Hoop & Grapes, Aldgate  

Thanks to careless bakers and the Luftwaffe, this is one of a very tiny number of medieval timber-framed buildings - the pub claims it's the only one - left in the City. It's changed hands over the years, but never quite served up a pub experience to match its undoubted heritage. Its latest incarnation is as part of the Nicholson's brand, and the resultant 'historical' adjustment to the furnishings - some Chesterfield sofas here, a couple of chandeliers there - have helped to produce a better pub than many of the others that have stood on this site over the last 20 or so years. It's a rather safe and sound pub all told - regular beers and pub grub available - but it's also an instance where a move to the Nicholson's chain has helped rather than hindered.