Woolf & Whistle @ Tavistock Hotel, Bloomsbury, WC1

The Tavistock Hotel's bar (the Tav Bar) is open to all comers during normal pub hours and they even have several signs outside to tempt people in from the street. It is a fine example of an Art Deco bar, well maintained and largely untouched by the passage of time. The only concessions to the 21st century are the out of place plasma screen and the noise from the bowling lanes in the basement below (especially when they have the occasional rock concerts there). The beer selection is admittedly not very adventurous (the ubiquitous Greene King IPA & Abbot) but they come surprisingly cheap and are certainly of drinkable quality. The bow tied barmen give the bar a touch a class and it is not difficult to settle into one of the comfortable sofas and transport yourself back the 20's and 30's when this hotel would have been state of the art. It will not be everyone's taste but fans of the period will adore it and it is certainly one of the most pleasant discoveries on the central London pub circuit I have come across for some time, especially given the lack of decent pubs in the immediate area. It is well worth the walk round the back streets from Tottenham Court Road to find if Art Deco is your thing and is especially handy for gigs at the ULU, just down the road.

Found myself staying here one night after getting stranded at Euston. The Tav Bar is OK but not particularly comfortable, you find yourself either sinking into one of the sofas, if they're not already bagged, or perching precariously on a high rickety stool. This situation is made worse by the fact that they won't allow you to take drinks through into the more comfortable hotel lobby. They do have cask beer Abbot, which was well kept and decently priced for a hotel bar. Service was friendly and efficient, even at 1am. The decor is unusual, they seem to be going for an Art Deco effect but have ended up with something more akin to 70's Kitsch.

Belongs to Tavistock Hotel, No real ale but had Guinness. Nice prices.