Bars & Pubs

Milton and Chaucer also get name checks in the streets around this unreconstructed old boozer tucked away off Shakspeare (sic) Walk. Decor veers from a Boudicca-like wood carving dominating one side of the central bar, to art deco cigarette adverts, and a jar of pickled eggs (surely for decorative purposes only). Scuffed wooden benches surround it all, topped off with a nicotine-stained ceiling. The rough-round-the-edges approach is mirrored by the regulars, a mixture of old school Guardian readers, and art school bohemians. A full range of Fuller's ales, Hoegaarden, Leffe and the Czech lager Litovel, keep whistles wet, and if you're hungry, you can order in from the takeaway pizza place next door.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9