The Grenadier, Belgravia, SW1

This charming little pub is worth searching out for its quaintness and quirkiness. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable landlord who has been there since March 2011. It is extremely small, therefore very limited seating, luckily we went mid afternoon and it was quiet. Unfortunately we picked the one day to encounter a new member of staff who stated that they did not sell J2O, and my wife therefore ordered a Diet Coke. Afterwards we noted that J2O was clearly visible on the shelf, pity she wasn't up to speed on the stock. The other problem we found was the price of a pint of Wherry, at £4.35 a pint it took my breath away so much that I queried it, the landlord stated that it was due to the pubs' location in Belgravia/Knightsbridge and their overheads. We did not eat so cannot comment on the food, but there seemed to be a good selection on offer. Glad we went, its worth a visit if you can take the time to find it. Hopefully the resident pub ghost or John Travolta, will not be sitting at the bar, but that's another story, ask the Landlord.

This is a charming little mews pub tucked away in an impossibly unlikely location, although easily reached from Knightsbridge as long as you know where you're going. Entry is via a short staircase at the front of the building, leading into a small room with the bar opposite the entrance and some comfortable, if somewhat limited, seating tucked into the corners. The room is all dark wood, lit fireplaces and muted lighting (thanks to some heavy curtains drawn in front of the windows), which combined with the busy Friday night crowd on my recent visit, created a cosy, intimate environment. To either side of the bar there are two more rooms - Wellington and Boot - which seemed to be set up more for diners, although plenty of drinkers were using it as overspill space. I didn't get a good look at either room, but they seemed smartly decorated with fireplaces and large mirrors on display. The pub began life as an officer’s mess before being converted to the Guardsman Public House in 1818. Its military past is emphasised by various soldierly artefacts and pictures housed throughout the pub. There are also all sorts of pots, pans, firearms, lamps and the like suspended from a central beam in the front room, whilst a large frame next to the servery has been filled with newspaper clippings mentioning the pub. There are four hand pumps (although an initial glance suggested many more, but alas these smaller pumps were all dispensing lagers and the like) offering a choice of Fullers London Pride, Woodforde Wherry, Morland Old Golden Hen and Timothy Taylor Landlord. I tried the Wherry, which seems to have gone down in price since Rex's visit as I was charged £3.77, and thought it was a decent enough pint. This is a charming, well run pub and it's hard to believe that it falls under the Taylor Walker umbrella. It is perhaps to a degree a victim of its own success, as the crush meant that I couldn't settle down for more than a quick pint, but I imagine that if you catch it at the right time this would be a very nice spot to spend your time.

I’ve been coming to this pub since I discovered it by accident in the late 60s (I really don't remember what I was doing down alleyways off Hyde Park corner). Actually it was a great place to have a drink after the free concerts in Hyde Park, as the hordes which frequented those events didn’t seem to be aware of its existence. In fact, I think I came here after seeing the Stones’ free concert in 1969. Inside the pub it’s incredibly small, with a single bar that’s all dark wood and atmosphere, but with a larger restaurant area at the back. Finding it is a challenge, but it is worth the effort. It has its faults (tourist or ghost hunter magnet – it’s supposed to haunted by the ghost of a guardsman) but it always features on my tour of Belgravia's hidden mews treasures. It was one of the first places to have Old Speckled Hen on handpump around 15 years ago - which has got to be a tick on the plus side. It still invariably has a handful of real ales on - when I paid another visit the other day they had on Timothy Taylor Landlord, London Pride, GK Old Golden Hen, and Woodforde Wherry. But on the minus side I have to say it’s one of the most expensive pubs around, with the Wherry costing a whopping £3.90 a pint. It’s too small for any group of more than 3 or 4 to drink in comfort standing up - but I like it. I would recommend a visit just to experience the atmosphere of this hidden gem, even with the over the top ale prices.

Lovely Pub. I also discovered this PUB by accident years ago. Follow Old Barracks Yard and you are there.