With a name that acts as a tourist flytrap, this legendary little alleyway drinker could be an exercise in kitsch crowd-pleasing. However, it hangs onto its title as Obyto’s favourite central London pub for a number of reasons. There are the obvious ones, namely: it has no music, and even when busy, you can always find a seat and a spot at the bar
But there is much more to this pub than drinking convenience. Firstly, there is its inconvenience – hidden down a narrow passageway, with very little advertising its presence at its Hatton Garden street opening. Once found, you feel part of a special, clever gang; the sight of groups of people congratulating each other for being so special and clever is a common one at Ye Olde Mitre.
Look - a sign to the pub. That's helpful, isn't it?
Secondly, of all the traditional elements that have long since departed the central London pub scene, such as saloon partitions, interesting ales and common courtesy, there is one that is most lamented by the staff here at Obyto HQ: decent bar snacks. All we ask for is a few sausages, or perhaps a decent slice of pie, along with a small ramekin of mustard, a fork and a napkin. It’s not much to ask for, is it? It’s warming, more filling than peanuts or crisps, and you don’t have the irritation of littering your table with plastic packaging. Sadly, it seems that the profit margins on such drinking fuel are too minimal, and thus such things have been discarded.
Not here, though, where a handful of shrapnel will buy you some sausages, toasties or sliced pork pie, all with the requisite pot of yellow power sauce. A pound here, a pound there, and you’ve turned into a beaming lode of goodwill, with Colman’s all round your mouth. They also tend to have a number of guest ales on tap. Marvellous.
But the real clincher for me is the staff – solicitous and efficient, unbewitched by passing trends and the desire to intimidate. They tend to their contented customers in a cosy, settling interior with dark tables and chairs, with all manner of ornamental geegaws lining the picture rails. As I said, the pub doesn’t feel overly “heritage”, but that’s not to say they lack self-consciousness. It is more the case that those in charge here know how important it is to retain the pub as it stands. To wit – it is very important. Thank you.
Click here for a map to this pub’s famously hidden location. And guess what? Its alley isn’t even on the map. You’ll just have to find it yourself.
Ye Old Mitre
- 1 Ely Court
- London EC1N 6SJ