St. Brides Tavern, Fleet Street  

No longer the cosy, traditional pub this, as it's been primped and tidied up and given the stripped floor treatment. Gone is the wood paneling, and in comes a modern bar. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it did need modernisation, and being Greene King, the beer is still kept to a high standard. Fortunately, this now means their standard IPA and a guest ale - Ridley's Witchfinder Porter when we were in last - they seem to have learned their lesson on promoting only their own beers. It's definitely gone more upmarket, and the local office workers don't seem to mind that. The menu's extensive, if a bit gastro, including wraps, decent looking pies and fish and chips as well. The tiny front bar is deceptive, as it initially seems to be the whole place, but there's a large upstairs bar that provides more room to expand. While we miss the old place, this one's still worth a look and it's likely to be far less crowded than some of the more prominent pubs in the area.

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