Joshua's Tavern at The Londoner

You'll find yourself in a wood-panelled room that actually feels like a London local's retreat, despite being slap bang on Leicester Square. Joshua's manages that rare trick of sitting inside a big hotel without feeling like you're in one—all dark leather, warm lighting, and the kind of bar staff who know what they're doing. The crowd's mixed: theatre-goers pre-show, office workers unwinding, tourists who've stumbled onto something proper rather than the usual theme park nonsense. It's the sort of place where you can grab a pint and a proper pie, or settle in for cocktails that don't take the piss with their prices.