Run by the same management team as the nearby Crown & Sceptre and sharing many elements of the drinks and food selection, the Carpenters nonetheless seems to appeal to a younger, more studenty crowd.
There are fish-finger sandwiches, for a start, from a menu covered in denim; Red Stripe among the draught beers alongside decent ales (including Sharp’s reliable Doom Bar); and quirky decorative touches (such as Erica’s notable cleavage on a dinner plate) around a mock sitting room.
If all this is a little ‘seen it and done it’, then make a beeline for the Belle Bar upstairs or the roof terrace – though come here after any working day and the media crowd will be occupying this entire corner of pavement, busy networking.