Suggestions for a nice pub around Bloomsbury?

[chthon]

In the Easter holiday we would spend a couple of days in London, and will probably book in the Holiday Inn. Which pub in that vicinity would you recommend for a familial evening, eating with the wife and daughter, and tasting beer?

 

[GhostShip]

The Lamb is a very nice pub - Grade II listed and from memory a good range of beers.

It’s on Charlwood Road, SW1.

 

[Gulpitdarn]

I always pop into http://www.thecraftbeerco.com/clerkenwell 82 Leather Ln, Clerkenwell, London EC1N 7TR Excellent choice of beers. The only eats are delicious differently flavoured pork pies.

 

[Sandimas]

The Euston Tap is definately worth a look for beer sampling, just a bar though no food
https://www.eustontap.com/

A bit out of you way, but if you find yourself down by Victoria the Jugged Hare is a great Fullers pub that serves nice pub grub in a cozy atmosphere. Was in there last week for a meal and a few beers.
https://www.juggedharevictoria.co.uk/

 

[GhostShip]

Sorry - regarding The Lamb pub I posted above, I got the address completely wrong.

It’s on Lamb Conduit Street, WC1.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
It's a hop on the Tube from Russell Square to Holborn to visit the Princess Louise on Holborn. No food, but definitely worth a visit for Sam Smith's ales and unbeatable atmosphere in original Victorian/Edwardian environment.

 

[GhostShip]

Hi!
It's a hop on the Tube from Russell Square to Holborn to visit the Princess Louise on Holborn. No food, but definitely worth a visit for Sam Smith's ales and unbeatable atmosphere in original Victorian/Edwardian environment.

And the men’s toilets are listed!

 

[Bigcol49]

And the men’s toilets are listed!

Hi!
I've been listed in the Princess Louise on several occasions

 

[Horners]

Cittie of York another Sam Smiths pub that is just about in Bloomsbury and worth a visit for historic appeal.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Are there pubs in the UK where you have your own glass hanging on a hook? Or is that just fantasy?
I would totally dig a place like that.

 

[chesters-mild]

Sounds like you are not too far from the British Museum - if so try the Museum Tavern, just opposite the main entrance, good food and beer. I would walk there when staying in Gower street (but I was in me 20's then) did go recently though an it was still good, and I plan to go there for lunch next month.
Cheers

 

[Bigcol49]

Are there pubs in the UK where you have your own glass hanging on a hook? Or is that just fantasy?
I would totally dig a place like that.

Hi!
I'm sure that there are many small places like that in the UK.
The problem is the M word and the H word - modernisation and homogenisation. (Note the use of "s" instead of "z"; I don't hold with these outlandish Colonial ideas ).
Many small traditional pubs have had their heart ripped out in the name of modernisation - pubs with several small rooms that held a dozen or so people are now one huge open area.
Many pub chains have outlets that are decorated in exactly the same way.

 

[phillc]

A short walk from Bloomsbury, through Soho toward Leicester Square and you'll find The French House.

49 Dean Street, Soho, W1D 5BG

http://frenchhousesoho.com/

It can get a bit crowded in the evenings later in the week. However, I do appreciate their no music, no machines, no television and no mobile phones rules.

If you're stuck out late, Bar Italia is also a great place for a coffee and ciabatta. Open until late.

21 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4RN

http://baritaliasoho.co.uk/

Having said that, it's been 4 years since I worked in Bloomsbury/Soho, things change but the two above are institutions and have been around for ever.

 

[chthon]

We finally went to London.

I see that this thread dates from 2018, so I suppose that the first reason we didn't go immediately was Brexit, being uncertain of how things would go. Then, the second reason was of course COVID-19.

But we booked in April 2022, and where there from 1 September to 6 September. My daughter didn't need to go to school yet, end of September she starts her first year of university, medical studies.

