Punch Tavern, EC4

Only one out of the two real ales was on - and this was Doom Bar. It was as good an example of it as I have had. Really more aimed at diners, with a more formal dining area at the back. Beautiful marble bar and matching fireplace. Lovely decor. Fleet Street Pub Crawl at http://bit.ly/2etkXjQ

An enticing looking pub at the end of Fleet Street, the entrance porch way is lined with elaborate etched mirrors and windows, and so I was keen to check out the interior to see what that was like. Unfortunately once inside, any more etched glass was conspicuous only by it’s absence. The only features of any note were a couple of arched wooden atriums, both of which were quite long and narrow. These contained frosted glass and carved wood and there was a carved Mr Punch motif at one end and a Judy at the other. Plain mirrors were situated all around the walls and these had all been adorned with fairy lights which also extended around the door frame. The flooring was dark wood and the walls predominantly white plasterwork, whilst bench seating was situated around the perimeter. An L-shaped marble topped bar counter was a prominent feature and there was also a tropical fish tank at the rear. A plasma was mounted up above the bar showing a news channel, but the volume was off so this was not too intrusive. Beers on tap were just Doom Bar and Marston’s EPA whilst the solitary cider was Symonds Founders Reserve. All in all, whilst there is nothing really wrong with pub, there are much better options just a short stroll away.