The Old Change, St. Pauls, EC4

I came here once not long after it opened in 1998; I recall it little, but remember that myself and a fellow aficionado of the traditional pub left our group in search of something authentic, so it can't have been much good.

Official site of The Old Change - theoldchange.co.uk

Official site of The Old Change - theoldchange.co.uk

Now re-imagined as The Old Change Bar & Kitchen. It's an extraordinary building, so I called in to see if there was anything worth drinking, having first checked my bank account to make sure I had enough money. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, there are only mainstream keg beers, though some might quibble at my categorisation of Camden Hells and Pale as such. Whatever, I didn't have a drink and, on reflection, it was just as well because I'm pretty sure I was wearing the wrong clothes.

Recently renamed, but strangely still retaining the former Yager Diner menus. Anyway, despite being a modern building with a fair amount of full-height glazing, the split-level interior is mostly dark and uninviting; something not helped by it being partially spooked-up for Halloween. Basic furniture throughout. No real ale, and my initial choice from the limited keg offerings (Caledonian Coast to Coast) expired spectacularly on pouring , so with nothing of interest in the fridges I went for a Kronenbourg which annoyingly set me back by a fiver.