Kings Stores

You're walking down a narrow Widegate Street street in Aldgate, past Victorian brick and the hum of the City just beyond, when you spot Kings Stores. It's the kind of pub that's been here forever and looks like it'll be here forever more—all dark wood, worn brass, and the smell of a proper pint being poured. The clientele's a mix of local regulars, after-work suits, and people who genuinely just fancy a drink without any fuss. The menu's unpretentious: think fish and chips, pies, the sorts of things that taste better in a pub than anywhere else. Service is friendly without being intrusive, and they clearly know how to pull a pint.