The Cockpit, EC4

In a quiet side street a short walk away from St Pauls and Blackfriars Station is The Cockpit, a fine unspoilt traditional pub with something of a genuine old fashioned charm not often encountered in London pubs nowadays. . A black painted exterior with dimpled frosted windows and lamps exudes something of an austere feel. It’s a wedge shaped pub on a street corner where unusual curved doors denoted as “Saloon Bar” lead into a comfortable carpeted interior with fixed padded sets, re velour bar stools and several steps leading up to a small curved bar servery towards the back of the pub. The pub retains evidence of its former days as a Courage pub with the trademark square red shaped cockerel pub sign outside and Courage lettering on the bar servery gantry. .A sandwich board tells us that The Cockpit is “A genuinely friendly pub built on the site of Shakespeare’s House”. There’s plenty of framed pictures of cockerels, reflecting the fact that the pub was apparently used for cockfighting until this was banned in 1849. It’s a high ceilinged pub and stairs lead up to a small upstairs minstrels gallery ( no seating ) from where people could watch the activities down below in olden days, although it would appear that it’s a more recent modelling of the original balcony. The Cockpit has a strong, regular, local trade and is popular with staff from the nearby St Pauls Cathedral. Despite its history, with its back street location and no food, it appears to be very much off the tourist radar and all the better for it – ( contrary to the previous posting, I've never seen any tourist groups in here ). 4 pumps serve Adnams, T T Landlord, Speckled Hen and Pedigree, a range which could justifiably be described as unexciting and which hardly ever seems to change. I can’t recollect ever seeing anything different recently. With minimal passing trade, I doubt that management can afford to be more adventurous. Nevertheless, if you like proper pubs, you might want to look this one out when the opportunity presents itself

Very impressed that this historic pub manages to be such a nice, friendly little haven, as others have described below. As at Friday its five handpulls were offering Timmy Taylor Landlord (a great pint @ £3.50), Adnams Southwold, Pedigree, Directors and Old Speckled Hen. The menu offers very good value traditional pub food (mains from £5.00-6.50) from 11am-2.30pm Mon-Fri, generously portioned by the looks of others’ plates, though I haven’t eaten here myself yet. Only irritant was being photographed about 30 times by a guided tour party when I stepped outside for a cigarette, I really liked this place and will certainly come back here.

This is a very welcoming pub, located down a back street not too far from Blackfriars station. The entrance is through a nice set of curved doors which take you into a split level, wedge shaped room with the servery sited in the narrow part towards the rear. The room is carpeted throughout, with a drinking shelf and high stools on the upper level opposite the bar and banquettes and low stools in the rest of the room on the lower level. There are some attractive leaded windows at the front of the pub and the bar counter curves rather pleasingly to create a little extra room for the punters waiting to get served. A TV screen near the entrance was showing muted coverage of the darts. I was afforded a very warm welcome by the staff here, who seemed to be in high spirits and having a good laugh with their regulars and newcomers alike. There was a decent ale selection of TT Landlord, Courage Directors, Marston’s Pedigree, Adnams Southwold Bitter (£3.50) and Ringwood Boondoggle. I tried the Southwold Bitter, which isn't one of my favourite Adnams beers, but found it to be very tasty and well kept. I felt very much at home here and wouldn't think twice about calling in again the next time I'm in the vicinity. The regulars here are very lucky to have one of the few pubs in the City that feels like a community local.