The Gunmakers, Farringdon  

Another pub in the area we've known for a few years now, this one hasn't taken the nosedive a lot of pubs in its situation has - if anything, it's been consistently good since it opened. Hidden down a side road off the top of Leather Lane Market, this is a bit of a gem and, despite the local designer bars, hasn't given in to the trends to be a.n.other style bar - and it's worth the deviation. The small front bar and the middle room haven't really changed much, other than a coat of blood red paint. They've still got the welcoming benches and ornate pub mirrors that make it feel a lot bigger than it actually is. The back room has improved a lot since the days when it was partially open to the elements - now it's somewhere you'd like to spend a few hours and have a few drinks. Which brings us nicely to the excellent beer choices: there are usually four choices on the taps, ranging from well known brands to guests from all over the country - we can't actually remember what other beers were on, as we got stuck into Caledonian Brewery's Double Dark Oatmeal Stout and that was all she wrote. There's a decent menu, with a range of choices to suit most diners (although the famous pork belly was missing on our last visit - shame). Not open on the weekends, this does cater largely for local workers and still manages to retain that local feel. Oh, and the good news is that the toilets are a lot better then on our last visit!

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