Yesterday I found another pub that serves a good lunch.
Indeed, this one is excellent, right up to Founders Arms
standards. The Shakespeare, on Goswell Street, is half a
mile north of St Paul's Cathedral, a quarter mile north of
the Museum of London, and a hundred yards north of Barbican
tube station. Mondays to Saturdays it serves both lunch
from noon to 2.30 and supper until 8.30. The pub accepts
children for meals. My roast pork, roast potatoes,
Yorkshire pudding and three vegetables cost six pounds.
They have four or five beers from the pump (though I'm
afraid one of those is Courage). Apple pie and ice cream
was two pounds.
The pork was all it should be and came with freshly made
apple sauce, and the vegetables were freshly cooked, not
overcooked, the cauliflower suitably cheesed, and not a
frozen carrot in sight. They had the wrong kind of apple in
the pie (not a Bramley), but had spiced it well, and the
pastry was good.
I know a handful of other pubs that are good for meals,
though mostly weekday lunches only, and shall gladly list
them if you ask me to.
Ben Haines, London
[There are 10 posts - the latest was added on Mon 24 May, 23:06]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
Hi Ben,
I am always keen to learn about a new place to get a decent
pub lunch in London. Please would you post your list.
-
Also, for those of us out there who are curious, would you
be able to tell us a little about yourself (age,
whereabouts in London you live, likes, dislikes etc)? I've
been reading your handy advice on and off for over a year
now (when I was in still in Sydney, planning my move to
London) and I'd love to know a bit more about you. I'm
sure I'm not alone!
-
Thanks again, and I look forward to your reply!
Sophie
We're staying at a YHA in London in September for a week
and would love to know of a few good eating places. I read
something on here about some places like Mr Wu, a
department store, and another funny sounding name (I do
have it written somewhere!) We think it wouldn't be right
not to eat in a London Pub, so thanks for the name and I
would also appreciate receiving your list of other good
pubs.
Happy travel dabbling
Yes, I would like your list of good pubs for lunch. How can
I get it? My family and I are visiting London at the end
of June. Staying in Bloomsbury. Any good pubs around
the
MEALS IN LONDON PUBS
One or two people have asked for a note on meals in pubs in
London. There are books on this topic, and all IÆm doing
here is listing pubs where IÆve had good lunches in the last
year or two.
Children are welcome in the restaurant of each pub I list
except the Founders Arms, where they are welcome in summer
only outdoors on the terrace by the Thames. Most of these
pubs serve big portions, and all accept an order for one
meal and an empty plate, to allow adults to share with
children. Main courses are about six pounds, starters
about two, and hot puddings about two. A pint is two pounds
or just over, and each pub will happily serve tap water,
fizzy lemonade, or a cola. Pubs I list serve Mondays to
Friday lunches only, unless I say they serve evenings or
weekends too. The list starts in the west and swings east.
Each place I name has its own cook in the kitchens, who
prepares the meals, rather than a system of factory-made
ready frozen meals heated by microwave and served.
The Two Chairmen. Corner of Queen AnneÆs Gate and Dartmouth
Street, 100 yards from St JamesÆ Park tube station. Useful
for visits to Parliament, Westminster, the Cvabinet War
Rooms, and St JamesÆ Park. Some Members of Parliament use
it.
The Devereaux. Just west of the Inns of Court and just
south of the Law Courts on the Strand. Nearest tube is
Temple. Good for visits to Covent Garden (where things are
touristy and expensive), to the Courtauld Gallery, and to Dr
JohnsonÆs house. Much used by lawyers.
The Founders Arms. At the southern end of Blackfriars
Bridge, downstairs to the Jubilee walk which runs along the
river, and a hundred yards downstream. Nearest tube
Blackfriars. Lunch and supper seven days a week: last
orders 8pm. Good for visiots to St PaulÆs, the South Bank,
the Globe, and next year the new Tate Gallery building. Used
by all sorts of people: the table nearest the food service
tends to have the biggest group of long-term local
residents.
The Shakespeare. North of the Museum of London, at the
southern end of Goswell Road. 100 yards from Barbican tube
station. Lunches and suppers Mondays to Saturdays: last
orders 8pm. IÆve not been enough to get a feel for the
clientele. Good for St JohnÆs Gate, the two churches of St
Barthomolew, the Museum of London, the Barbican (where
in-house meals tend to expense) and St PaulÆs.
There are a couple of pubs with upstairs lunches in
Leadenhall Market, on the corner oif LKeadenhall Street and
Gracechurch Street, but I'Æe only used one, which was good,
and I'Æe forgotten its name. Worth lokking if you're at the
market, the Bank of England Museum, the Monument, or nearby
17th century churches. Used by city gents.
