Dirty Dicks

You're stepping into one of London's oldest pubs—we're talking 1667, when the Great Fire had barely finished smouldering. Dirty Dicks sits right on Bishopsgate, and it's the sort of place where the wood panelling has absorbed roughly three centuries of conversation, spilled pints and the occasional dodgy handshake. The bar's got real ales on tap, decent pub food that won't bankrupt you, and enough character in its corners to make you actually want to linger over a second drink instead of rushing off to some shiny cocktail bar. It's rammed with City types at half five on a Friday, sure, but stick around past seven and you'll find your people—the ones who actually like pubs.