Victoria pubs

Frosted glass and carved wood interiors as well as the pub’s short distance from the Houses of Parliament make The Albert a tourist favourite. But the Greene King pub will please locals too thanks to a spacious main bar stocked with well-kept British ales.

Down towards Pimlico, you’ll find one of London’s beery pioneers. Cask had fridges and a cellar stocked full of weird and wonderful brews before anyone had even heard of a ‘craft beer’. Stop by for the beer of the week – or work your way through them all, if you like.

Thomas Cubitt is a handsome figure of a pub, best known for its food offering on both the ground floor and in its formal, first-floor dining room. Punters are just as welcome for the drinks – think cocktails and glasses of Old World wine rather than pints of the fizzy stuff.

Sister pub to the Thomas Cubitt, The Orange is a similarly smart gastropub that doubles as a hotel. Expect a well-heeled clientele, especially on Sundays when Norfolk lamb and Speyside sirloin do a roaring trade. There are plenty of upmarket wines by the glass.

This pub bills itself as central London’s smallest. It’s certainly a cutie, with pretty hanging baskets outside and a cottage-like interior. Join loyal, chatty regulars for no-frills drinking – stick with what’s pouring from the pumps and you’ll be just as happy as they are.

Another of the area’s old-school pubs from the Greene King portfolio, the Plumbers has a boxy interior since it used to separate the classes. You can rub shoulders with any old riff-raff now, though, while you chow down on fish and chips and swill trad ales and lagers.

The Speaker declares itself to be ‘a real pub’ on its outward-facing signage, so don’t come looking for sports on big screens and fruit machines. Indeed – it’s all about speaking here. It’s also about great real ale and trad food in the form of sarnies and Thai curries. Proper.