Where shall we meet?: The Pillars of Hercules

Devotees of long, narrow pubs will be in heaven in this one, although those of a more nervous disposition will find it hard to run the gauntlet of the three dozen blokes who hog the bottleneck from back to front after the office lets out. They're quite a peaceable crowd - the pub sells a lot of bottled beers - but they do know how to stare.

A raised platform at the back holds tiny crowded-together tables from the safety of which you can stare back. Although it's next door to Foyle's, this isn't really a bookish sort of drinker: its main advantage is that it's very easy to find.

The Pillars of Hercules, Greek St, W1 (071-437 1179)

Tomorrow: Freud's, Shaftesbury Ave, WC2

(Photograph omitted)