Bars & Pubs

Just as French House (see p69) in Soho was General De Gaulle's haunt, this hostelry was designed to appeal to the officers of Napoleon Bonaparte. These days the clientele are more likely to be rugby players than hussars, and the big fellas are kept in shape by peerless steak sandwiches (£9.95), and healed on Sundays with what may well be the best bloody mary in the west (west London, that is). For everyday tippling, Pride rubs shoulders with Old Speckled Hen and Arundel Sussex Gold. The small wine list dominated, naturally, by the French boasts such gems as a St-Emilion at under £16. The decor, a mix of materials and textures, achieves the symphonic, rather than the cacophonous, in the high ceilinged space.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9