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Yard Bar
This old Soho favourite attracts a cross-section of the great and the good. It's a pretty attitude-free place, perfect for preclub drinks or just an evening out. There are DJs upstairs most nights in the cool loft area as well as the eponymous courtyard downstairs.
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Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
The entrance to this historic pub is via a picturesque alley just down from Dr Johnson's House (he drank here, as did Thackeray, Dickens and the visiting Mark Twain). Cross the threshold and you'll find yourself in a wood-panelled interior (the oldest bit dates from just after the Great Fire of 1666) with sawdust on the floor and divided up into various bars and three restaurants.
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Ye Olde Mitre
A delightfully cosy historic pub tucked away in a backstreet off Hatton Garden, Ye Olde Mitre was built for the servants of Ely Palace. There's still a memento of Elizabeth I, in the shape of the stump of a cherry tree around which she once danced. There's no music, so the snug rooms only echo to the sound of amiable chitchat.
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Ye White Hart
This riverside Young's pub in Barnes has a lovely terrace that is somewhat marred by the busy road outside. Housed in a one-time Masonic lodge, the place is huge but if you've been to a Young's pub before, you will know exactly what the interior looks like: swirly carpets, fruit machines, and an old man supping a pint at the bar.
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Young Vic
One of the capital's funkiest and most respected theatre troupes - bold, brave and talented - the Young Vic reopened in early 2007 to great acclaim, grabbing audiences with arresting plays such as Vernon God Little (as adapted from DBC Pierre's novel) and the fantastic The Big Brecht Fest season. There's a gorgeous bar/restaurant with a little summer balcony upstairs.
