naviquan

Shakespeare's Head - as one of my friends said, they can do whatever they like and still make a profit due to the fantastic location. In other words another tourist trap of a pub in the West End of London. Can be very crowded and noisy. As in many other pubs, there is a small dining room upstairs.

This display outside the Shakespeare's Head explains that the building with a tavern was constructed in 1735 was originally owned by Thomas and John Shakespeare, distant relatives of the poet. Click on thumbnail to enlarge the photo and read the rest of the story.

Inside Shakespeare's Head - another example of a "typical" London pub

Inside Shakespeare's Head - the bar is very small.

Today's specials at Shakespeare's Head - steaks (from £11 to £15), sausage & mash (£9) and salad (2009 prices). Indeed, nothing special.

Wooden floor in Shakespeare's Head - the pub is very old, and the floor has seen a l-o-o-o-o-t of people. I am not sure if it is original or not, but it certainly shows its age. You can feel that this place is very old which is probably the only interesting thing about this bar and the reason to talk about it.

The Duke of Wellington - this gay pub is a very popular place among locals to meet up with friends - look at this crowd on photo. I should mention that it has a reputation of being incredibly straight friendly and that helps attract people on their way to the nearby theatre.

Waxy O'Connors - do not be deceived by this simple appearance of the pub entrance. The pub is a maze of rooms, stairways, passages and bars on six levels and three rooms with their own names and ambiance. In my mind one of few pubs in London that are worth visiting if you are looking a bit beyond a pint of ale.

Waxy's Little Sister - yes, Waxy has a Little Sister in London with more relaxed atmosphere.

The Brewmaster - soulless, uninspiring and even dreadful. Usually, pubs are quite visible, but you can keep wandering in this area for years and not notice that there is a pub. Why would I go there unless my life depends on a gulp of beer, and The Brewmaster is the only pub within 10 miles radius.

I may have wasted the bandwidth with this image, but I wanted to make sure that you can see that indeed there is The Brewmaster pub on Cranbourn Street in London.

The Salisbury (located not far from Covent Garden) - I would call this one a pub spectacle. Not because ale or chips are significantly different in this place, but because it is one of the most elaborate and preserved London's pubs belonging to late Victorian era. Etched glass and mirrors, rich upholstery, dark mahogany and burgundy ceiling - all contributes to the pub's dazzling and extravagant interior. End it is also the West End official sports free bar - thank you, Lord!!!

Below is the list of pubs (with addresses and my brief and biased notes) that I kept in mind as reference points while drafting my biased article about London's pubs. Remember, pubs mentioned are just a drop in a bucket of many hundreds of bars you can find in the capital of United Kingdom. In my selection, there is no special meaning; it's mostly a random collection of some of places we visited while walking the streets of London, and where I took my time to pull out my camera and take a few shots.

