The Princess Louise

Choosing one pub to send you to is tricky – as you’ll soon notice, there isn’t a shortage. The bookish amongst you might want to head to the Pillars of Hercules in Soho, it being a hotspot for the British literary old guard (Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, Clive James); or you might prefer the famous French House (where they only serve half-pints, all the better for any homesick Europeans). But our money’s on the Princess Louise. Head down past Russell Square and you’ll find it on High Holborn. Its interior is preserved as it was in 1891: the wooden panels and ornate ceilings make it a historic beauty. It’s probably what you imagine all English pubs look like – they don’t.