Leicester Square pubs

As we approach the pub we cannot fail to notice the 20ft high figure attached to the facade above the door. This figure, that looks like a sinister cross between the Jolly Green Giant and the Grim Reaper, is presumably The Brewmaster. His presence was somewhat off-putting to some of our group but we forged ahead and decided to enter anyway. The pub within is decorated with a nineties combination of laminate wood flooring and pastel shades on the walls. Although this is a Greene King pub, they only do IPA plus a couple of other non Greene King ales in addition to all the usual stuff. Friendly staff make this a good meeting place but in our opinion is not the sort of place for a longer session. NOT A PUB, a cafe - however you can have a drink without ordering food. Excellent table service, warm Italian cafe, wood finishes, cafe seating. We had 2 glasses of Portugese (recommended by waiter) for £10 including tip. St Martin's Court is a tiny winding street just behind Leicester Square tube that has the dubious distinction of not showing up on streetmap. The best way to find it is by walking down Charing Cross Road looking for a pink sign with the word 'Vagina' written on it. Yes, that's right, the street is hidden behind the current theatre playing host to the Vagina Monologues. Having negotiated the eager, straining, panting crowd outside the theatre I found myself in a deserted alley lined with empty restaurants. Cafe Koha, rather disconcertingly, is one of them (of rather good reputation, it must be said) but it has a bar in the basement, where it is possible to sit on very square stools listening to groovy music whilst having a major wallet haemorrhage. £3.30 for a small bottle of Budvar at least kept the lid on my alcohol intake, although at one point the friendly but existentially AWOL barman tried to charge me £39 for 3 bottles, which he then managed to round down to £19 before someone else took over. A top atmosphere meant I didn't mind too much, but I'd have to earn at least as much as a cabinet minister to contemplate being a regular. No TV, quiz machines or any other distractions. Well worth booking out for a party (but check your credit card tab carefully). Service was friedly and easy going. Atmosphere - traditional setting - chilled and cozy pub. Large open room with high ceiling. We had 2 Baileys coffees for 9 pounds. Standard pub - £3-£5 per pint. Feel your mind reel from the fractal effects of insane baroque decorations, as detail piles upon mad detail in a pub that makes Gaudi buildings look plain. Just standing staring at the architecture as half of London surges past is an enjoyable experience in itself. Hideously popular with tourists and the theatre crowd alike, this is nevertheless a genial and easygoing place serving decent beers and wines. Saturday afternoons see it at its most relaxed, while Thursday and Friday nights are rather more, er, throbbing. A wonderful remnant of an olde worlde London that never existed in the first place, and a great starting point for newcomers to town.

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