Ye Olde Mitre, EC1

Fullers pub tucked away down a narrow alleyway. A characterful old interior with some guest beers served.

This is a small pub tucked away down an equally small alleyway, and certainly not somewhere you’re going to stumble across by accident. In fact we were actively looking for it and still had a bit of trouble tracking it down. It’s certainly worth making the effort though. The landlord was a friendly chap and welcomed us to his pub as soon as we got to the bar. It’s an attractive looking pub from the outside with leaded windows and an unusual wood panelled exterior. The front bar is quite tiny, something of a snug perhaps, and was a cosy space with dark wood panelling all around and a few black beams on the ceiling, from which were hanging a good selection of old jugs. A small fire-place was off to one side and there were a few old black and white photographs on the wall. Bench seating was around much of the perimeter, and the floor was carpeted whereas I might have expected flagstones in an establishment such of this. On sign on the wall said that it had been built by some bishop or other back in the 1600’s, if I recall correctly. There was a further bar at the rear which from a quick glance looked as though it may have been a little more elegant. A chalk board on the wall advertised a selection of snacks such as sausage rolls, scotch eggs, pork pies, etc. There was a good choice of beers on tap with Sambrook’s Session, London Pride, Windsor & Eton Red Eye and Windsor Knot, Seafarer’s Ale, Adnams Broadside and Oliver’s Island. Ciders meanwhile were Cornish Orchards and Friels which I’ve only ever previously come across in bottles. All in all, a cracking little pub and well worth taking the trouble to seek out.