• The Kings Arms
  Address: 77 Buckingham Palace Rd, London, SW1W 0QJ, United Kingdom
  The King's Arms is a small pub close to Victoria Station filled with local office employees at lunch and commute time. Tourists visit the pub because of its location. Prices are moderate; there is a restaurant upstairs.
• The Shakespeare
  Address: 99 Buckingham Palace Rd, London, SW1W 0RP, United Kingdom
  The pub (you will find a lot of tourists here) is located in front of Victoria Station near superclub Pacha (clubbing franchise with headquarters in Ibiza).
• The Duke Of York
  Address: 130-134 Victoria St, London, SW1E 5LA, United Kingdom
  A pub with horrible food and moderate prices near Victoria. A convenient location for a drink before visiting the Victoria Palace or Apollo Victoria Theatres with both very close to the pub. 
• Sherlock Holmes
  Address: 10 Northumberland Street, London, WC2N 5DB, United Kingdom
  Typica tourist trap with a little bit of Sherlock Holmes atmosphere to appeal to tourists. There is a restaurant upstairs. The main attraction is the rendition of Holmes’ and Watson’s sitting room and study (located on the second floor).
• The Old Shades
  Address: 37 Whitehall, Westminster, London, SW1A 2BX, United Kingdom
  One of Nicholson's pubs - hence, presented as a traditional pub with good selection of ales and a commitment to Cask Marque accreditation.
• The Albert
  Address: 52 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0NP, United Kingdom
  The pub was built in 1864 and was named in honor of Queen Victoria's husband, the Prince Consort. An old fashioned establishment in the heart of Victoria. Avoid the food and perhaps you will enjoy the beer. The pub is popular among tourists looking for a "traditional" English pub.
• The Red Lion
  Address: Crown Passage, St. James's, London SW1Y 6PP, United Kingdom
  A self-proclaimed "London's last village pub" located in picturesque Crown Passage - a narrow old street between Pall Mall and King Street.
• The Red Lion
  Address: 2 Duke of York Street, St. James's, London SW1Y 6JP, United Kingdom
  The Red Lion (another one - Red Lion is a popular pub name in UK): an old-style traditional pub which belongs to Nicholson's chain. It's small, has good beers and interior.
• The Leicester Arms
  Address: 44 Glasshouse Street, London, W1B 5DP, United Kingdom
  Another old fashioned (and mediocre) pub
• The Windmill
  Address: 6 Mill Street, London. W1S 2AZ, United Kingdom
  I do not have much experience with British pies, but allegedly this one of the places where you can find a good one. Anyway, a traditional food is in abundance: steak, mushrooms, shepherds pies, ect. Rather eclectic decor.
• The Clachan
  Address: 34 Kingly St., Soho, London W1B 5QH, United Kingdom
  Another Nicholson's pub (located in Soho) - if you are looking for the opulent Victorian interior with fixtures and fittings of the period, you should visit this place.
• Shakespeare's Head
  Address: 29, Great Marlborough St, London, W1F 7HZ, United Kingdom
  As one of my friends said, they can do whatever they like and still make a profit due to the fantastic location. Another tourist trap of a pub in the West End of London. Upstairs, there is a small (and quiet) dining room with about 20 tables. This display outside the Shakespeare's Head explains that the building with a tavern was constructed in 1735 and was originally owned by Thomas and John Shakespeare, distant relatives of the poet.
• The Duke of Wellington
  Address: 77 Wardour Street, London, W1V 3TH, United Kingdom
  The Duke of Wellington - very popular among Londoners gay pub. It also has a reputation of being straight friendly attracting people on their way to the nearby theatre.
• Waxy O'Connors
  Address: 14-16 Rupert Street, Soho, London, W1D 6DD, United Kingdom
  Waxy O'Connors - simple appearance of the pub entrance may be deceiving. The pub is a maze of rooms, stairways, passages and bars on six levels and three rooms with their own names and ambiance. In my mind one of few pubs in London that are worth visiting if you are looking a bit beyond a pint of ale.
• Waxy's Little Sister
  Address: 20 Wardour Street, London, W1D 6QG, United Kingdom
  Indeed it's Waxy's Little Sister and has more relaxed atmosphere.
• The Brewmaster
  Address: 37 Cranbourn Street, London, WC2H 7AD, United Kingdom
  You can keep wandering in this area for years and not notice that there is a pub, The Brewmaster - soulless, uninspiring and dreadful. I would go there only if my life depends on a gulp of beer, and The Brewmaster is the only pub within 10 miles radius.
• The Salisbury
  Address: 90, St. Martins Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4AP, UK
  The Salisbury pub - I would call this one a spectacle. Not because ale or chips are significantly different in this place, but because it is one of the most elaborate and preserved London's pubs belonging to late Victorian era. Etched glass and mirrors, rich upholstery, dark mahogany and burgundy ceiling - all contributes to the pub's dazzling and extravagant interior. End it is also the West End official sports free bar - thank you, Lord!!!
• The Round Table
  Address: 26, St. Martins Court, London, WC2N 4AL, United Kingdom
  The Round Table (Leicester Square and Covent Garden area). What can I say about this pub? Well, there many pubs like this in London...
• All Bar One All Bar One is a chain of bars in the UK, owned and operated by Mitchells and Butlers, the same group that owns Nicholson's pubs. The chain has about 40 locations in London - I would not go there.
• Ye Olde Watling
  Address: 29 Watling Street, London, EC4M 9BR, United Kingdom
  Ye Olde Watling - a small pub in St. Pauls area belonging to the Nicholson's Collection of London pubs. Tourists can come here but mostly you will find office workers discussing stock markets or gossiping about their daily chores.
• The Old Bank of England
  Address: 194 Fleet Street, Temple, City of London, London EC4A 2LT, UK
  The Old Bank of England (City area) - relatively new pub (opened in 1995) that looks like a traditional London pub due to the rich and meticulously restored interior (with new murals) of the former Law Courts Branch of the Bank of England. This is a popular large pub (select if you can a table on the gallery for a good view down). It offers the same traditional British cookery (there is also a restaurant area) which on average tends to be better than in many other pubs.
• The George
  Address: 213 Strand, London, WC2R 1AP, United Kingdom
  The George (Temple area) - rather photogenic Nicholson's pub (not a surprise) in exaggerated Tudor style opposite the Royal Courts of Justice. Though I have heard from Londoners that lawyers go mainly to The Old Bank of England.
• The Wellington
  Address: 351 Strand, London, WC2R 0HS, United Kingdom
  A narrow corner pub at the Aldwych end of The Strand - a standard Nicholson's.
• The Coal Hole
  Address: 91 Strand, Westminster, London WC2R 0DW, United Kingdom
  A pub with rather interesting decor completed in 1904 and based on the theme of stone, dark wood and leaded light windows with very high ceiling and heavy black beams. Hanging banners suggest something medieval times. The cellar bar is open in the evenings and has its own entrance in the Strand.
• The Silver Cross
  Address: 33 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2BX, United Kingdom
  Two things I can say about this place: it's a tourist trap, and the food is a usual crap. Oops, I wanted to say normal pub grub type fare. But, hey! If all you want is a pint of beer, why not!

