Low on personality and high in the number of tourists, The Clarence is still a decent pub - good for a stop off near Trafalgar Square.

The Venue
This warm, old-time pub is a comfortable nest ready to shelter you from the wind and rain so often falling on Trafalgar Square. Neat and cosy with its red ceiling and wine leaf wallpaper, The Clarence delivers a feeling of intimacy thanks to the corner couches and heavy curtains. The quiet dining room upstairs is more simple and formal with its square tables, but still fashionable with stylish wallpaper beside the small second bar.

The Atmosphere
The dining room is usually ideal for conversation while the pub area on the ground floor varies greatly. The atmosphere is not the most exciting and there is some character missing: there are no locals due to the very central location (an exception made for a few office workers after 5pm) and most customers are tourists travelling in small or large groups. Depending on numbers, quantity and age of the tourists, the pub can be very loud or super quiet, although it's generally fairly busy all of the time.

The Food
The menu at The Clarence is built around comfort food: traditional pub grub to satisfy unpretentious customers. Within the mains (£7.25-£9), pies, meat cuts, scampi and fish are the bestsellers: try the Scottish salmon Wellington or go Italian with the pasta with sauteed mushrooms, peppers and wilted spinach. Lighter bites are also available in the form of burgers, jacket potatoes, sandwiches and sharers: the smocked haddock and gruyere cheese fishcakes are particularly tasty.

The Drink
The selection of beers and ales is quite good with Staropramen, Leffe, Deuchards IPA, Old Speckled Hen and others available on draught. Prices are average with some pints priced slightly below £3 and others just above.

The wine list is long and it shines for the affordable prices: bottles are a mere £12-£22, with large glasses priced at £4.30-£6.50. Wines are well described and grouped into categories. For a guaranteed good glass, however, you are better off sticking to the upper price range.

The Last Word
The Clarence is not particularly impressive in any aspect but it isn’t particularly bad either: if anything, it’s the ideal place for meeting up with friends centrally due to the easy to reach location.

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