The Beer Tourist

At the southernmost tip of Islington, bordering the meat market in London's Square Mile to the south, is the district of Clerkenwell.

Mystery plays have been performed here by parish clerks since the Middle Ages, and the street names are testimony of the district's monastic traditions.

It is almost a small mystery in itself to find the hid-way Jerusalem Passage. But once you have found that narrow path your reward will be The Dovetail, probably central London's best Belgian beer bar.

As if the 100 or so Belgian speciality brews on the menu was not enough for a Belgophile, the walls are covered by Tin-Tin cartoons and Belgian-style beer enamel commercials. There are small wooden tables with abbey-inspired sofa backs. The atmosphere is quite relaxed, at least in the early afternoon.

From Jerusalem Passage it is not too far a walk to Jerusalem Tavern in Britton Street, vividly described here, offering the full range of St Peter's beers. Reports say that this place as well as The Dovetail may easily get packed as the nearby offices close for the day.

So beat the clerks to the promised beer wells of Clerkenwell..