Princess Louise

This place is absolutely teeming with history. Nineteenth-century London's most dextrous craftsmen shaped this boozer to the tune of £5,000 which, back then, got you a quality interior. In 1997, it was bought by Samuel Smith Brewery, the notoriously secretive company based in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, who have restored this gleaming, grandiose Grade II-listed Victorian gin palace to its former, flamboyant glory. Following an eight-month refurbishment, the Princess Louise has scrubbed up something wonderful. Decorated tiles, stained-glass windows, finely cut mirrors and ornate plasterwork have all been given a polish, while Victorian partitions have been re-introduced to create a dark-wooded, rather confusing warren of snugs and alcoves. The lavish lavs and Corinthian columns are especially impressive and there are open fires to stare blankly into. Upstairs, the less ostentatious bar serves food, but it's a bit stiff and airport-loungey. The beer is sourced solely from Samuel Smith and sold for less than £2 a pint: astonishing given the fancy furnishings and central location. If on form, the Old Brewery Bitter can be a top drop, while the bottled cherry beer, when poured in with the Extra Stout, is the nearest you get to liquid Black Forest gateau. And at these prices, you can eat all the pies. Steak and ale; steak and kidney; chicken and mushroom; cottage and vegetable. There's beef suet pudding and Lancashire hot pot, too.

http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/12511.html