Porterhouse is a popular stronghold in Covent Garden. On a hot summer’s day you’ll find hordes of thirsty after-workers enjoying the vast selection of beer this pub offers, whilst come winter everyone moves inside to make the most of its sprawling levels and cosy decor. A real find.

The Venue
Porterhouse is located on Maiden Lane, opposite the glamorous party hotspot Jewel Covent Garden. Although it's positioned on a quiet street, this pub certainly doesn’t suffer from its offbeat location as vast numbers of locals and nearby office workers descend on it night after night. You’ll easily spy this pub thanks to its large (especially by Central London standards) outdoor courtyard area to the front. Partially covered with plenty of outdoor seating, this area is crammed during the summer months as punters seek to occupy every square inch of the attractive space - no wall is safe from weary bottoms. A large sign declaring its presence and an overhanging canopy help bring it all together.

Inside, you’ll find a sprawling, cosy pub with a traditional edge but contemporary decorative touches. Spread over three levels, the ground floor is always rammed on winter evenings with a large wooden bar that is accessible on most sides. Flanked by various benches and high tables, there’s plenty of room to sit whilst not encroaching too much on the standing room, but you’ll still be hard pushed to rest your feet if you arrive late at the weekend. Its maze-like charm is evident with snaking rooms and various stairwells leading up and across balconies to an upstairs space, great for events and dining, and the toilets downstairs. This wooden haven is given a cool edge with little touches like a large, 200-year-old metal clock and an almost nautical skew – you could imagine yourself in the heart of an old wooden ship. The wooden beamed ceiling and plethora of copper piping only help to add to the feeling. Although this is an Irish themed pub, it’s in no way tacky or blatant and you won’t feel like you’ve walked onto the set of a poor Irish spoof movie.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Porterhouse is as warming as the decor that encapsulates it. On weeknights, you’ll find it plagued by office workers wishing to wash away the day’s troubles with a beer or five. You’ll also spy groups of in the know friends, a mere sprinkling of tourists (in contrast to the many tourist traps in the surrounding area), and even couples heading here to enjoy a laid back date. This is a real meeting place, and at the weekends punters make the most of its appeal as a pre-club drinking venue, enjoying the huge choice of unusual beer and the non-pretentious atmosphere.

The staff are particularly friendly for an area marred by poor customer service and the speed at which you’ll be served is admirable given the huge amount of bar traffic and the large orders for their various draught beers. Maybe it’s the Irish charm coming through, but you can’t help but warm to this pub – whether you usually like pubs or not.

The Food
Although the majority of people who come here are after the drinks – notably the beer – they do also offer a well-priced, decent menu of Irish-influenced dishes. Half a dozen Irish rock oysters costs just £6.95, or you can indulge in pub classics like chunky chips (£3.50), nachos (£4.50), burger and chips (£8.95) or fish and chips (£10.75). There’s nothing groundbreaking on offer, but for a pub that specialises in an incredible choice of beer and an upbeat atmosphere, it does well with its menu.

The Drink
Beer, beer and more beer. Beer is where it’s at here. They offer an incredible selection of draught and bottled lagers and ales, and it’s to their credit that they maintain their pumps well and always offer good pints (hence their popularity). If you’re a bit of a beer novice, or aren’t sure what to order, they also offer a beer sampler so you can taste a few beers before making your final decision.

The Porterhouse makes the most of its own brewery in Ireland, exclusively offering three stouts, three ales and three lagers (Brainblasta, Chiller, Temple Brau, Oyster, Plain, TSB, Hersbrucker, Porterhouse Red and Wrasslers), as well as a rotating guest beer. Impressively, they also offer over 100 world bottled beers, and the prices of drink here is in keeping with the area with pints averaging at the £3-£3.50 mark. Of course, if you’re not a beer fan then there are all the usual branded spirits (including a few premium bottles) and an OK choice of wine with a selection of whites, reds and roses by the bottle and glass.

The Last Word
Porterhouse is a great example of a Central London pub getting it right and appealing to a large variety of tastes. An incredible beer selection, warming atmosphere and interesting decor make this a must-visit if you’re in town and are bored of the plethora of chain bars and unimaginative pubs and bars that descend upon you.

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