Craft Beer Co, EC1

Housed in a nice old building the most striking feature is the mirrored ceiling decorated as a clock. The counter is to the right with bench seating on the left. There’s a room upstairs which is very basic but in keeping, it’s reached by a steep staircase with some tatty but beautiful Lincrusta. Sixteen pulls on the counter but only seven in use, one was a cider and there were some interesting beers on the others, Radio City Beer Works and Siren being prominent. The keg choice is interesting too on one of the longest thick horseshoes I’ve ever seen, and there is a good selection of Belgian bottles.

Grade II-listed and rebuilt in the mid-19th century, as the Coach & Horses, this dates from 1785 and until CBeebies turfed up, it had been known as the Clock House – there’s a clock to the corner splay – by at least 1974, when it appeared in the GBG and first visited by me in March 2016. With a CAMRA heritage citation of *, the green banded occluded windows are a clear indication that this was once a Charrington’s house and a nicely retained touch; the etched glass partitions are a modern addition, courtesy of Taylor’s Classics of Stafford. It’s the ceiling that’s the star here, with the ribs and ventilation grills dating from the 19th century, likewise the attractive mirrored bar back; the ceiling’s mirrored panels with Roman numerals are a late 20th century addition; also of note is the pretty fireplace, topped with the to-die-for Charrington’s mirror. Given the small interior, furniture is tall stuff to the periphery, décor is thin and customers are mixed with quite a few for my Tuesday visit at 9.34pm, all in good spirits. The pump selection here seems somewhat pneumatic, with more coming online later in the week, six on the go, with a good selection of strengths and styles as expected, my first choice of Macintosh Best (£2.85 a half) was in good nick, likewise the Mill Hill Mallow Monsta (£2.85), both served by attentive bar staff. This is a decent place and although it doesn’t have the 10-pump selection of sister pub Cask (visited the day before), it does offer a far more authentic pub experience – probably because it’s a pub – and also the beer here was in drinkable condition.