Café Royal

Step inside and it is one of the finest Victorian rooms in the city.

The long bar sits beneath a richly painted ceiling hung with globe lamps, with arched mirrors behind the gantry, an old clock and brass lamp standards along the counter. Leather booths line the windows, and on the walls large tiled pictures glow in soft colours. Through a mirrored screen is the Oyster Bar, all dark panelling, marble-topped tables and crisp white-and-red table settings, with painted glass windows high above. Order a dozen oysters or a pint at the bar, and give yourself time to look up.