That London term 'village' for often apparently undifferentiated bits of the capital suddenly makes sense when you slip away from the trendies cluttering up Clerkenwell Green and find yourself a hundred yards - and possibly - a hundred years away.

The Horseshoe could sit happily in any true village, jostling with the church and duck pond. Externally it's 16th century-quaint and tiny - but inside it runs back further than you would expect to give quite a long bar area and a separate eating section.

Decor is pretty basic and it's got no airs and graces - rather you have Greene King IPA or Sharps Cornish Coaster at £2.50 a pint and reasonably priced pie and mash.

And the two dartboards are obviously well used; a lunchtime group seemed regularly to get their exit doubles at the first time of asking - and when was the last time you saw a treble top scored in a local boozer?

The little beer garden is probably a great sun-trap - well at least for an hour or so either side of noon as the towering buildings around make it feel rather like sitting inside a cooling tower.

CLIENTELE: locals
NEAREST STATION: Farringdon station
PHONE NUMBER: 020 7253 6068
FEATURES: function room available, live music, outdoor seating, two pool tables, TV