Southwark Tavern

Another in the string of yoof boozers cannily conceived and marketed by the Mitchells & Butlers pubco (see also the Crown & Sceptre, the Carpenters Arms and the Green Man in Fitzrovia, among numerous others), this corner pub is a pretty sizeable place, but it’ll still be a struggle to get served after 6pm on a party-hearty Friday.

The main room is often thronged with lively twenty- and thirtysomethings on the post-work razzle, drawn by the Southwark Tavern’s easy mix of traditional pub style and youthful buzz in an area that’s rich in the former but otherwise lacking in the latter.

The other key to its appeal is the terrific range of beers, from British ales (some familiar, some rare) to continental and American imports. The choice of beers is much smaller in the downstairs bar (there are no handpumps, for one thing), but you’ll get served a lot quicker. The food is soak-it-up pub grub.