The Albany

Walk into The Albany and you've landed in the kind of pub that actually feels like a local's spot rather than something designed to look like one. It's the place where you can nurse a pint of something interesting from their rotating beer selection, tuck into proper food that doesn't overcomplicate things, and genuinely overhear conversations between people who live round here rather than tourists hunting for Instagram moments. The vibe is refreshingly unpretentious—think wood panelling, decent lighting that doesn't make you squint, and staff who know their regulars by name. Great Portland Street isn't the flashiest corner of London, but that's precisely why this pub works.