The Mitre, Holborn 13th January 2009

Continuing the theme of celebrating my birthday, I was taken to this amazing little old pub down an alley off busy city streets.

Harviestoun Haggis Hunter's Ale (4.6%): Citrus overtones to this crisp, tasty, golden ale.

The pub was in the middle of a Scottish beer festival, but as it was lunchtime and I had to go back to work, I was unable to try any more. Regular beers here are Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Adnams Best and Broadside. The pub is clearly very old, with a tiny front bar and a not much bigger back bar, a small alcove and a function room upstairs. It serves sandwiches and scotch eggs, which we also sampled.

And I didn't have my camera with me so it's a great excuse to come back in the near future, maybe with an afternoon to spare. This is truly one of London's hidden gems and I'd encourage you to try it, but get there early because it is very small.