The Counting House, Bank, EC3

Fuller's seem to like the concept of converting former banks into impressive pubs - most of their Ale and Pie House outlets seem to fall into this category - and in The Counting House, we have what is probably their finest example. Formerly Prescott's Bank, the interior retains the sense of opulence that such banks could afford to put on show. The marble walls, mosaic tile floor and large upstairs gallery create and feeling of grandeur on entry which is only enhanced as you sit down and start to take it all in. The ceiling in particular is well worth a look, with its huge glass dome and heavy chandeliers. The ground floor is dominated by a large island bar, around which there is plenty of comfortable seating. The walls are covered with various portraits and some mocked up London Herald front pages. To the rear of the room, a glass partitioning wall encloses a small snug-like area called the Club Room and there is another small seating section close to the back door which leads out to an alleyway which seems to double up as the smoker's location of choice. Upstairs there is even more seating and from up there, you can get a closer look at the ceiling, as well as a good vantage point to admire the rest of the pub down below. There were only Fullers and Gale’s beers on at the bar, with a choice of London Pride, ESB, HSB, Discovery, Seafarers and Chiswick. I tried the HSB which was in very good shape, if not exactly the cheapest. The bar staff were friendly enough and seemed to be coping well with the Friday night crowds, which had proved problematic for some of the surrounding pubs. Well worth a look for the interior alone, but it actually offers more than that, with good beer and a warm, friendly environment. I'll certainly be heading back this way in the near future.

Sister pub of the Old Bank of England, both are former banks carefully converted by Fullers into pubs and retain their opulence. On entering, the sheer size of the place strikes you – a massive island bar, second floor terracing and several function rooms to the rear, clad in dark polished wood and marble, punctuated by large chandeliers. The most magnificent feature is the huge domed skylight. Ale is from the Fullers range, I spotted six different ones spread over 14 pumps on my visit and my Seafarers and HSB both went down well, standard City prices, £3,40+ p/p. Clientèle are inevitably City types, along with a small smattering of tourists. We took a seat next to the main door by the huge window and admired the intricate floor mosaic and the war memorial dedicated to the staff who lost their lives in WWI. It’s well-worth a visit for the interior. If choosing between this place and the Old Bank of England, I’d plump for this one.