THE London pub. No pints — only halves of beer and glasses of wine, a policy that has survived since the Free French used it as their unofficial headquarters during WWII. Dean Street, Soho. Gaullists drafted the 'Appel du 18 Juin' upstairs. Dylan Thomas, Francis Bacon, Jeffrey Bernard drank here. The pub has resisted every modernisation that has swept Soho around it: no music, no TV, no food beyond a simple upstairs dining room. The conversation IS the entertainment. The room is small, the walls are nicotine-stained memory, and the clientele is a cross-section of Soho that would be impossible to assemble anywhere else.
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Half a pint of whatever's on — remember, no pints are served. A glass of wine from the short, well-chosen list. The Ricard if you want to honour the French connection. Upstairs, the dining room serves a short French menu at lunch that is far better than a pub kitchen has any right to be. The Gallic commitment runs deep.
Late afternoon when the post-work crowd arrives and the room fills with the particular energy of people who chose this pub over every other option in Soho. Lunchtime for the upstairs dining room. Avoid Friday nights if you want to hear yourself think — but even then, the chaos has its own integrity.
No pints — halves only. No music, no TV, no food at the bar. The upstairs dining room serves French food at lunch. Dean Street, heart of Soho. Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road tubes are nearby. The pub is small — standing room dominates. Cash and cards. The history is everywhere but not sign-posted; nobody will tell you that de Gaulle's people drank here unless you ask.