.