The Drapers Arms is in one of London's smarter neighbourhoods

A trip to the Drapers Arms is a good opportunity to see how the other half live; it’s situated in one of the most desirable corners of London– all leafy lanes and grand, four story period homes.

The clientele of the pub are a mixed bag though, youngsters, older gents, dogs and even a couple of students added to the pleasant burble of conversation as we wandered in out of the autumnal rain.

My salmon came in good, thick slices and was cider cured so tasted slightly sweet. It was served with a tangy pickle and big slabs of brown bread, which were a touch on the hard side.

Then the kale and bacon soup, which was thin in consistency but had a wonderful deep, smokey flavour.

The Drapers’s Scotch eggs were recently named best in London so of course I had to try one. A big duck egg wrapped in a tasty black pudding infused rind was very good indeed.

The Draper's smart interior

Our main of pollock was disappointing. The fish was too soft and a bit slimy and lacked flavour, the mint overpowered everything, and came with slightly hard beans. A bit of a shame.

The partridge was much better. It came with poached pear, even though Christmas is a way off, which added a hint of sugar to the tender little bird, which was otherwise quite savoury with bacon and vegetables.

In general it was a lovely meal in a very attractive little pub, the kind of establishment you would like as your local. If only I could stretch to a flat in Barnsbury.

Jon Dean