Dirty Dicks, Bishopsgate, EC2

This is a Young’s pub now, with the usual offerings, plus Sambrook’s Pale Ale and Junction. The Young’s Bitter was £2 a half, and not in very good condition – I expect I got the first one of the day which had been in the pipes overnight. There were menus in metal buckets on the tables. Light bites (e.g. chip buttie, fish finger sandwich) range from £3.95 for a scotch egg or sausage roll, to £6.95 for various sandwiches. Main courses are from £10.95 upwards. This place is full of dark wood, solid posts and beams, old barrels serving as tall tables, so it ticks the atmosphere boxes. Seating is solid wood settles, normal tables and chairs, plus a few tall stools accompanying the aforementioned barrels. Getting in here at early doors is perhaps the best time to enjoy this pub, as it soon gets very busy. Being so close to Liverpool St Station won’t help either. It’s certainly worth a visit.

There's not much to add to that listed below; this is indeed a dingy place and is certainly reminiscent of a railway bar. On our last trip a few months ago we all agreed that the cast of shady characters whose haunt this is weren't fun to be around and the Crown & Shuttle up the road which has just reopened is in a different league. Indeed, Woodins Shades (opposite) whilst not great is a big improvement on this place.

Ground floor bar adjoining Liverpool Street station, but has the feel of a cellar bar. Lots of barrels and bricked alchoves. Beams & everything are nice, but here its almost like you would expect an olde British pub built in Disneyland. Its location on Bishopsgate means its extremely expensive but there are six ales, served in the London style (no head). Not one to go out of the way for at all.