Williamsons Tavern, London

A tucked-away three-storey brick pub re-built 1934 with three rooms, the first of which is little changed over the years and is said to hold the oldest excise licence in the City.

The front bar has a bare wood floor and the panelled bar counter with its curved central section looks like it could be inter-war (but Nicholsons are known for quality refurbishments). Look for the ledge on the door the staff use to get to the servery and you will see the wording “Waitresses Only”. The bar back lower shelves look to date from the 1930s (but three fridges have replaced the central section) and the top part has a lot of modern work. On the right is a 1930s brick fireplace in a wood surround, which may also be old. Radiators behind the fixed seating looks to date from just post-war. The toilets at the front part of the pub have small black and white chequerboard tiled floors and the dado wall tiling is of an inter-war style (but most tiles look modern).

A short passage leads to a larger bar at the rear where the bar counter has a similar style but looks modern and the bar back is good but is also modern. The dado panelling around most of the room could be inter-war and there are more just post-war radiators and a number of 1930s inter-war leaded windows. The third room is the Martha’s Cellar Bar / Dining Room downstairs which has a lovely semicircular wooden narrow panelled frontage and good old white marble top but the staff say the bar was changed 30 years ago from one straight across the room so is this an import? Another 1930s stained glass window at the rear.