With its burnt umber, glazed-tiled exterior, this characterful mid-Victorian hostelry twixt Gray’s Inn and Coram’s Fields is an old-school Bloomsbury boozer worth knowing about. Landlords Shepherd Neame supply the well-kept ales (Spitfire, Early Bird, Master Brew etc) from a handsome pillared island bar, while trad home-cooked pub staples are served indoors or at alfresco tables under the shade of mature trees. Wines include lots of interesting stuff at very fair prices – peachy Viognier and a plummy Chilean Merlot both weigh in at £15. Local office workers and residents mingle with tourists who are keen to experience a typical British pub – complete with darts, quiz nights and poker. The name refers to the fact that Elizabethan gentleman/grocer Lawrence Sheriff (the founder of Rugby School) donated the land on which the pub stands.