Farringdon to City of London
The Butchers Hook & Cleaver
Street: 60-63 W Smithfield
Operator: Fullers
Open:
11:00 - 22:00 Monday
11:00 - 23:00 Tuesday-Friday
Closed Saturday-Sunday
Map: Farringdon to City of London crawl
Homepage
Underground: Barbican (4 min)
Metropolitan
Circle
Hammersmith & City
About the pub:
Formerly a branch of The Midland Bank and a wholesale meat supply shop, The Butcher’s Hook and Cleaver is a lively pub right next door to Smithfield, the oldest functioning meat market in London.
Originally known as ‘Smethefelde’ or ‘Smoothfield’ this area was home to jousts, tournaments and executions, including that of the Scottish hero William Wallace who was hung, drawn, and quartered here on 23rd August 1305.On the other side of the pub is the Norman church of St. Bartholomew the Great founded in 1123AD and St Bart’s Hospital, one of the oldest and most famous teaching hospitals in the country.
The Butcher’s Hook & Cleaver has won several awards since it opened in 1999, appearing in the final for Fuller’s Best City pub for three consecutive years and winning the prestigious Griffin Trophy on one occasion. The pub has also received awards for its floral displays from the Worshipful Company of Gardeners in the City of London.
As a Fuller’s Ale & Pie House, the Butcher’s Hook & Cleaver offers home-cooked food, made from fresh, quality ingredients. We also serve a range of award-winning cask and bottle conditioned ales, brewed just eight miles from here, at Fuller’s in Chiswick.
Ye Old Mitre
Street: Ely Court 1 Ely Place
Operator: Fullers
Open:
12:00 - 23:00 Monday-Friday
Closed Saturday-Sunday
Map: Farringdon to City of London crawl
Homepage
Underground: Chancery Lane (5min)
Central
About the pub:
Identified by CAMRA as having a nationally important historic interior, it is hidden in the alley between Hatton Garden and Ely Place.
It has extensive wood paneling in the two bars and the snug.
A small function room upstairs is available for special occasions. There has been a pub on this site since 1546; the current building is from the 18th century. Fuller's took over in 2009, but there are still other brewers' real ales on sale.
Usually has a beer from the wood. Food is bar snacks including toasties and sausage rolls.
Grade II listing:- Public house. 1773.
The Mitre Tavern believed to be founded in 1546 for the servants at the Bishop of Ely's London house. The site and adjacent properties in Ely Place were cleared after the Crown took over the area in 1772.
The Movie Snatch filmed in this pub (short cuts).
Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques - Camden
Hatton Garden Heist (2min)
wikipedia
Cittie of York
Street: 22 High Holborn
Operator: Samuel Smith
Open:
12:00 - 23:00 Monday-Saturday
Closed Sunday
Map: Farringdon to City of London crawl
Homepage
Underground: Chancery Lane (1min)
Central
About the pub:
A Grade II listed building and a CAMRA Heritage Pub. A pub has been on this site since 1430,; a coffee house in the 17th century, the brick cellars may be from this era.
However, the main splendour, the rear room, comes from a 1923/4 rebuild as a romantic evocation of Olde Englande. A large cubic clock and bright copper sign stand out above street level; grand entrance doors lead to a long corridor, ornate plaster ceiling with Yorkshire rose bosses.
Off the corridor a comfortable lounge; the cellar bar with food servery; and the back bar, a great timber hall with high pitched roof, long bar, carved wooden booths (or carrels), some huge, ornamental vats above of some antiquity and an unusual, triangular island stove, (maybe) from Napoleonic era.
With thanks to Boak & Bailey - Originally a past of the Henekey's pub chain founded in 1831.
As the 20th century wound to a close, many old brewing and pub businesses found themselves in trouble. Henekey’s was no different.
By the 1970s, the Henekey’s chain was part of the Trusthouse Forte empire. Then, towards the end of the 1970s, Trusthouse Forte began selling off pubs. Samuel Smith snapped up some of the best in around 1979.
Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques - Camden
The Old Bank of England
Street: 194 Fleet Street
Operator: McMullen & Sons
Open:
12:00 - 22:00 Monday-Wednesday
12:00 - 23:00 Thursday-Friday
11:00 - 22:00 Saturday
12:00 - 20:00 Sunday
Map: Farringdon to City of London crawl
Homepage
Underground: Temple (7min)
Circle
District
About the pub:
This Grade II listed building was, until 1975, the Law Courts branch of the Bank of England and then a Bristol & West Building Society office. After a period of time as a Fuller's pub, latterly one of their Ale & Pie establishments, the lease reverted to owners McMullens in early 2019 and the pub is now directly managed by them.
The pub was given a refurbishment in early 2020 and, whereas the ornate high ceilings complete with chandeliers and the gallery beneath it were retained, the island bar was replaced with a modern metal work structure with similarly styled booths alongside.
The rear courtyard now features a classic Routemaster bus, craned in during the McMullens refurb! This is used as a bar in fine weather.
The ale range is now entirely from the McMullen brewery, complemented by a menu offering typical pub grub.
There are two function areas but occasionally the whole pub may be booked out so do check before making a special visit.
Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques - City of London
Fleet Street
Ye Olde Cock Tavern
Street: 22 Fleet Street
Operator: Greene King
Open:
11:00 - 23:00 Monday-Saturday
12:00 - 19:00 Sunday
Map: Farringdon to City of London crawl
Homepage
Underground: Temple (8min)
Circle
District
About the pub:
Est 1546 over the street, this building dates from 1887 when it was moved to make way for a bank. Ex-Truman, Grand Met, from 1993 S&N Retail, it's was a Spirit pub since 2003 with Taylor Walker brand, now generic Greene King. Exceptionally narrow five-storey building, timber-framed, with a carved wood cock and ground floor frontage that some have attributed to Grinling Gibbons (in which case it must have been moved from the previous building).
The interior is long and narrow to rear in a succession of small areas, sympathetically restored in 1990 after a fire. Ceilings of various heights, dark wood panelling, some bare brick, old local photos throughout, side bar with fancy hundi lights above and fancy dark carved wood under the counter, a small mezzanine at the back supported by thick aged wood beams, with a snug underneath.
It's claimed that a James I fireplace and Grinling Gibbons mantlepiece also survive from the earlier building. Improved beer range, Four changing guests from the likes of Cottage, Hackney, Nelson, Red Squirrel and Truman. 10 hand pumps with at least 2 Greene King beers and 2 ciders.. Sports and News on the TV (always on). Function rooms upstairs, plus mezzanine and snug. There are 2 shuffle boards on the first floor.
Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques - City of London
Fleet Street
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Street: 145 Fleet Street
Operator: Samuel Smith
Open:
12:00 - 23:00 Monday-Saturday
12:00 - 22:30 Sunday
Map: Farringdon to City of London crawl
Homepage
Underground: Blackfriars (7min)
Circle
District
About the pub:
This pub, rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of London, is located down a narrow alley off Fleet Street. Its famous alleyway side entrance is in Wine Office Court. Atmospheric front bar (which boasts a roaring fire in winter) but many other drinking areas, both old and recent, on three levels. It has many alleged associations with London characters of the past and is a much promoted tourist destination in its own right.
Grade II listing:- Late 17th century, very much altered.
Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques - City of London
Fleet Street
ST Paul Cathedral (8min)
wikipedia
The Blackfriar
Street: 174 Queen Victoria Street
Operator: Nicholsons
Open:
11:30 - 23:00 Monday-Saturday
12:00 - 18:00 Sunday
Map: Farringdon to City of London crawl
Homepage
Underground: Blackfriars (1min)
Circle
District
About the pub:
Built in the 1875 but substantially altered in 1905 with the creation of the exquisite facade and specular interior in now a very rare Art Nouveau style. Friars in marble and brass carouse their way around the pubs interior and exterior and the grotto (dining area) is clad in matched Italian marble topped with Romanesque ceiling gold leaf. A sight to behold! A lively city pub welcoming office workers and tourists.
Grade II* listing:- Public house. c1875, remodeled 1905 & 1917 by H Fuller Clark, architect, & Frederick Callcott & Henry Poole, sculptors
Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques - City of London
Millenium Bridge (8min)
wikipedia
