The Cock, Fitzrovia, W1

Another pub in the area dating from the late 17th century but rebuilt in the late 19th and another SS pub which has what must be a fake High Victorian interior with ornate cornicing, ceiling roses, cut and etched glass or mirrored screens and signs prohibiting the use of mobile phones; there's an ornate fireplace at one end with its original surround and the fine bar back is original. I don't know if the Minton (or similar) tiled floor is original, but it looks good. Like the Crown & Sceptre up the road, customers seemed to be mainly blokes with beards and tattoos. There was the one ale on, the ubiquitous Old Brewery Bitter at a pricey (for Sams) £2.35 a half and although it wasn't customarily freezing cold, it was a bit lifeless, served by a very uninterested barman who didn't seem to have heard of the half before. This is a pretty pub, but the choice of ale and general ambience don't make for a restful experience, but it was probably the best of my four pub mini-crawl.

A fantastic building, easily identifiable from further up Great Portland Street by the huge lamps suspended over the pavement and looking as though they could fall at any moment. Inside it's superbly well presented too, but this almost goes without saying for the vast majority of Sam Smith's pubs. Quite busy at the time of my visit with a post-work crowd revelling in paying only £3.50 a pint. The Old Brewery Bitter was in good condition and all's right with the world.