Occupied by Lord Mayors of London until around 1740 when it was sold to Robert Williamson who turned it into a hotel, it was first granted a intoxicating drinks licence in 1851. The wrought iron gates at the entrance were a gift from William III who dined with Queen Mary as the Lord Mayors guests, they are monogrammed with the letters WM. Tiles now seen on the fireplace in the smaller bar are Roman, found on the site during restoration work in 1939 (just a shame that some fool painted them red!).  Folklore has it that inset into the wall of the lounge bar there is an inscribed tablet marking the exact center of the City of London

But what about it now, well, it's definitely not easy to find, being just off Bow Lane along a narrow walk way. If you can find it you will be rewarded with a lovely traditional pub in the heart of the City of London. Cask Marque accredited means you will receive an excellent condition beer. I may take 11 pulls to fill a pint and this always results in a large head, but staff are happy to top this up. The food is reasonable and there are plenty of places to sit and eat in lovely surroundings.

Always go to the back bar if you are in a hurry for the first pint.