Who - a "locals" pub tends only to be frequented by people who live locally. You can sometimes here people described as "I know him vaguely - he drinks in our local." Non-locals pubs - in my view - are split in two; those (especially in London) aimed at tourists, where most of the beer is from a tap rather than a pump and the food is average at best, and the chain pubs such as the "Rat & Parrot" or "Corney and Barrow" which are aimed more at the after-work crowd.<BR><BR>My favourite pub is in Edinburgh - The Old Bell. It's a really cosy place, does a good pint of 80 shilling, and has a small restaurant upstairs.

Glad to see this one come back to the top. I enjoyed a cozy pint at the Red Lion in Bath. Pretty small pub, with a fire. Unfortunately, in the US the name "Red Lion" is kind of a common pseudo pub name.

Dont forget Ben, that the best thing about the Market Porter in Borough is that it is open for a pint at 6am. Always worth remembering when getting home late.

take a train, or a boat, to Greenwich, walk east along the river, and visit the Cutty Sark, which is right on the river, about 15 mins walk from the centre of Greenwich. you won't regret it!

For Mr Steel. Sir, I am 65, a respectable householder, and at six in the morning I am at home. Now in my younger days...<BR><BR>BH

Rachel, the Jack the Ripper pub is the Ten Bells. Everytime I've been in the area it has been shut and I'm dying to get in!<BR>On the JTR walk we did the Ten Bells was shut! so we ended up in the Grave Maurice on I think Whitechapel High Street, it was very friendly and everyone was chatting to everyone, we got chatting to nurses from the Whitechapel Hospital across the road, there was a very good mix of people.<BR>The Cheshire Cheese pub is so easy to miss as all it has outside it Y O C C (Ye Olde Chesire Cheese) no wonder we couldn't find it!

Sara, I have just finished reading the new Martha Grimes book called The Grave Maurice. It begins with one of her main characters in the Whitechapel Hospital and the other waiting to visit him in the Grave Maurice Pub. You might enjoy it since you have been there.

The Ten Bells aka the Ripper pub is a tourist trap hovel.<BR><BR>It's the one in the film &quot;from hell&quot; and has some nice features but it is full of tourists and doesn't even sell English beer! Go to Hennesy's over the road, which is a real old pub.<BR>

Thanks for that Carolyn, I might just check it out.

Kent has some lovely pubs - all oak beams and roaring log fires. The Three Chimneys at Biddenden is a classic, the paintwork looks llike it is authentic Tudor! and it serves fabulous food, or try the little 'locals' side bar with a darts board for a more authentic pub experience. Beers are served straight from the barrel - all lined up behind the bar! we stayed nearby at the highly rated Church gates in pretty Cranbrook and visted Sissinghurst garden, midway between the two, but a hefty walk after a fine meal and too much ale!!!

My list in no order of preference, these are all smart London Pubs.<BR>'The Anglesea Arms'<BR>15 Selwood Terrace, South Ken<BR>'The Belwood'<BR>77 Bedford Hill, Balham. SW12<BR>'25 Canonbury Lane'<BR>25 Canonbury Lane, Islington, N1<BR>www.25cannonburylane.co.uk<BR>'Gordons Wine Bar'<BR>Villiers Street, WC2<BR>'Grenadier'<BR>Wilton Row, Knightsbridge, SW1<BR>Lots Road Dinning Room<BR>114 Lots Road, Chelsea, SW10<BR>‘The Peasant’<BR>240 St Johns Street, Clerkenwell, EC1<BR>www.thepeasent.co.uk<BR>‘Perseverance’<BR>6 3 Lamb’s Conduit Street, Hoburn, WC1<BR>‘Prospect of Whitby’ (oldest riverside pub in London)<BR>57 Wapping Wall, Wapping E1<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Queen Charlotte's Pantry in Bloomsbury also has a good upstairs restaurant. And the pies....

THE FRIEND AT HAND, down the alley and just steps from the Russell Sq. tube stop...and when it's quiet, which granted is quite rare, the Museum Tavern across from the British Museum. Beleive it or not, there are rare times during the day when it's not packed by tourists and it's nice. Small and well appointed, Marx drank there as did Dickens. Apparently, Dickens drank everywhere though, which is why he's my hero...(wonder if I could retrace his steps?)

My old local - the 16th Century Bell Pub on Bell Road in East Molesey. <BR><BR>Bell Road is an ancient street with half-timbered cottages as well as the Pub itself which we used to call 'the old crooked house'. <BR><BR>Local lore says Bell Road used to be the main highway, and that Dick Turpin would stop by after some successful thieving. Now it's just a quiet historic backwater surrounded by 'newer' housing. <BR><BR>Never saw a tourist my whole time there even though it's only about a 15-20 minute walk from Hampton Court. The pub did a great Ploughman's Lunch and the garden (in the rear) was a treat too.