Jamaica Wine House

Busy, rambling and in the centre of the City. Decent food and Spitfire on tap. It’s welcoming and, bearing in mind the average (half-​witted City Boy) clientele, the staff do a damn good job. Definitely worth a visit.

The pub is conveniently located and has a great history. However, it is pretty small which makes pub rush hour pretty tight. Also, there is a really small selection of things on tap — ciders, beers, etc. I suppose that’s fair enough, since it does call itself a wine bar.

Hard to find, this little treasure of a pub is one you don’t want to leave once you’re there !
We stayed in the lower floor, which had a nice bar, well attended by the friendly staff.
The not-​so-​friendly prices of the wines were compensated by the fact that they were quite good. Although one of my colleagues got served bad red wine… No ill intention there, I’m sure ;)
Down side: the selection of beers is very poor (2 choices only)…

I really like this place; probably my favourite after-​work haunt for our Tower-​42 crowd. Inside can be a bit cramped owing to the layout; which involves a long bar cut into smaller sectioned rooms. However there is plenty outside drinking room; business types and friends tend to stand with their pints and send someone inside for a round. It does tend to be a little less busy than some of it’s neighbours, perhaps owing to it’s tucked-​away nature; it’s situated in a (very) old church hall an alleyway or two off the main roads of the City.
I have also eaten downstairs in their wine bar which has a much cosier, quieter atmosphere; we shared a couple of meat plates which went down a treat after a few pints.
The only downside I have for the Jamaica Wine House is the beer selection; I’m usually a lager drinker and the draught choice of Fosters or San Miguel isn’t very inspiring. But then, their main attraction is the wine bar (as the name suggests) and all in all it has a good atmosphere.
The bar staff are very swift, helpful and friendly and mix a very nice Pimms!

Not as bursting at the seams as many City pubs, this place is tucked back down an alley behind a church. While the inside space is quite tight, with little seating available, there is much space outdoors for standing with your drink on a nice day. Having been here for a few centuries, the worn down front step is a really cool period feature. The downstairs level is called Todd’s Wine Bar, and offers a different menu & more seating. If the skies turn grey or the air goes cold, pop down there for more good drinks and good food.

Contrary to this place’s name, this is a beer-​centric Shepherd Neame pub. There are six casks with about four different Shep beers. The pub itself is relatively small but most people stand outside in the alley. I only know how to get here in relation to the Crosse Keys: go out the back door of the Crosse Keys and you are basically at the Jamaica Wine House. Overall the pub really isn’t that impressive, but if you’re keen to get a couple Shep beers you can come here. Or take a break from the Crosse Keys and come here. But don’t make this place a destination.

Busy pub squirreled down a Square Mile alley way. Turn right at the church, walk down the darkened lane and then you’ll hear the shrieks. No, not the shrieks of Jack the Ripper claiming another victim, but of the City masses braying at each other in only the way City workers can.
Very old school, wooden and traditional feel to this place. It’s the sort of place that you’d take an out of town visitor who wanted to see a classic London pub. Fairly limited selection of beer — and somehow it feels wrong to serve modern import lagers such as Asahi and Oranjeboom (as tasty as they are) in a wooden, 18^th century haunt like this.
Worth a visit, if you can stand the crowds.

This is Chewy’s favourite city pub. Its apparently very old and used to be a meeting place for merchants and ships captains, and had originally been London’s first coffee house. Its an alright pub and has a good outside area but I don’t like it as much as Chewy. A bit old mannish.

Great atmosphere, great layout and a very popular old world city haunt. When it opened in 1652 it was London’s first coffee house, how long it stayed selling coffee before switching to wine and latterly beer is anyone’s guess but the present building has always been a pub and dates from the 19^th century. It’s a Shepherd Neame house, the beer is well kept and it gets VERY busy. If you can’t stand the crowds there are some old church gardens in the alley behind the place which you can look at while supping your bevvy and watching the slightly less heaving masses regaling colleagues with tales of relief at having left the office for the day.

Unless you work in the area or are already in the loop, City pubs can be a bit of a mixed bag. This particular little pub tucked away between alleys, however is always worth the trip. With a slightly confusing but interesting layout and a great selection of beers, lagers and wines you should be able to find a drink to please everyone.
Similarly to most City pubs, the best time to visit this establishment in comfort will be during an early week day afternoon, when you can sit back, have a pleasant drink and enjoy the quiet atmosphere.

Affectionately known as the Jampot to City locals on account of the worn down entrance step, this is one of the oldest bars in the Square Mile. Go and listen to the sharp suited old men talking about how they started their careers in this watering hole many moons ago. I have been on numerous occasions and only been able to get a seat if I’ve turned up at about 4.30pm. So basically it’s busy, and if you’re not a fan of City types then you probably should avoid at all costs. The actual pub is squashed down an ally, which means there is quite a lot of space for smokers and summer sipping outside, and it is moments from Bank tube — a perfect after work venue, even if just to go and pretend you remember the place in the ‘good old days!’

The ‘Jampot’, the first coffee house in London, even has its own Wikipedia entry
. In the heart of the old City, reached only through a network of alleways, you’ve done well just to find the place. Once in, it’s a good place for proper beer… if a deal is to be done, what more do you need?