The Albertine, Shepherd's Bush  

Pub Fairy is a passionate friend of bitter beer, but she'll skip it when she can't drink it anywhere comfortable. And that is why we include the Albertine here, even if you can't really fancy a pint in it. In an area devoted to noisy and aggressive enjoyment, this long-established wine bar is a haven of mental health. It serves excellent food and you needn't spend quite as much on the wine as you fear. It attracts the whippety young of the BBC because it's on Wood Lane, but even if you are luvvie-phobic, remember: better the spry than the demented. The staff are goodly, the proprietor discriminating in the old-fashioned way that doesn't need bouncers, and it feels like the best sort of pub, even if it isn't one.