With a tradition of builder versus banker bust ups, an upstairs downstairs divide and the wooden look of a divey old grotto, Dirty Dicks has a lot of stories.

The Venue
Located just along Bishopsgate from Liverpool Street Station, Dirty Dicks is a historic retreat for the area’s workers and wanderers. The pub has the classic set up of old brass jugs, terracotta tankards and low wood beamed ceilings but creeping into the consciousness, there’s something else to it. This something else is the part that the dim lighting, exposed brickwork and skew-whiff wood beams play in making the place a little like a themed abandoned mine shaft; just lacking the runaway cart to transform it into the newest in new entertainment: Pub The Ride.

After succumbing to the chain brewery clutches, it’s this individuality that has kept the atmosphere intact in line with history. The Vault bar below is a dim but cosy drinking hole and the place as a whole is littered with cubby holes tucked away behind randomly placed ledges and partitions. There are plenty of tables around and it’s best to sit down to achieve a more natural relationship with the low ceiling above.

The Atmosphere
Legend has it (according to the old manager) that Dirty Dicks used to see class dynamics played out at the end of every working day. The builders from the area could allegedly be found in the depths of the Vault bar, while the bankers were to be found above. This isn’t the case now, though, with a myriad of upmarket bars in the area, Dirty Dicks seems to have been claimed by the common man - or at least there isn’t the suited presence that smothers the venues further along the road.

The staff are friendly but lack the personal touch to keep you at the bar beyond the exchange of monies. On the civilian side of the bar, however, the attitudes are bright although there isn’t a lot of mixing with a mature age group making up the majority of the clientele.

The Food
Food can be eaten anywhere you want but Hobson’s dining room is available above should you want the formalities of a sit down meal. The food on offer is nothing short of normal, unremarkable and un-resplendent (which is possibly not even grammatically legal). There is the usual list of burgers, sandwiches and jacket potatoes and a list of mains that include everyone’s favourites; sausage and mash and fish and chips.

The Drink
You know a serious pub when you see the terracotta flagons and brass jugs standing on the shelves but when you see massive wooden barrels, too, you know you’re in for something special. We’re talking about lager and beer; there is a good range of spirits and even a large wine list displayed on a blackboard but really you’ll get dizzy about the fizzy.

There are revolving guest ales from the cask but a fixed few on tap always. These are Deucher’s, Youngs Special and Youngs bitter. You can also try before you buy if you’re interested in sampling one of the exciting and mysterious ales on offer. In terms of lager there is Carling and Fosters plus Kronenbourg and Peroni on draught and a good selection of bottles.

The Last Word
Dirty Dicks is a worthy place to go and enjoy a drink and explore a real classic. And, while it may not really be ‘Pub The Ride’, in the confines of the dimly lit, creaky old boozer, if you drink enough and lurch back and forth on a wonky chair then your mind will do the rest.

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