The Castle, Fleet Street  

Once upon a time, even though it's in the heart of hectic Holborn, this quiet, smallish pub was far enough off the beaten track for it to be a refuge for those looking for an undisturbed drink. Now, it's in the hands of the same people who look after The Bell (on Cannon Street) and The Wheatsheaf (Borough Market), and the relaunched Castle is much improved. The main draw now is the real ale selection, with the pub offering up to eight, regularly-rotating, guest beers and, on the basis of our visit, they'll be in for a treat with a good range of unusual and well-kept ales on offer. The food is, thankfully, simple pub grub (which goes well with the beers on offer though, surprisingly, there was no fish and chips on the menu when we were in last) and the quality's pretty decent too, sourced locally from Smithfield and Borough Markets and priced pretty cheaply. As it's not the largest of pubs, it's popularity is only likely to increase, and become busier and more crowded as a result, as it does when the landlord gets it right. You should definitely give this one a look.

reviewed:
15/4/2008

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

regular guest ales

function room for hire

quiz night

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