The Old Tea Warehouse, Bishopsgate  

So you're in Aldgate. Maybe you're meeting someone there who's just got off the Metropolitan Line or the no.67 bus. Maybe you're having a pre-Brick Lane curry drink. Or maybe you've chosen The Old Tea Warehouse as your destination du jour, because you've heard about its outside courtyard, its high ceilings and its range of Greene King ales. Make sure you've consulted your map though, as this pub can be a devil to find, tucked away off Creechurch Lane, within earshot of Foster's Gherkin. Inside said tall ceilings make the space feel light and airy, although the high seating (for short people) meant my legs were dangling like a four-year-old all night. Like the holy trinity, The OTW is split into three: the Tap Room, Lounge Bar and Pool Room. All three echo with the sound of City boys and girls bellowing and cackling, and the basement pool room, while spacious, had a curious aroma of rubber and damp on our visit. The beer though, when it arrived, went down a treat, and the white wine spritzers were doing a roaring trade. The secluded courtyard is also ideal for sinking a beer when the sun shimmies into view.