St Paul's pubs

Despite the address, it has nothing to do with the 1980s TV series. We are, after all, in the City of London and there are no talking cars and no bubble-permed American actors who used to have a music career in Germany. What this pub does have is lots of middle-aged businessmen having their lunch and the odd tourist who presumably got lost between St Pauls Cathedral and the Millennium (wobbly) Bridge.This bizarre mix of clientele does nothing for the atmosphere which is at best subdued. Up until a few years ago this pub was known as The Horn, however following a rather brutal refurbishment it assumed its current name. To compensate for the loss of the original character they have tried to contrive an entirely new one which is less than satisfying. On the plus side the beer is OK (Bombadier, Pride); the service friendly and they have Sky. Hidden in the labyrinth of streets between St Paul's Cathedral and Blackfriars station, this small pub is a welcome find for the lover of the traditional British boozer. As its name suggests, the pub occupies a site which used to be used for cock fighting in the Middle Ages. Consequently, the interior is adorned by many images of cocks in full splendour (calm down girls!!). Middle aged business men supping pints of Marsdens Pedigree and Courage Best are able to chat away to their hearts content in a pub which is devoid of load music and is run by friendly staff We're off to a flying start. As I approach the bar, the diminutive Scottish barmaid immediately clocks me and I am served quickly. They have a healthy selection of guest ales and this is complemented by a range of malt whiskies. A serious attempt has been made here to create a pseudo "ye olde pub" experience with sepia toned pictures and vicious looking agricultural implements hanging from the walls. There is apparently no TV, probably in a bid to avoid violent football hooligans reaching for the rusty tools. The Christmas decorations are a throwback from the 1980s. Massive coloured foil jellyfish wobble like a teenager fed exclusively on a diet of chicken nuggets and chips. There is, rather unusually for a pub of this age, a mezzanine floor surrounding an atrium; all wooden. It's all vaguely reminiscent of one large brewery's generic old pubs which are commonly found on the edge of retail parks, but this place does have some genuine history. It was built in 1855 and was originally known as "The Fountain". At some point it was renamed after the commander-in-chief of the Crimean campaign, a man who was also responsible for the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade. This pub is a good deal more successful than that ill-fated battle and is a good place to while away a lunch hour. This one has now returned to its former name following a brief stint as an Eerie pub (The Bell Book and Candle). The disembodied moaning noise that used to emanate from the gents has gone and only the gravestones in the small beer garden remain as a reminder of its spooky days. They have even spoilt all the fun by putting up signs on the doors for the gents and ladies toilets, bringing to an end the hilarity of pushing against the fake bookcase with one hand whilst clutching your bladder with the other. Now it’s a case of out with the old and in with the older. As pubs go its nothing special. Its decorated with the same fake old pub paraphernalia and ubiquitous red patterned carpet that the tourists from nearby St Paul’s find irresistible. I liked it better when it was ‘eerie’. The establishment replaces an earlier Young's pub that was obliterated during the redevelopment of Paternoster Square. The new development is a major improvement on the much maligned post war disaster that was famously described by a certain member of the royal family as a "monstrous carbuncle". The new office buildings are interspersed with a healthy selection of places to eat and drink, most of which seem to be geared towards a young corporate crowd. Although it's only been open for a year, this place is already well known to the local office community and as a consequence it's packed and there is nowhere to sit. It's a rather soulless hybrid of a place now. The faux traditional pub décor contrasts strongly with the gleaming exterior and the whole place needs to moulder for a few years. However being a Young's pub, the beer is up to its usual high standard. On the whole it's not bad for a brand new pub.

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