So, we indeed ended up in the Holiday Inn, which was probably the best choice we could have made for London. Not too expensive, not too cheap and breakfast included in the price (but you can't pay with Maestro, and our free credit card has a limit of 1250 EUR. We had to improvise a bit.). The hotel is nice, mostly well maintained, although some parts in the bathroom might need a bit of upgrade. But clean, and not old fashioned (as an aside: when we were there, there was a program, a reportage, "Budget Hotels: too good to be true?").

My question about pubs originated actually because of Google Maps. If one takes it and searches for them, it shows some pubs, but not all. So the first day we were there, we were a bit astonished about the amount of pubs in London. Actually, even the hotel had its own pub, Callaghan's Bar. And right across the street, there was another one, The Marquis Cornwallis.

So we ended up in the following pubs:

• Shakespeare's Head (Greene King Level Head)
• Holiday Inn (Take Courage Best Bitter, Neck Oil)
• Vapiano (Camden Pale Ale)
• The Lamb (Young's London Original)
• The Marquis Cornwallis (Landlord + fish and chips)

The origin of Vapiano as a pub is because of Untappd. I got a message that I got a badge Ye Olde Pub, but when we counted, we got only 4 real pubs. I suppose the fact that Vapiano serves cask ale makes them a pub on Untapped. It couldn't be of Wagamama, there I drank an Asahi Super Dry.

It gave me a much better appreciation of how to try to brew British beer, and what to try to get in the same directions. I find they are subtle, and I would try to catch that subtlety. I enjoyed them all.

One question: is Take Courage Best Bitter served with nitrogen? It really had that fine creamy head.

 

[Horners]

We finally went to London.

I see that this thread dates from 2018, so I suppose that the first reason we didn't go immediately was Brexit, being uncertain of how things would go. Then, the second reason was of course COVID-19.

But we booked in April 2022, and where there from 1 September to 6 September. My daughter didn't need to go to school yet, end of September she starts her first year of university, medical studies.

So, we indeed ended up in the Holiday Inn, which was probably the best choice we could have made for London. Not too expensive, not too cheap and breakfast included in the price (but you can't pay with Maestro, and our free credit card has a limit of 1250 EUR. We had to improvise a bit.). The hotel is nice, mostly well maintained, although some parts in the bathroom might need a bit of upgrade. But clean, and not old fashioned (as an aside: when we were there, there was a program, a reportage, "Budget Hotels: too good to be true?").

My question about pubs originated actually because of Google Maps. If one takes it and searches for them, it shows some pubs, but not all. So the first day we were there, we were a bit astonished about the amount of pubs in London. Actually, even the hotel had its own pub, Callaghan's Bar. And right across the street, there was another one, The Marquis Cornwallis.

So we ended up in the following pubs:

• Shakespeare's Head (Greene King Level Head)
• Holiday Inn (Take Courage Best Bitter, Neck Oil)
• Vapiano (Camden Pale Ale)
• The Lamb (Young's London Original)
• The Marquis Cornwallis (Landlord + fish and chips)

The origin of Vapiano as a pub is because of Untappd. I got a message that I got a badge Ye Olde Pub, but when we counted, we got only 4 real pubs. I suppose the fact that Vapiano serves cask ale makes them a pub on Untapped. It couldn't be of Wagamama, there I drank an Asahi Super Dry.

It gave me a much better appreciation of how to try to brew British beer, and what to try to get in the same directions. I find they are subtle, and I would try to catch that subtlety. I enjoyed them all.

One question: is Take Courage Best Bitter served with nitrogen? It really had that fine creamy head.

Should sign up to the London Pubs FB group before your next trip over - everything you will ever need to know.

 

[Sandimas]

Sounds like you weren't too far from Euston Station, the Euston Tap located in in an old Victorian gatehouse just outside the station used to be a great Welcome | The Euston Tap

Another cracking little pub was the Cockpit near St Pauls The Cockpit

Caveat: I used to work in London regularly but haven't been back since Covid so things could well have changed.