Bars & Pubs

Ignore the 'All visitors must be signed in' request posted up inside the front door - bowls club rules no longer apply at this quirkily cool bar, though the history of the place has been delightfully and sensitively preserved. Witness the framed rosettes, old wooden scoreboard, points plates and worn-out leather sofas and mismatched armchairs. It's not hard to picture the club members of old smoking pipes and mooching about the series of small drawing rooms. Today's punters are happy drinking pints of Grolsch and Peroni, gossiping in secluded corners and plotting how to stop the place getting any more popular than it already is. Real ale drinkers are catered for with Timothy Taylor Landlord, while fruit-beer fans are offered cherry-flavoured Liefmans Kriek. The 'global tapas' menu somehow seems out of keeping with the English vibe, but does its booze-soaking job with aplomb. A recent addition is a snooker room: two full size tables open to anyone who pays the £10 annual membership fee. This place is a real one-off.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9