Fox & Anchor

According to the 2000-01 edition of the Time Out Pubs & Bars Guide, 'Representatives of our stricken meat industry are as loyal to the Fox & Anchor as they are to rib-eye and bags of fatty mince.' It seems their early-morning custom wasn't enough: after 108 years, this much-cherished Smithfield boozer closed in 2006, apparently never to return. We have Malmaison to thank for its reopening, and particularly for the fact that its beautiful interior has been restored and updated but largely left unspoiled. Now with a pewter top, the long bar remains in place, as do the wood fixtures, the lovely snugs and the 7am weekday opening. Aside from the six hotel rooms upstairs, the most eye-catching change is the addition of a TV in a spot not central enough to be of much use but visible enough to be a distraction. With an array of rarely-seen bottled beers supplemented by six cask ales, the Fox is a beer-drinker's paradise, but the vigorous cooking is also a couple of cuts above. A generous Kilner jar of potted beef with piccalilli appealed to atavistic tastes, as did daisy-fresh mushrooms served on barely-toasted bread, but the best was to come. Served with two oysters, the picture-perfect steak pie was crispy and tender in all the right places. And the meat on our awesome ham hock, sourced from the Ginger Pig and slow-braised to perfection, toppled invitingly and moreishly off the bone. Although the fundamentals delivered, the incidentals were oddly lacklustre. The salt left out of the flat colcannon mash appeared to have been applied to the over-seasoned kale, the bread had plainly been hanging around for a while and the most memorable thing about the desserts was the on-the-turn cream that topped our Knickerbocker Glory. Still, early days. Time will tell if the once-loyal traders will return, but we'll be back.

http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/12488.html