Jamies Bar in Fleet Place is surrounded by history – St Pauls Cathedral, the Old Bailey and Fleet Street are all on its doorstep – but step inside and you’ll be met with bang-up-to-date decor, a modern food menu, and a tempting global wine list.

The Venue
Jamies Bar is easy to find, located in Fleet Place, just off Holborn Viaduct. This puts it within around five minutes walking distance of St. Pauls, Chancery Lane and Farringdon underground stations, and it’s right next to the entrance to the City Thameslink station, too.

Pronounced by classy silver signage and attractive plants outside, you’ll want to hurry inside to this welcome oasis in an area not renowned for decent nightlife. The venue features a separate dining area, divided from the larger bar by sparkling drapes, and is decorated in a modern, eclectic style with features such as heavy wooden tables, a huge black Gothic mirror, and oversized lamp shades. If you’re an interiors buff, you can have fun spotting where the furniture and kitchenware comes from – well-selected pieces from stores like Habitat and the Conran Shop give Jamies a visual edge over its competitors.

The Atmosphere
In this part of town, most venues struggle to stay busy once the after-work crowd dashes off for the train back to the commuter belt, but Jamies packs them in and keeps things lively by offering various party packages to local businesses or private individuals, so it usually feels like there’s something going on.

The music is an upbeat dance mix, kept low enough so you can hear your drinking partners, but its presence helps to give this venue an upbeat, funky vibe. The clientele are mostly city slickers, keen to delay that long journey home, and as such the busiest times are from around 6pm on weekdays till 9pm, when the food orders stop. The staff are proud to be a cut above most of their nearby rivals, greeting customers with a grin and keen to offer informed advice on wine or menu choices, even sitting down with you at your table to talk you through it in a relaxed fashion if something needs more explaining.

The Food
Jamies offers a varied menu with something to suit every appetite – whether you want to pop in early for breakfast, nibble on meats that have been cured on the premises while sharing a bottle of wine, or go for the full three courses, they can keep you happy with prices from just a fiver. The main menu changes frequently (apparently as often as the weather!), but offers up a tempting selection of really filling treats.

If you’re feeling so hungry you fancy a starter, you can’t go wrong in choosing the Portobello mushroom rarebit, priced at £5. The sizeable portion would be more than enough on its own as a lunchtime filler, with a large juicy mushroom served on crusty toasted bread, accompanied by a salty Parmesan and rocket salad, and drizzled with a wonderful, sweet balsamic glaze. Other options include a duck and apple salad, carrot and coriander soup and jumbo king prawns, not to mention the generously sized pate dish, served with a spicy chutney and a pile of toasted crusty bread, which costs £5.75.

Moving onto main courses, options include twice-cooked sticky beef, lemon and thyme roast chicken and a smoked trout salad with beetroot, all priced from £8 to around £12.50. For the meat lovers, there’s a hearty venison stew, priced at £12. This is a real winter treat, served in a sweet stick-to-the-sides gravy with honey roasted carrots and parsnips and the creamiest mashed potato. Those looking for sophisticated pub grub couldn’t fail to be satisfied with the Guinness beef burger (£9.50), handmade on the premises, and so thick you might struggle to fit your mouth around it! It comes on a toasted sour dough bun, with perfect, crispy hand cut chips and generous servings of creamy coleslaw and spicy chutney – if you finish it all, you might want to consider dieting afterwards!

After such satisfying main courses, the £4 desserts are unfortunately the most disappointing part of the meal, with both the chocolate brownie and white chocolate cheesecake failing to appeal with their flat flavours. Being served smothered with creme fraiche or ice cream sadly makes them even more inedible, so best skip these and go straight back to the wine!

The Drink
The wine list offered here is exceptional, with over a hundred French, Mediterranean and New World choices from £15.50 upwards. If you’re celebrating, you can flash the cash and spend some of your city bonus on a £250 bottle of Cristal, but if you’re looking for a mid-priced accompaniment to your meal then don’t miss out on the £22 Babich Black Label Sauvignon Blanc. The manageress is happy to explain its organic Kiwi origin, and it’s a full-flavoured and grassy refreshing white.

The Last Word
Jamies Bar stands alone in this area by offering something different to the chain pubs, with eye-catching decor, a wine list to rival a top notch restaurant, and satisfying, seasonal food. If you drink around here, try this place now before it gets any busier!

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