The Cheshire Cheese, Temple, WC2

A bit of a gem, really. Small, welcoming and old school, the bar boasts a fine collection of jugs and pots hanging from the beams; feels much older than it actually is. The beers were good (I had Bombardier, but they also had Tribute and Doombar on) and the lunch was good pub grub, freshly cooked and great value. I was told the upstairs room was available for functions.

Old leaded windows, some Victorian features and a nice internal ambience lift this little boozer above the average mark. A couple of ales on, OSH and Bombardier. My Bombardier was a little musty-tasting, unfortunately. There was also a muted TV on showing the cricket, which did seem a little out of place but I guess it draws the punters in, so why not? [edit - apparently there also is a bar billiards table!] As a pub, I actually prefer this to the Edgar Wallace over the way but the EW does far better beer. If you could mix the two you'd have the best pub in the area by a mile. So worth a quick stop as tick before heading to EW. I'll try this place again as I'd be quite a fan if the beer quality was good...