The Olde Wine Shades, EC4

Wine bar but included in my investigations, as it is on the list of Londons top 12 pubs that Len Deighton detailed in his London Dossier Guide book in 1967. Good news is 10 remain. This was my final tick. Only open weekdays, so not much use to the man who WFH. Wooden frontage claims from 1663 - so - predating the great fire. Low ceilings that work around a central bar. Tiny alcove, unsurprisingly called the Dickens Room. No other punters on a Monday afternoon. I swear this area used to be full of skiving bankers, journos and barristers. Maybe the world has changed. A few kegs on - including a more intresting Estrella Galicia, served in the ceremonal chalice. Worth a visit for the history. And wine.

An interesting old building, and really that was the only reason I was here: it features in a book of walks between interesting London pubs that I was following on my winter visits to London. Is it a pub? Well, no - not really. It's mostly a wine emporium, though there are seven keg fonts serving lager, cider and Guinness. I went for Camden Hells, which was particularly nasty. It was pretty quiet here, and I was glad I had come - perhaps I should have had a glass of wine instead. Date of visit: 9th February 2022