London Pubs for Dummies, Part 1: A Biased Opinion
London Pubs for Dummies, Part 2: Vocabulary and Tips

The Round Table (Leicester Square and Covent Garden area). What can I say about this pub? Well, there many pubs like this in London...

All Bar One - this pub actually belongs to a chain of bars in the UK (with about 40 outlets mostly in Central London). Open plan space and brighter interior are typical for these pubs as they originate form the concept of "female friendly" place to drink and eat. Why on earth would you ever go for a beer in a All Bar One outlet?

Ye Olde Watling - a rather small pub in St. Pauls area. It belongs to the Nicholson's Collection of London pubs. Nicholsons' pubs tend to have more character than many other pubs. They are older establishment focusing on serving fine real ales. Tourists can be seen here but mostly, you will find office workers discussing stock markets or gossiping about their daily chores.

Inside Ye Olde Watling - enlarge the picture and you will see their motto on one of the ceiling beams: "A bumper of good LIQUOR, Will end a contest QUICKER, Than justice, judge or VICAR" (which is actually a quote from Richard Brinsley Sheridan, an Irish poet, 1751 - 1816).

The Old Bank of England (City area) - relatively new pub (opened in 1995) that looks like a traditional London pub due to the rich and meticulously restored interior (with new murals) of the former Law Courts Branch of the Bank of England. This is a popular large pub (select if you can a table on the gallery for a good view down). It offers the same traditional British cookery (there is also a restaurant area) which on average tends to be better than in many other pubs.

Inside the The Old Bank of England pub in London, UK.

The George (Temple area) - rather photogenic pub (both outside and inside) in exaggerated Tudor style opposite the Royal Courts of Justice. Though I have heard from Londoners that lawyers go mainly to The Old Bank of England.

The Wellington - located on The Strand, near many theaters and Somerset House, this pub is always full of beer drinkers. Does this make it better? Hardly. Still, it's a Nicholsons pub and stocked with real ale.

The Coal Hole - the pub is on the right side of the photo in a corner of the Savoy Building in Strand. Rumor has it, The Coal Hole occupies what was once the coal cellar for the Savoy Hotel. Anyway, it' another Nicholson's pub and may be worth visiting for its decor and real ale.

The Silver Cross (near Trafalgar Square) - two things I can say about this place: (1) it's a big (literally and figuratively) tourist trap and the food is usual crap - oops, I wanted to say normal pub grub type fare. But, hey! If all you want is a pint of beer, why not!

Inside Silver Cross - as I said, nothing that you would not see in hundreds of other London pubs. Actually, there is something - multiple warnings regarding thieves.