Judging by the number of pubs in the City of London dispensing cask beer, City boys in suits like their real ale – but most seem satisfied with corporate pubs selling the same old well known brands. Be thankful, then, for Nicholson’s and their expanded range of interesting beers served in civilised surroundings, including this stalwart half-hidden in an alleyway only a few steps from Liverpool Street station.

The Venue
Leave the station through its main exit onto Bishopsgate and New Street is almost directly opposite: one of those pretty, narrow thoroughfares that reminds you of the City’s ancient past, it’s surprisingly in contrast to the bustle surrounding it. The Magpie is at the end in a corner building that was once an ambulance station but, as a Mitchells and Butlers Nicholson’s house, is now decked out with the chain’s standard posh traditional pub look, with polished wood panels, engraved glass and a marble bar top. The single bar is not especially big but has a number of attractive nooks if you can claim one. Also standard for the chain is an elegant upstairs room dining room with table service that doubles as a function room for hire. There’s no outdoor seating but the pedestrianised street outside is a pleasant place to stand, under the pub’s floral planters. Note that in common with many pubs in the area it’s closed at weekends.

The Atmosphere
Inevitably given its location this is a City boy pub likely to be particularly busy in early evenings with after-work drinkers: don’t be surprised if you’re the only one not wearing a suit. It attracts guys on the whole, although that’s not to say girls aren’t present, too. The atmosphere is far from unwelcoming and the bar staff are friendly and efficient.

The Food
Nicholson’s standard menus offer what can be called enhanced pub grub, and the Magpie has slightly cheaper prices than some. A full cooked breakfast is £5.50 with both standard and vegetarian options and featured meals include Salmon en croûte (£9.45), fish and chips with mushy peas (£7.95) and braised pork confit (£9.95) while the regular mains are typified by pie and mash (£8.50), meat or vege sausage and mash (£6.45), burgers and chips (from £6.45) and roasted Mediterranean vegetable tart (£7.45). During the day there’s sandwiches (£5-£6 including chips or salad) and light lunches like fishcakes (£5.95) or a warm halloumi salad (£6.45).

The Drink
Cask beer is usually part of the Nicholson’s deal and the Magpie has more than most, with ten handpumps and cellar standards that have earned it a place in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide. Fuller’s London Pride, Sharp’s Doom Bar and St Austell Tribute are regulars and the remaining lines draw from the company’s seasonally changing guest ale list which stretches to microbrewers like Acorn, Cropton, Itchen Valley, Moor, RCH, Roosters, Stonehenge and White Horse, at around £3.50 a pint. Besides standard lagers and Guinness there’s also Staropramen on draught and Budvar and Meantime in bottle. There’s a wide choice of mainly new world wines, most of them available by the glass, from a Chilean sauvignon blanc (175ml £2.90) to a New Zealand pinot noir (175ml £4.95), and a few single malts and other specialist spirits.

The Last Word
The slightly blokey, besuited feel and fake fusty decor might not suit everyone, but this is a useful place to know about for a good choice of cask ale and other quality drinks in a relatively relaxed and civilised environment near a major transport hub.

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