Red Lion

A Courage cockerel stands guard above the bar of this madeover pub, formerly a bog-standard boozer but now a wannabe-boho hangout.

Here congregate comparatively grown-up drinkers, slightly more sensible than the hedonists and cutting-edge creatives who fill other Hoxton spots; they gather in the main bar, beads of illuminated baubles strung around it like a fairground, alleviating the otherwise accurate impression that you’re standing in a bashed-up pub. The fireplace and the glitterball add to the confused decorative impression. There are more rooms on the upper two floors, but few venture up there.

The beers are standards, as are the snacks (toasties, ciabattas, tortilla) and the mains (pizzas, fish ’n’ chips).