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Global Traveller
• Confidence is returning to the business travel sector, but companies are not expecting a lightning improvement
• Playing golf is often used in building contacts and professional relationships
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1. The Lamb and Flag
This old-world establishment tucked up an alley looks much as it did in Charles Dickens' day. In the heart of Covent Garden, it can get crowded - during the summer drinkers spill outside into the quiet alley. The 17th-century poet John Dryden was severely beaten up outside the pub which was known as the Bucket of Blood because of the bareknuckle fights held here.
- 33 Rose Street WC2
2. Dog and Duck
This small, tiled premises is like a cosy front room in the heart of Soho. The Dog and Duck has a tiny bar, where you might bump into art students and designers, and a blackboard with the latest selection of beers from all corners of England.
- 18 Bateman St W1
3. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
In an alley off Fleet Street, this warren of rooms still seems as if it should have sawdust on the floors. Rebuilt in 1667, after the Great Fire of London, it was a favourite of Dr Johnson and other writers. Never too crowded, its intimate corners make a good meeting place, made cozier with fires in winter.
- Wine Office Court EC4
4. George Inn
Built in 1676, this is the only galleried coaching inn left in London, and was taken over by the National Trust in 1937. You can enjoy the well-kept beers in its myriad old rooms, with lattice windows and wooden beams, or in the large courtyard.
- 57 Borough High St SE1
5. Jerusalem Tavern
A delightful little pub with cubicles, a small bar and little more than the 18th-century coffee shop it once was. People come here to try out the full range of a rare but popular brewery, St Peter's in Suffolk. Light meals are served at lunchtime.
- 55 Britton Street EC1
6. Spaniard's Inn
This lovely 16th-century pub north of Hampstead Heath, with a large, attractive beer garden, is steeped in history and romance: the 18th-century highwayman Dick Turpin drank here, along with literary luminaries Keats, Shelley and Byron.
- Spaniards Road NW3
- 020 8731 6571
- Tube Hampstead, Golders Green
- (under 15)*
7. O'Hanlon's
A character pub near Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell is a great find: exotic antiques and casual furniture belie the true worth of its astonishing ales, which the landlord, John O'Hanlon, brews in South London. Inexpensive stews and pies keep the Irish pub tradition going.
- 8 Tysoe Street EC1
8. The Grapes
Built in the 1720s, with wooden floors and panelling, The Grapes has survived the modern development of Docklands, retaining its traditional charm and informal atmosphere. The back bar has an open fire and a terrace by the Thames and the excellent upstairs restaurant is renowned for its fish.
- 76 Narrow Street E14
- DLR Westferry
9. The Eagle
This large Victorian pub is popular, crowded and lively, with many coming here to eat the excellent, mainly Spanish-based, food. Portions are large and inexpensive, and can be washed down with a good selection of beer and wine.
- 159 Farringdon Road EC1
- Tube Farringdon
- No bookings
