Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Lamb
94 Lamb's Conduit St, WC1
T
020 7405 0713;
!
Russell Square; map p.120.
Well-preserved Victorian
pub with mirrors, polished wood, leather banquettes and
etched glass “snob” screens. Rather peaceful, as there's no
music or TV.
Mon-Wed noon-11pm, Thurs-Sat noon-
midnight, Sun noon-10.30pm.
Museum Tavern
49 Great Russell St, WC1
T
020 7242
8987;
!
Tottenham Court Road or Russell Square;
map p.120.
The erstwhile drinking hole of Karl Marx is a
handsome, quite touristy, old pub opposite the main
entrance to the British Museum. A range of ales and British
spirits available.
Mon-Thurs 11am-11.30pm, Fri & Sat
11am-midnight, Sun 10am-10pm.
Parcel Yard
King's Cross station, N1C
T
020 7713 7258,
W
parcelyard.co.uk;
!
King's Cross; map p.120.
A train-
lover's delight - and handy if you're between connections
- this spacious Fuller's pub is handily located in the station
concourse. Occupying the old station's 1850 parcel yard,
with lots of original features and a huge, glass-ceilinged
atrium, it's a nice spot for cask ales, guest beers and classy
pub grub.
Mon-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 9am-10.30pm.
Queen's Head
66 Acton St, WC1
T
020 7713 5772,
W
queensheadlondon.com
!
King's Cross; map p.120.
Attractive and laidback Victorian local, modernized but not
to within an inch of its life, offering cheese, chunky pies and
charcuterie alongside craft beers and ciders. Events include
comedy, quizzes and occasional live folk and blues.
Mon
4-11pm, Tues-Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-11pm.
25
COVENT GARDEN AND THE STRAND
Cross Keys
31 Endell St, WC2
T
020 7836 5185,
W
crosskeyscoventgarden.com;
!
Covent Garden; map
p.132.
Stuffed with copper pots, brass instruments,
paintings and memorabilia, and fronted with a profusion of
flowers and shrubs, this most welcoming of West End pubs
attracts an appealing blend of older Covent Garden
residents, young workers and tourists - you'll do well to find
a seat.
Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun noon-10.30pm.
Gordon's
47 Villiers St, WC2
T
020 7930 1408,
W
gordonswinebar.com;
!
Charing Cross or
Embankment; map p.132.
Cavernous, shabby, atmospheric
old wine bar, open since 1890 and specializing in ports,
sherries and Madeiras. It's a favourite with local o
ce workers,
who spill outdoors in the summer. Good, if pricey, food, too.
Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun noon-10pm.
Ì
Harp
47 Chandos Place, WC2
T
020 7836 0291,
W
harpcoventgarden.com;
!
Leicester Square; map
p.132.
You'll get excellent and unusual real ales and ciders
at this brilliant little free house. The tiny bar is invariably
packed; there's more room in the comfortably battered
upstairs.
Mon-Sat 10am-11pm, Sun noon-10.30pm.
Lamb & Flag
33 Rose St, WC2
T
020 7497 9504,
W
lambandflagcoventgarden.co.uk;
!
Leicester Square;
map p.132.
More than three hundred years old, this
agreeably tatty Fuller's pub, tucked down an alley between
Garrick and Floral streets - where John Dryden was
attacked in 1679 (see p.134) - is perennially popular.
Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun noon-10.30pm.
Ì
Princess Louise
208 High Holborn, WC1
T
020
7405 8816;
!
Holborn; map p.132.
One of London's
most glorious Victorian pubs, with six rooms of gold-
trimmed mirrors, gorgeous mosaics and fine moulded
ceilings - even the toilets are listed. The Sam Smith's beer
is inexpensive.
Mon-Fri 11.30am-11pm, Sat noon-
11pm, Sun noon-10pm.
The Salisbury
90 St Martin's Lane, WC2
T
020 7836
5863;
!
Leicester Square; map p.132.
This Taylor
Walker's pub is one of the capital's most beautifully
preserved Victorian taverns, with etched and engraved
windows, bronze figures and Art Nouveau light fittings.
Mon-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri 11am-midnight, Sat
noon-midnight, Sun noon-10.30pm.
HOLBORN AND THE INNS OF COURT
Bounce
121 Holborn, EC1
T
020 3657 6525,
W
bouncepingpong.com;
!
Chancery Lane; map p.144.
Fashionable combination of gin palace and ping pong bar,
with cocktails, pizza and posh bar snacks, on the site where
table tennis was invented in 1891. Ping pong reservations
are only available for groups of six or more, so you should be
prepared to wait on weekend evenings; (tables Mon-Sat
before 6pm & Sun £10/30min, £18/hr; all other times
£13/30min, £26/hr).
Mon-Wed 4pm-midnight, Thurs
4pm-1am, Fri & Sat noon-1am, Sun noon-10pm.
REAL ALE
Gone are the days when lager reigned supreme: nowadays, when real drinkers talk about a pint
they're talking about real ale. With the rise in interest in local, artisan and micro producers, real ale
- CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale;
W
camra.org.uk) first coined the term, to differentiate traditional
ale from processed keg beer - is increasingly fashionable, and any pub worth its stripe has a few
on offer. Most real ales, uncarbonated and dark, matured in barrels or casks and pumped by hand
fresh from the cellar, are also referred to as
bitter
; terms like Mild, Best and Special merely refer to
the strength, and the acronym IPA (India Pale Ale) refers to bitter's colonial precursor.
