The Perseverance, Marylebone, NW1

There were a couple of real ales on – London Pride (£2.90) and GKIPA (£2.80), with a third pump unused. I didn’t see any sign of food, except for a couple of chaps at the bar with what looked like a takeaway of some kind, although there was the unmistakable odour of fish and chips. Perhaps at 2.30 PM I arrived too late to see any menus. The pub itself has the faded aura of a place that might have seen better days. It is bare-boarded throughout in a traditional, rather than pretentious way. There are a few very basic tables and chairs, and some banquette seating whose green upholstery has clearly been well used over time. I even saw a cigarette butt that had evidently been stubbed out on the floor. There was quite a lot of natural light, a good bit of it provided by the skylight at the back of the room. The only feature that I noticed worthy of mentioning was the black and white photograph of the Rat Pack stalwarts of Sinatra, Martin and Davis. This struck me as a real, if very basic, pub. Decent enough, but not really worth the effort of seeking out.