Greenwich’s Ashburnham Arms nicely bridges the gap between contemporary bar and old-fashioned local.
On the one hand, there’s the beer, a familiar array of Shepherd Neame beers (Master Brew, Spitfire and others) served with good grace from a neat little bar counter, and the boozer’s status as a keen cricket pub, the first XI and its upcoming fixtures posted for all to see.
On the other, there’s the bright, lived-in interior, the funky continental bar furniture on the expansive terrace, and the idiosyncratic artistic rendition of Greenwich in map form.
Natural light floods over the wooden furniture, and the conservatory and the garden suit families who are drawn to the kids’ selections on the menu while themselves favouring a disparate array of unpubby surprises (pizzas, for one thing). Most wines are less than £4 a glass.