The Ship & Shovell, WC2

This is still the best pub in the immediate area. Now in two halves – the part on the left as you come up the steps from Villiers St used to be Garvey's sandwich bar. I remember when the original part on the right used to be a two-room pub. You can still see the original mosaic floor as you enter; turn left to the Public bar and right to the Saloon Bar. The old Public bar area to the left is nothing to write home about, but the Saloon Bar side remains very attractive with its portrait of the ill-fated Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell (after whom the pub is named) above the fireplace, and cut glass mirrors all along the back wall. But the Public Bar was one of the few places that you could get a real ale (Bass) back in the mid-70s. OK, back to the present day then. This is a Hall & Woodhouse, with Badger Bitter, Tanglefoot and Lemony Cricket on. I wasn't brave enough to venture into the unknown territory of Lemony Cricket, and went for the tried and tested Badger Bitter. Pretty good it was too, and at £2.80 a pint. This pub is definitely worth finding if you're in the area.