The Coach & Horses, Soho, W1

This place is a dump. A beautifully shabby dump and I love it. Its like drinking in the 50s. Especially if you go in on a Wednesday night and they are belting out Knees up Mother Brown on the piano. I avoid Wednesday nights. Been coming in for years, since I read about the author Derek Raymond who used to frequent it. If he was alive now, the only thing he would have noticed changed would be its now rumoured a Fullers house (although only appeared to have Chiswick Bitter on my last visit). The Lowenbrau has long gone. I go at least 4 times a year for the last 15 years and have not been served by the same person twice. Worth checking out if you like to drink in a different era. Skol, Inde Coope and Double Diamond will all make sense when you go in.

I hadn't visited this pub before so walked in as part of a 'tour' of Soho pubs. The tables were all kitted out in bright, but cheap-looking, red and white Gingham plastic tablecloths with the result that the pub resembled a poor pastiche of a transport cafe. The place was, quite unsurpisingly, completely empty and totally lacking in character - we walked straight out as there are far too many decent pubs within a two-minute stroll to waste any time here!