The Fox & Anchor, Smithfield, London

First and foremost, the Fox & Anchor is a P-U-B pub, a stolid British boozer that's been serving the Smithfield Market butchers since Queen Victoria's day. Now beautifully restored, it's all dark oak, ornate ceiling tiles, and brass, with a warren of cozy snugs. Its focus is curated cask beers and local ales to wash down the classic pub grub of Welsh rarebit, proper puddings, and goose fat chips. That's not to say the six upstairs abodes are an afterthought. Each high-spec, generously sized room is named after a London landmark (such as the Barbican or St. Bart's) and decorated to suit: claw-foot copper tubs, ironwork windowpanes, and bold masculine colors. King-size beds, plasma TVs, Bose audio, and Miller Harris toiletries keep it surprisingly upmarket. That said, the Fox & Anchor is less a hotel than a boarding house—your "concierge" is the barkeep, and breakfast entails pouring yourself down steep stairs for an epic fry-up and artisanal hair-of-the-dog. Light sleepers, take heed: There's atmosphere aplenty, but the surrounding clubs and early-morning market bustle on weekends may cross the line at 3 am. Rates start at £135 on the weekend.

The Fox & Anchor
115 Charterhouse Square
Smithfield
London, England
Tel: 44 845 347 0100

Next: Roadie rest in Shepherd's Bush >