Henry Harris, former chef-patron of Racine, has collaborated with pub group Harcourt Inns to bring life back to several of London’s lost boozers. This snug drinking den is tucked down a City side street, with a buzzy ground-floor bar and a more subdued dining room upstairs. The cosy restaurant seats around 30, its clubby interior sporting dark wood and leather banquettes. The kitchen produces a succession of pleasingly simple, well-executed dishes, with steaks and chops to the fore. Start with homemade toasted focaccia, which arrives with a thick, refreshing dip of garlic, chilli, green herbs and crème fraîche. Alternatives include well-seasoned steak tartare, and an agreeable salad of lettuce, croûtons and Red Leicester. Our main was a 300g serving of tender, filling steak with snappy, salt-drenched chips and various top-class butters (bone marrow, anchovy and rosemary, lemon and thyme). Finish with a nostalgic dessert such as creamy chocolate mousse served in 1970s-style glass bowls, or a traditional cheeseboard. To drink, the euro-centric wine list (including some Champagnes) ranges from the inexpensive to the flashy. With its chatty service and cosy atmosphere, The Three Cranes marks a welcome return to the pubs of old – we reckon Harris is on to something.