Punch Tavern, EC4

The tiled entrance lobby with mosaic tiled floor seems out of proportion to the rest of the pub being the size of a small room, but I did note that a couple of benches had been put there although it wouldn't be a legal spot for smoking. The main room is rectangular with the bar taking up most of the back wall. The wood floored room is lined with mirrors and contains lots of small light wood tables with metal bases. Leather effect banquettes with scattered cushions around the perimeter with standard chairs elsewhere. The number of tables in the middle of the floor led to a rather cramped layout although at the time there were only a handful of people in. There is a large rooflight, slightly off centre which seems odd until you consider there would once have been seperate rooms so it would have been central in its original space. I didn't realise at the time there was another room so this remains unseen by me. The bar has some carved detail and a marble top. Two handpumped beers, Doom Bar and Wychwood Hobgoblin. There were fairy lights around a couple of mirrors, vases of lilies on each end of the bar and a small tank containing a few tropical fish. I found this to be a pretty underwhelming pub to be honest but the beer was fine and the barmaid friendly.

I thought it a bit cramped in here when I visited just before Christmas and it wasn’t really that busy, although there was a party having Christmas dinner on four or five tables that had been pushed together on the left hand side of the bar. Along with the festive food traditional pub grub is also available, but I didn’t spot a menu so cannot comment on the prices. There is a standard draught menu and the two hand pumps on the bar were drawing Doom Bar and Hobgoblin. The Guinness was good, but served in a thick orange juice glass and I couldn’t spot the Meantime Helles that was advertised outside. At the rear of the bar there is more seating which stretches back to the rear alleyway entrance and some board games can be found here for patrons use. There is a plasma screen, but no Sky Sports as far as I could see. I wasn’t that impressed with this place and I do not plan to revisit anytime soon.

This pub has been improved somewhat since my previous visit a couple of years ago. Gone is the buffet table on the right, and someone has also decided to remove the handwritten advertising scrawled on the mirrors. This is another classic late Victorian pub, and for me the best feature is the entrance corridor containing some superb original tiling, mosaic flooring and mirrors. The main bar as you enter is fairly comfortable, with some fixed seating on the left decorated with brightly coloured scatter cushions, and normal tables and chairs. Other noteworthy features are the skylights with decorative panels around them; the marble bar counter; and mirrorwork behind the bar. It seemed to be food led, with us being asked if we were dining as soon as we approached the bar. At one time the Punch Tavern was joined up with The Crown and Sugarloaf next door (that being the original name of the pub) but they have long been separated. There is a largish back room containing more tables and chairs, which had been a bookshop until it was acquired and incorporated into the pub. The name comes from Punch Magazine, whose employees frequented this pub back at the end of the 19th Century, which in turn took its name from the Punch and Judy shows held at the nearby Smithfield fairs. There were just a couple ales on handpump – Doom Bar and Hopback Summer Lightning. The Summer Lightning was fine. I didn’t pay particular attention to the prices on this occasion, but in the past I have always considered this pub’s prices to be at the top end of the London range. I have to say that I’ve never felt this to be a pub in which I have been particularly comfortable just sitting and having a pint – and I certainly wouldn’t do so if it was busy – but fair enough for a swift half to have a look at the interior.