For those traipsing Portobello Rd this is a good bolt-hole, named after the bon vivant founder of the AA (Automobile Association, not Alcoholics Anonymous). The Earl is peaceful during the day, with older locals and young hipsters inhabiting the reintroduced snugs. There are Samuel Smith ales, a pleasant back room with sofas, plus banquettes, open fires and a large beer garden.
Note the occasional bricked-in windows – a tax on windows was introduced in 1696, resulting in windows being bricked in to avoid payment.
