Randomness Guide to London Menu

The public space of The Prince Bonaparte is a single room, at the centre of which is a three-sided bar. This makes it seem quite spacious, although the ceiling is as low as a regular shop, and the lack of soft interior furnishings make Nick suspect that it could get very noisy when full, which seems typical for pubs in the area.

Of the four hand pumps, only one was on at 6:30 on a Monday, although a second was being pulled through. Nick fails to remember the name of the beer tried, but curiously it was served in a jug glass without comment, and cost £3.20.

Sitting at the front of the bar, one can see into the kitchen area. The menu is shown on a blackboard on the wall, but appears to be painted rather than chalked up, so the A4 menu sheets mounted elsewhere with today's date at the bottom may be intended to create an illusion that the selection changes more rapidly than is actually the case. The menu ranged from creamy soup for £4.50, through "Sausages and mash in a red onion marmalade" for £10.50 to sirloin steak at £17.50.

See also:

• Time Out review