Plumbers Arms, Belgravia  

This is a busy one-roomed affair that's near enough to Victoria Station for in-the-know commuters, but just far enough away from the busloads of tourists. There were only three ales on the taps when we were in last, and only one of those was on, but it can still be a decent enough pub with a livelier atmosphere than you might expect from a Belgravia boozer. It played a small role in the Lord Lucan saga, and you can find an old newspaper report of the case on one of the walls if you're whiling away five minutes waiting for a friend. It can get crowded at peak times but the regulars tend to be pretty accommodating for the most part, not complaining as one squeezes past them to the bar. There were rumours a while back that the pub was facing closure before becoming a local for the journalists of the relocated Daily Telegraph offices - there's no sign that it's going anywhere now, and that's a good thing in our book (we don't mind journalists, at least they know how to drink). One word of warning, we're pretty sure it's closed at weekends.

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)