Earl of Lonsdale

A bit of a surprise, this. First, you’ll see a sturdy pub, occupying the corner of Portobello Road and Westbourne Grove. Within, there are partitioned areas done out in neat, shiny wood and interconnected by chest-high doorways.

The curiosities lie further back: one room is somewhere between a gentlemen’s club and a tearoom at a honeymoon resort, a lounge that seems more suited to toast and coffee than pie and a pint.

Among the photographs – past carnivals, touched-up images of Portobello Market – is another oddity: a wall honouring the man after whom the pub is named, the so-called Yellow Earl, who is most famous as the founder of the AA. It’s a Sam Smith’s pub, which means the drinks aren’t a great part of the appeal.

That you have to walk over and help yourself to salt, vinegar and sauces indicates little snobbery where pub grub is concerned.