The Bear & Staff, Leicester Square, WC2

Small street corner pub practically next door to Leicester Square tube station and therefore unsurprisingly full of tourists. This is a single room Nicholson's pub (although they do have an upstairs restaurant) with an open area around the bar and a raised section to one side which provides a fair bit of seating. My recent visit coincided with the Germany vs. Argentina World Cup match, so there was a big screen showing the game to the many Argentinean fans who had been unable to get into the nearby Zoo Bar. There was a good ale selection which comprised of TT Landlord, Fox Morrissey Aussie IPA (£3.10), London pride, Fraoch Heather Ale (£3.10), Sharp's Doom Bar and Nethergate Priory Mild. The Aussie IPA was particularly well kept and a refreshing pint in the summer heat. Service was efficient and friendly enough given the large crowd the staff had to deal with. The menu was a standard Nicholson's affair but my sausage sandwich was burnt in places and the Caesar salad was approximately 90% lettuce. To be fair I think they were dealing with much bigger crowds than they are perhaps used to, so maybe I just got it on a bad day. The pubs proximity to Leicester Square has allowed it to develop a movie-star theme, with a great number of photos of film icons dotted around the walls. The restaurant is named after Charlie Chaplin, who apparently used to drink here when performing in a nearby theatre. As mentioned in a review below, the raised section of the pub used to be a tobacconists and there are a number of cigar moulds on display in honour of this. Not bad for a West End pub and the quality of the beer would tempt me to return if I was looking for a quick pint.