The Devereux, Temple, WC2

This pub is essentially unchanged from PSM’s visit about a year ago. I visited on 31 Oct so, like in PSM’s experience, Hallowe’en tat was everywhere. Taylor Walker seem to have really bought into the Hallowe’en experience which might well be appreciated in some of their pubs, but I expect that it’s totally wasted in this pub which is in the very heart of The Temple’s legal-land. Harmless enough I suppose. But this pub is tucked away in a fairly quiet and peaceful area a stone’s throw from the madness of The Aldwych, and with the delightful Fountain Court through a doorway to the front of the pub. There were five ales on when we were in there – Hobgoblin (on in every pub we visited on 31 Oct!), Doom Bar, Young’s London Gold, Oxford Ales Trick or Treat, and Colchester No1 (£4.05 a pint). Taylor Walker seemed to have moved away from the glossy menus they’ve favoured in the past, as both TW pubs we visited that day had single sheet menus attached to clipboards. The food wasn’t overly inspiring, but fair enough for the area I suppose. The Big Ben Burger is £10.99, and the cod and chips £11.99. The pub itself is a standard enough Taylor Walker affair, with the same range of furnishings you tend to see in them all, but this one was surprisingly quiet at lunchtime and actually quite comfortable. I’ve visited here several times in the past, and will no doubt end up in here again sometime.

Many years ago (about 1844) this pub was converted from part of the Grecian Coffee House. It's a good looking wood panelled pub, but apart from that there's very little to show its age, although it is Grade II listed. There's a separate restaurant area upstair which is used as a function room. I call in here fairly regularly on my "Get Off At Temple" pub crawl, but it's rare I stay for more than one. The main reason is that the cask ales are usually very mainstream with beers from GK, Marston's and Sharps Doombar featuring regularly. I usually call in for one, have a go on the quiz machine and then head to the next port of call. I quite like the pub though.

Nice tidy pub with a good range of beers for the less adventurous.Always found the bar staff friendly.Gets quiet later on in the day whe the commuters have left.

Smart high ceilinged formal pub, tables around a central bar, wood floors, dimmed lights, dark wood, dark red and dark green walls with various portraits and photographs on the walls. Altogether nice and clean if nothing spectacular. 5 real ales, includingSambrooks Wandle and 'Great British Pub Food' Part of the Taylor Walker collection of pubs.

This pub is nicely tucked away in an otherwise unassuming courtyard close to the point where the Stand meets Fleet Street and just a short stroll from Temple tube station. The building stands on the former site of Essex House, home of The Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux, after whom the pub is named. Having traded for many years as the Grecian Coffee House, hosting members of the Royal Society such as Edmond Haley and Isaac Newton, the building was eventually converted to a pub in 1843 and now trades under the Taylor Walker brand. The interior comprises a fairly unremarkable single L shaped room with wooden floorboards and padded bench seating running around the perimeter. The walls have been painted a dark shade of red and there is some fancy wallpaper at the rear of the room, all of which combines with the muted lighting to create a warm and cosy ambiance. There are quite a few old paintings and portraits dotted around the room as well as some black and white photos of the local area above the servery and a pub mirror on the back wall with some book shelves above. In the far rear corner there is a small carpeted area with some standard tables and chairs, perhaps best suited for those wanting food, although no-one was eating on my early evening visit, which might be explained by the pricey and somewhat uninspiring menu (fish and chips for £11.50). Music played quietly throughout my stay and, given that my visit was in late October, there was Halloween related tat everywhere you looked. Four hand pumps were dispensing Wytchwood Hobgoblin, Orkney Dark Island, Hook Norton Hooky Bitter and Young’s London Gold. The very friendly barmaids were quick to serve me, although they did offer up what I reckon must be the most woefully short measure I’ve ever been given. Thankfully a top up was easily obtained and I was left to enjoy a lovely pint of the Dark Island. It’s always nice to approach a pub with little or no expectations and leave feeling fully satisfied by the time you spent there, and this was certainly the case with my visit to this pub. It might not be at the top of anyone’s list of ‘must do’ pubs, but it is a pleasant place to spend time over a well kept pint and is worth consideration if you’re visiting some of the higher profile ale houses in this part of the city.