Bars & Pubs

From the outside, the Wenlock doesn't look like much at all. And to be honest, it doesn't look like much from the inside either: it's just a boxy room that hasn't been much modified in years. Still, God forbid this old boozer should ever tear out its carpet or gastro-up its menu of doorstep sarnies: we like it just fine as it is. The key is the unique mix of people it attracts. On any given night, you might find yourself sitting next to a table of beer-bellied ale-hunters going through the excellent and ever-changing range of beers served across eight handpumps, a group of art students slumming it for the night away from their usual Hoxton haunts, and, of course, the ever-talkative regulars. This is, first and foremost, a local pub for local people, though your welcome will be far warmer here than in Royston Vasey and you'll probably end up talking to a table of strangers. It's at its best for Thursday's popular quiz and for the music on Fridays and Saturdays, when veteran jazzers set up in the corner and start a session that almost invariably dissolves into a singalong. Perfect, more or less.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9