The Market Porter, on the southern side of Borough Market,
nearest tube London Bridge. Good for visits to Southwark
Cathedral (older and better klooking than St PaulÆs), the
Globe, the Old Operating Theatre, HayÆs Galleria, HMS
Belfast (which is away from berth during June this year),
and the George Inn (fine for a pint, but pricey for meals).
If you ask for BishopÆs Ale the bar staff will tell you
where it is brewed. Good cheese shop next door and cake
shop round the corner. Used by Southwark dealers, traders,
and financiers.
The Mitre, next to the great church of St Alphege,
Greenwich. IÆm not sure whether they admit children. If
not, no matter. Nearly as good are the two pubs that have
outside tables in old Greenwich Market, a hundred yards
away. No tube: nearest station Greenwich, 15 minutes by
train from Charing Croiss main line station û or an hour by
boat from Embankment. Good for all the pleasures of
Greenwich.
If anybody knows a pub in the West End that can offer food
this good at moderate prices IÆd be grateful for an e-mail:
youÆll see that IÆve not yet found one, and tend to cycle
along to the Devereaux.
--------------------------------------------------------
For Debbie:
Good pubs yes. Good pub lunches, I've not found oine. But
fifteen minutes walk east of Russell Square lies Lambs
Conduit Street, with perhaps a dozen various places for
lunches and suppers Mondays to Saturdays at pub prices,
including the Lamb, which I use too seldom to commrent on.
But I can say that the beer in the Lamb is London's best,
being Young's.
For Sophie:
I'm single, aged 62, and am a churchwarden in a church that
looks undistinguished nut is good, on a hill behind New
Cross Gate, secretary of a Neighbourhood Centre next to the
church, and governor of a small local government primary
school next to Brockley station, a school which is advancing
fast. I tend to travel abroad perhaps two months a year.
Ben Haines
I think it's called The White Horse or something to that
effect. It's at (in) Parson's Green just off the tube stop
(District line i think)in Fulham. they have a starter that's
chips with salsa and cheese and stuff all melty on top. It
was great, Good beer (although we Americans like it a little
colder) and I had a wonderful plate of bangers & mash. Loved
it.
Okay....could you do us a favor for me? I'm Australian, 18,
female and coming to London on the 22/8/99. I'm on the most
strictest budget and will be staying (hopefully) at the
Windsor Youth Hostel. I'm hoping to get work at a pub where
I can work, as well as stay for free (I heard that you can
do that). Now, I've never been to the UK and am very much
of a virgin traveller. However I am determined and ready
for a challenge (being the Arien I am) I would appreciate
it if you could give me advice on pubs that have those
facilities. Thankyou
Voja
Thanks again Ben I have been very pleased with your
knowledge and am gathering it for our trip. To get a
decent reasonably priced meal in a place you are not
familiar with is often difficult but with your help I will
not fade away!
Nice to hear some info about yourself! Glad your
knowledge of food is taste tested! Many thanks Ben your
help is appreciated.
Thanks again Ben I have been very pleased with your
knowledge and am gathering it for our trip. To get a
decent reasonably priced meal in a place you are not
familiar with is often difficult but with your help I will
not fade away!
Nice to hear some info about yourself! Glad your
knowledge of food is taste tested! Many thanks Ben your
help is appreciated.
Sorry for delayed reply: I tend to check sites at weekends,
when phone costs are low.
Heather: Many thanks for the note on the Whoite Horse, over
in Fulham. I'll be out there in a month or so, and shall
sample their lunch.
Voja: I'm sorry, but have no experience of job-finding in
the Home Counties. You might like to ask the St
Christophers Inn, 50 Borough High Street, SE1, phone 0171
407 1856, or fax them on 0171 403 715, as staff there are
friendly Australians and see many low-budget travellers.
Again, brewers own many pubs and may well know how you can
start on this. You could write to Young and Company
Limited, Ram Brewery, Wandsworth High Street, SW8, phone
0181 875 7000, Fuller, Smith and Turner plc, Griffin
Brewery, Chiswick, phone 0181 996 2000, fax 0181 995 0230 or
to Shepheard Neame Brewery Ltd, Faversham, Kent -- that's
address enough: Faversham is small. If you lack moral
principle and so don't mind serving poor beer you could, I
suppose, write to Courage Ltd, Brewers, Ashby House, 1
Bridge Street, Staines, phone 01784 466 199.
I wonder, do the consular people at the British High
Commission in Canberra put out a leaflet of advice on this
topic ? Judging by the many Antipodean accents that greet
me in pubs here I should think they might -- or might know
who does.
May I add a note of pleasure at the British rules on
short-term jobs for young Commonwealth people -- we get
good service, you get paid, and people in distant countries
get to know each other better.
Best wishes
Ben Haines
it makes such a difference to have the pleasure of sucha
gentleman on the site
my name is ellie, im 19 years old and ben haines makes the
thorn tree a more civilised, enjoyable and informative
place to be thankyou!