I’d go for the Crutched Friars – good ales, big, good food. Don’t be in a hurry for food though.
Hung Drawn & Quartered has just been done up and is better and there’s more room to eat/ better menu but they’ve sacrificed standing room which isn’t great now – it often spills outside which is no bad thing.
Walrus & Carpenter is good, good selection of ales, does good pub grub and has tables upstairs. Also spills outside when its busy.
Dicken’s Inn is good if you want pizza in a bin lid and a nice yachty backdrop.
The Ship is a proper City boy boozer – quirky and smelly with good booze. In fact there’s two of them – Hart St and Talbot St – both very similar with Hart St being quirkier.
There’s a Wetherspoons called Liberty Bounds which is like any other ‘spoons.
There are some near Monument tube which aren’t great – more bars than pubs.
These are all West of Tower Hill – I don’t know what’s North East up towards Aldgate/ Minories (apart from Minories which isn’t great).
Don’t be surprised to pay £4-5 for a pint unless you go to Wetherspoons.