Tom Cribb, SW1

A small Shepherd Neame's pub opposite the Harold Pinter theatre, with the feel of a traditional local and numerous boxing photos after the eponymous fighter. The muted cream décor and medium wood fittings provides a good antidote to the excesses of the West End. usual Shep's beers in good condition.

Small but nice pub just behind Leicester square. Very quiet considering the location.Nice tiled frontage.Only Sheps beers on.Bishops finger-Whitstable bay and Spitfire.

This pub is named after the notorious 18th/19th century pugilist, who on retirement ran a previous pub on this site called The Union Arms. It’s still a Shepherd Neame pub, with just about the full range of ales on during my visit on Tuesday evening. It possibly does food at lunchtime, but there was no sign of any at 5.0 PM. The main feature of this pub is the original brown tiling on the exterior walls, but inside it all looks far more modern. It occupies a small corner site, and being so small it can get pretty crammed very quickly – when I was in the clientele was mainly tourists, which is to be expected at this time of year in a pub within spitting distance of Leicester Square. This is a decent enough little pub; nothing very special, but the Masterbrew was in good nick, and at £3.30 as pint as I recall. I’d visit again as long as it wasn’t too crowded.

Tucked away down a side street between Leicester Square and Haymarket, this is a tidy and attractive Shep's pub. The exterior, as noted below, is a highlight, with some lovely old tiled walls helping to create a traditional and welcoming feel to the place. As a street corner pub, access can be gained from either side so long as you can make your way past the inevitable overspill of customers who clog up the pavement. Indoors the seating is a little limited, with some sections opposite the bar and a few more options to the left hand side of the room, including a shelf with high stools. There are some nice old brewery mirrors on the walls and an inevitable selection of boxing pictures and props, provided as a nod to Tom Cribb; the old boxer after whom the pub is named. A plaque outside gives a brief summary of his life story. Four ales on offer; Spitfire, Bishop's Finger, Kent's Best and Whitstable Bay. My pint of Bishop's Finger wasn't in great shape and was served by a fairly grumpy barman. Prices were typical for this tourist-centric part of the city. Worth a look for the nice traditional feel the place has and it's certainly preferable to a lot of the bars in the area, but I would only return if I was in the area and looking for a quick drink.

An attractive exterior with probably original tiling and colourful hanging baskets, you then enter to a smallish single room with the bar on one side, and traditional banquette and small stool seating around the perimeter. There are also a few stools at a ledge. The impressions gained from the outside continue, clean and tidy, polished wood, and tables cleared and wiped down immediately they were vacated. A sign on the entrance states this is a football free zone, no colours. I don't know if that extends to viewing, there is a TV, at the time showing the Open golf. The TV was muted, and low level background music playing. Decor is almost exclusively in the form of boxing pictures, prints and flyers for various bouts, obviously connected to the pub name. The bar back has the pub name in coloured lettering, and has a few attractive globe lights above. Shepherd Neame beers, Spitfire, Late Red, Bishops Finger, Master Brew and Kents Best. LR was £3.45. A real traditional pub feel in a West End side street close to Leicester and Trafalgar squares. Well worth a visit and a real oasis from the crowded streets around here.