Sweet old-time boozer that's very popular with the work force of Fitzrovia, the Yorkshire Grey is a cute little place to have a pint and bask by the open fire.

The Venue
Sitting pretty in green, on a street corner between quiet Langham Street and the stone paved Middleton Buildings Alley, the Yorkshire Grey is one of those old-timer pubs with two visible entrance doors (one isn’t in use) and pretty frosted glass elements throughout. There is a lot of dark wood visible inside, including the bar, little booth-like seats for two, the nice area at the back enclosing some Chesterfield wall benches and a pretty period fireplace. The place looks and feels welcoming, apart from when it is dauntingly empty on an early Saturday evening.

The photographs on the wall put a smile on your face. The photos portray different aspects and eras of the radio history of the country, from Churchill in front of an old fashioned microphone to a group of young girls listening to the first broadcasts for children.

Upstairs, a cosy second room provides extra space when the ground floor becomes too congested. Similarly, benches in the cobbled alley are an outlet for smokers or for sun chasers on good days. Pretty flower displays cheer up the otherwise slightly sombre environment.

The Atmosphere
Yorkshire Grey is just like an office: really busy during the week, it becomes very quiet at weekends. The crowds of people immediately after work can be extraordinary and, on Friday, it can be a tight squeeze. However, at weekends, this charming little place is almost too quiet. If the pub opposite has a steady flow of regulars enjoying its quirky appeal, the Yorkshire Grey draws in the Samuel Smith die-hards and those looking for the cheapest pint in town.

There is no music but you definitely don’t notice it during the week, when the humdrum of punters is loud enough to drown out any tunes. During the weekend or in quiet moments, you can still amuse yourself with the dart board or the fruit machines, or just simply by settling in by the fireplace.

The Food
Cheap, filling and honest is a succinct description of the menu. The food here is typical pub grub, including classic dishes like fish and chips, cottage pie, Cumberland sausages and mash, toad in the hole, steak and kidney pie and more. And if you want something lighter, you can opt for a selection of traditional sandwiches (£4). Food is served between 12.30pm and 2.30pm and 5.30pm-8pm, and there’s enough choice to satisfy anyone who fancies a spot of pub grub.

The Drink
As Yorkshire Grey is a flagship Samuel Smith pub, and like all the other pubs belonging to this understated chain, you will not find anything but their own beer and soft drinks. From this fiercely independent Yorkshire brewery, you can expect a lot or organic and environmentally-friendly beers, including Oatmeal Stout, Organic Cider, Organic Cherry Fruit Beer, Nut Brown Ale, Teddy Porter, the popular Alpine Lager, Winter Welcome Ale, Wheat Beer and more.

What’s even better is that the prices are amongst the lowest you will find in Central London: a pint on draught ranges from £1.90-£2.70 (a pint of stout is about £2) and bottles start from £2.60. The cheap prices are not indicative of poor quality but of low production costs and no money spent on advertising. Spirits, soft drinks and juices are just as ethically sustainable – all bottles are recycled and all the prices are very low, with a juice priced at £1.25.

The Last Word
Cheap and cosy, if you’re planning a social visit and don’t work nearby, you may want to avoid the busiest hours since the herds of office workers may leave no room at the inn. At quieter times though, the old fashioned decor, quaint details and the cheap beer make the Yorkshire Grey another Sam Smith’s success story.

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