The Old Bank of England, Fleet Street  

The Old Bank of England is another of Fuller's fine banking hall conversions, there's a sister pub not too far away. Despite the name, however, it isn't the original Bank of England - that one's been in its familiar location since 1734. This one was built as branch of the Old Lady to serve the nearby Law Courts. When it was built (in 1888) the one thing the Victorians didn't do was stint on the décor and when it's the Bank of England you'd expect it to be built to impress - and certainly it does. Fuller's spent a fortune restoring the building when they took it over in the 1990's and, more recently, it's had a bit more renovation work. Nowadays, what you get is Fuller's excellent beers (accompanied by a jolly decent wine list) served in an interior that's easily opulent enough for any wannabe dictator (or football star). Of course, this attractive package is popular in these parts so expect it to be very crowded at lunch times and early evenings, especially towards the end of the week, but if you can get in at a quieter time, it's a great place to sip a good pint of bitter and admire the scenery.

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)