Bars & Pubs

When a boozer boasts logoed T-shirts and its own history book, you might be wary; but this venerable corner pub opposite the British Museum pulls in its fair share of locals as well as tourists. Though the premises date from the 1720s (when it was known as the Dog & Duck), the current incarnation is Victorian, all engraved mirrors and windows, ornate ceiling and walls whose muted brown and red chimes with the historic air. Past customers have included JB Priestley, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Karl Marx, who unwound here after hours of reading in the old British Library. Today, the excellent guest ales are well worth anyone's Kapital, though the food is basic proletarian pub fare.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9