Having a beer in here can feel like drinking in a bejeweled red velvet box, thanks to the acid-etched glass screens that subdivide the busy bar into dignified drinking areas. Originally installed in 1895 to prevent brawls between the working and middle classes (at a time when even Underground rides were segregated), the screens somehow survived the 20th century. Drinks are £1 more than they should be, but it’s one of the prettiest pubs in London, and its location southeast of Oxford Circus makes it an easy stop.