where shall we meet? The White Swan, SW1

The Tate, standing in that area that Shirley Porter tried to gerrymander out of working-classness recently, has always been a bit short on local rendezvous points for gallery visitors. The White Swan, "one of London's oldest pubs", near Pimlico tube, has recently been tarted up in an eccentric version of the stripped brick school. Rafters have been inserted at normal ceiling height through which one can see the old Anaglypta peering through. This place has a friendly atmosphere and, although it has a jukebox, it's often not playing; instead, the large room is filled with the rumble of people conversing without self-consciousness. Real ales and pleasant, if unexceptional, food at £3.50-£4.50.

The White Swan, 14 Vauxhall Bridge Rd, SW1 (0171-821 8561)

Serena Mackesy