Enlarge Photo

Despite its name, this Little Italy pub, complete with a cozy corner fireplace, does not actually cater to San Diego royalty. In lieu of technicolor lights and expensive cocktails, the wood and brick Princess Pub & Grill brings good ol’ British fare to life. In addition to a charmingly vast selection of beers, ciders, and ales, Princess Pub—owned by two real Brits, Brenda and Gerry Kenny—serves a traditionally English menu to make even the loneliest chap feel right at home.

 
Even those who have paid a visit to the green and pleasant homeland will be surprised at the authenticity of dishes like the Ploughman’s Plate, which consists of a selection of cheeses, Branston pickle, Norfolk Manor pickled onions and picallili, a salad, and a fresh roll with butter. And if the Pub’s hearty apps aren’t enough to fill your bellies, entrees include a Cornish pastie with chips and peas, bangers and mash, and a Scotch egg with Branston pickle. Of course, you’ll need to wash down all the grub with at least a few ciders, and of course, you’ll be in luck. The Princess Pub, which was awarded San Diego’s “First Perfect Pint of Guinness” in 1998, includes on the menu a number of house selections with combos as interesting as the “Shandy,” a fifty-fifty mixture of 7-Up and beer, and “Black Velvet,” a blend of Guinness and champagne.

 
The Princess Pub was established in 1984 and still sits happily on the corner of India Street, offering an interesting cross-cultural experience to its loyal patrons—who cheer for American football on big screen TVs by day and sit back for live British, Scottish, and Celtic music by night.