Nestled amongst the upmarket stores and fancy cafes of Long Acre is a true London heart – a charming pub that has kept away from all the cliched gastropub references to offer football fans and pint lovers a proper local boozer.

The Venue
The Freemasons is easy to spot, being located at the top end of Covent Garden’s Long Acre. A large red frontage and big sign proclaiming The Freemasons meets you in old school pub style – a style that is carried on inside.

Upon entering, you are greeted with a proper pub. There are no imitations and nothing is try hard; this place is what it is - a local boozer for those in Central London who want to avoid the usual touristy, cheesy venues. It’s all back to basics with dark wooden tables and chairs dotted around, tall stools at the bar, and comfortable studded leather booths around the corners. The decor is dark, wooden and immediately warming. Best of all, and central to its appeal, are the five huge screens located all around the outer edge of the pub and positioned in such a way that, wherever you stand, you can see easily spy the sporting action. This is aided by the perfectly positioned central bar.

The Freemasons has a rich soccer heritage – being the place where the Football Association was founded, and as such glass cases can be found on the walls containing footballing memorabilia. Also on the premises are function rooms, often hired out by the Masons groups, who have a huge headquarters practically next door to the pub.

The Atmosphere
The manageress here is a proper old fashioned landlord. Friendly and up for a banter, her no-nonsense approach ensures everyone can come here and have a good time watching the football, but any trouble is quickly put down - their philosophy is that your mother should be able to come and enjoy the footy here. Testosterone is kept in check, leaving a lively, electric atmosphere during football games.

People here are an eclectic mix of locals, nearby office workers, football fans (especially gooners, although all are welcome) and regulars. That said, there’s no cliquey atmosphere and it’s all very friendly. Service is old school, like the pub: cheerful, non-nonsense, banterful and decent.

The Food
Don’t come here expecting gastro grub – that’s not what The Freemasons is about. This place is a pub. Simple as. That means you can get decent grub that’s cheaply priced and does the job to fill a hole. It won’t tantalise the tastebuds, but you won’t really care. The burrito is tasty – cheesy and of a nice gooey consistency, coming with crisp chips that are fluffy inside and a commendably fresh salad. And at around £6 is as cheap as it gets. Same goes for the lasagne – home cooked and not overly stodgy, it’s perfect for a cheese fix to line the stomach. Burgers, Cumberland sausage and mash, steak and ale pie (recommended), and salads are also available. Decent pub grub with none of the added ponce.

The Drink
Drink here is what it’s all about. They have an unusual mix of lager on draught, none of the usual Carlsberg and Fosters here. Instead Asahi, Holsten and Orangeboom are the order of the day. And all priced extremely reasonably for the area. Real ales are also available, including Spitfire, and there’s a decent pub selection of spirits and mixers. Everything is great for watching the game and all expertly pulled – no flat pints here!

The Last Word
Taking it back to basics, this pub works on all fronts because it is what it is. The perfect local boozer with great access to the big games – a Covent Garden gem.

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