Dinner by the dome: St Paul’s Cathedral’s nearby area has seen a resurrection of its social scene in recent times
(Picture: Nick Fewings/Unsplash)There’s a famous photo of the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral rising unscathed above the smoke of German bombs in the Second World War. The years since, alas, have not been architecturally kind to this corner of the City of London, but the Square Mile is no stranger to destruction. The Great Fire of London began at nearby Pudding Lane in 1666 while the Baroque St Paul’s of today replaced the original medieval church lost to the flames.
Yet perhaps the greatest resurrection in recent years has been the revival of the City as a social destination to rank alongside its place as one of the world’s foremost financial centres. No new building is complete without a landmark restaurant to anchor the development, while the historic lanes that remain are home to wine bars and places to eat — though the true flavour of the City is best revealed at the end of the day with a post-work pint of beer in a pub. Tour down Fleet Street’s many boozers, or try Ye Olde Watling on Watling Street, rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren in 1668 to give his workers somewhere to drink and where the plans for the cathedral were drawn up in the dining room.
