The Hope, EC1

The Hope is a traditional Smithfields pub with close ties to the meat market. It usually opens at 6AM for the market trade and therefore tends to be shut by 9.00PM of an evening. Above the ground floor pub is a restaurant called the Sirloin which specialises in serving whatever was purchased at the market that morning. It has kept some period features and actually looks quite good from the outside with an impressive glass facade. But unfortunately the one small square inside room is quite bland and boring with plain benches and tables around the outside walls. It’s a Youngs pub with three hand pumps, one of which is usually a guess. Unfortunately this was off on my visit so it was Youngs bitter. The outside seating is a decent enough spot for an outside pint whist watching the crowd passing through the St Johns Street junction, but unless you are a market worker, personally I would give this one a miss.