Hand & Shears, Barbican  

The Hand & Shears is a great little pub, which, despite it's diminutive proportions, is still divided up into public, private and saloon bars - a real rarity these days. It hasn't changed in years, decades even, though we guess it's only a matter of time before some well-meaning developer gets around to mucking it up. It's got a great old-fashioned pub atmosphere, but it can get a bit crowded, which is possibly the secret of it's avoidance of the renovator's hammer. It hasn't been neglected though, it's a well-loved establishment, that feels just like an English pub should - and the olde-worlde setting around St. Bart's churchSt. Bart's church just adds to the atmosphere. With well-kept real ales on the hand pumps (Adnam's and 6X we particularly liked, although there are other guest beers) and traditional pub grub such as sausage sarnies it's a real drinker's pub that just happens to get rather busy on Friday nights. Oh, and as it's on the edge of the City, it's usually closed at the weekends.

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