I'm sceptical of pubs which double as a hostel - I fear that there is the danger of it being jack of all trades, master of none.

You don't have to wander too far from Greenwich train station before you stumble upon The Mitre, which ticks those boxes.

Being a Sunday this close to Christmas (Yippee) the Mitre was expectedly busy. The staff were friendly when they told us they had no idea how long a table would be.

Seeing as it was raining, I made the executive decision to stick it out and sure enough a table in this large old boozer became free in no time at all.

A pint of Amstell and £4.50 later, down I sat. It was striking to me how nothing matched.

The pub takes advantage of Greenwich's links to time and has what must be a hundred different clocks on the wall, none of which have the same time showing.

This is probably apt as the rest of the pub seems to exist in a world where time has stood still. What some would call vintage. Others would call it an armchair with yellow and black tape holding it together, but each to their own.

It is in some ways quite charming, but I could see how you might think differently.

There was a strong selection of suitably hip craft ales available, though the only thing that appears to have kept up with the times is price.

The Mitre has tried to retain the essence of a traditional British pub, and looks to be a pub frozen in time. That attracts the tourist trade, but there doesn't seem to be much personality left for a regular. Maybe it just takes time - but make of that what you will.

The Mitre, Greenwich High Rd, Greenwich.

How it rated:

Staff: ***

Atmosphere: ***

Decor: ***

Price: **

Overall: ***