Whether you’re after a bite to eat or a post-work beverage, this Soho boozer is a good shout.

The Venue
Sat on a Soho street surrounded by offices and other drinking establishments, the Sun and 13 Cantons has a lot of competition and, admittedly, it could be mistaken for just another bog-standard venue with people pouring out on to the streets at the front of it. Enter inside and it has a welcoming feel. It's modern-looking, but still very pub-like with wooden floors, minimalist lampshades and mirrors. Upstairs is roughly divided into a drinking and dining area and there's a private function room downstairs with it's own bar that can be hired out, or it's opened in the colder months when more people want to retreat inside.

The Atmosphere
Due to its location and simple set-up – there’s no darts, pool table or pub fancies – the pub attracts a post-work crowd and, especially Thursdays and Fridays, the place is packed out with young twenty and thirtysomethings relaxing after a hard day's work at the nearby media/music industry offices. At the weekend, there's more of a mix, with tourists, passers-by and those visiting central London for a 'big night out’. Staff are friendly and, if you order food, particularly efficient. The music varies depending on the night of the week and whether they have a guest DJ in. Expect to hear chilled-out reggae, old-skool hip-hop and soul hits during the week, and more upbeat tunes come the weekend.

The Food
Following the trend for a lot of modern pubs, Thai food is served. Impressively, it’s very well made. The vegetarian spring rolls (£3.50) with sweet chilli sauce are delicious. Well-presented on a wooden dish, the portion of five rolls are crispy, yet not greasy, fresh-tasting and packed with veggies. Similarly, the chilli corn fritters (£3.50) are a good pick – accompanied by the same sauce, they’re lightly battered and scrumptiously sweet. You can't really go wrong with a green Thai chicken curry (£6.75) and this venue proves that – it's packed out aubergine slices, beansprouts, asparagus and bamboo shoots, which are flavoursome, and the chicken pieces are succulent and plentiful. There are, howwever, quite a lot of chillis, which provide a fair thwack of heat, so those with a sensitive palate should beware.

There's not actually a lot on the menu for vegetarians, but you can ask for any of the dishes without meat. The sen chan pad Thai (£7.25) suits this preference well. The egg, beansprouts, courgettes, broccoli, crushed peanuts and spring onions blend perfectly into an extremely tasty dish. For dessert, the sticky rice and mango is authentic-tasting – the rice is nicely covered, but not swimming, in coconut milk, while the mango is very fresh.

The Drink
The pub serves a good selection of drinks and you're looking at £4 a pint, a price that's standard for the area. Draught beers include Aspall, Asahi, Litovel, Honeydew and Guinness, while bottles include Budvar and Bulmers. The wine list is reasonable – the Five Mile Point Cabernet Merlot Shiraz (£13.95 a bottle) is easy to drink and suited to most dishes on the menu.

The Last Word
With satisfying food, friendly staff and great music, the Sun and 13 Cantons is a reliable boozer in the heart of Soho.

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