I was afraid real English pubs had all but disappeared entirely. By accident I stumbled into this one smack dab in the middle of London (Holborn) just round the corner of the British Museum. Didn't try any of the food but all of the Ales. Met some very friendly genuine Englishmen and had an overall good time. Next time in London? The Ship Tavern again!
One of my favourite things to do at the weekend is to go for a good Sunday lunch, so I was excited to be invited to The Ship Tavern in Holborn. I don’t usually venture too far from home in South London for a weekend roast, so I was hoping the trip into central would be worth it. The restaurant is located right next to the tube station, hidden away down a little side street. If I’m honest, from the outside it doesn’t look like much – it looks like a typical pub. But you ascend a flight of stairs from the street and you find yourself in a gorgeous, cosy, candlelit hideaway! I’m including some photos of the venue from their website, as my camera was never going to do it justice.
Priests hiding in holes in the walls, olde worlde charm and fine dining – The Ship Tavern in Holborn has it all. A 2 minute walk from Holborn station and down an alleyway is a pub nearly 500 years old and filled with history. During the reign of Henry VIII, Catholics would gather for mass in the bar whilst lookouts were posted around the neighbourhood watching out for the King’s men. When the signal was given that they were approaching the area the priest would hide in one of the hidey-holes in the wall or the secret tunnel which can still be found in the cellar. The assembled congregation would grab a tankard each and make out like they were just regulars standing around in a pub. Not all of the priests escaped and were butchered where they stood. That's all well and good but how was the food, was it as good as I'd been led to believe.....
Erin Niimi Longhurst
+3.5
One of my favourite things about living in London is its rich history. I love the fact that the barbershop down the road from my house is over 100 years old, or that the fact that I work by a 17th century galleried coaching inn, almost directly under the Shard. So when the team behind The Ship Tavern asked me to drop by, I was intrigued. Tucked away in an alleyway behind the chaos of Holborn station, The Ship Tavern is a 16th century pub filled with a rich and vibrant history. It was used to shelter Catholic priests at the height of the reformation, and was also a masonic lodge at one point, too!
I absolutely love a good old-fashioned pub. Over the years London has sadly lost so many pubs to make way for flashy new restaurants or opposed council renovations. Instead people are turning to trendy, casual bars with cheaper booze and more often than not, standard generic food. Thankfully however there are still some little gems left, such as The Ship Tavern in Holborn. A traditional ale house complete with a sumptuous upstairs dining room and a site history dating as far back as 1549. The strangest things about this place however is that from the outside it looks just like your busy, traditional boozer – and it is. But just to the side of this pubs entrance is a hidden door, hiding a gorgeous upstairs dining room dimly lit by candles. Very busy too. In good old British fashion we ordered a pint of ale to start.
The weather in London has been so awful recently that I’ve turned into a bit of a recluse. However, an invitation to try The Ship Tavern brought me out of my hibernation the other evening and it proved well worth the trip. In fact I can’t think of anywhere nicer to take sanctuary from the freezing wind and rain than this 500 year old historical tavern. It really is steeped in history and still has some the original ‘hidey-holes’ used by Catholic priests in the days of their persecution by Henry VIII. The establishment also benefits from being a mere 2 minute walk from Holborn station. The dining room has its own entrance off the street (so no need to push your way through the pub) and as soon as you enter you are immersed in the warmth and cosiness of your surroundings. Wood panelled walls, intimate dining booths with tables lit by candlelight and an open fire makes you feel as if you’ve had a big hug as soon as you reach the top of the stairs.
Rosie Alittlelusciousness
+3.5
The Ship Tavern isn't somewhere you'd normally find me eating. Hidden away behind Holborn station it's an old fashioned pub (tavern) with a narrow staircase that takes you to a dimly lit restaurant upstairs. I'd looked at the menu online before going (obviously) and the food looked good so decided to try it out after being invited down to check out their offerings. I arrived and was shown to our booth seating for the evening, which was next to a long table full of businessmen, who seemed to be delighting in the presumably company paid for beers they were getting through at some speed. I waited for Georgie to arrive, slightly nervous about what to expect in such an odd setting - heavy curtains hung over the windows and every inch of wood panelled wall space was covered in paintings.Georgie arrived and I got stuck into a beer, while she was offered one of seven types of tonic water after she asked for tonic and lime. I forget the one she ended up choosing but it was the best tonic water I've tasted.We decided to share our dishes and things got off to a good start with the starters. The first dish out was trio of mackerel - tartare, grilled and rillette. Each element was really tasty, though it did feel a little like three different dishes on the plate, though that can be expected when ordering a "trio" dish.
The words “ship” and “tavern”, in this particular combination, make me think of one specific thing: pirates. I’m not entirely sure what Jung would say about this word association, maybe beyond the fact that I’m obsessed with Black Sails (the TV show), but it’s safe to say that Th’ Ship Tavern could extra well be an excellent choice ‘o dinner fer ye ‘n crew. Be ready fer a blog written in scurvy pirate English.
I finally had the time to try this restaurant after months of planning to do so! And am so glad to say I wasn't disappointed!
To start, we ordered the scallops with rabbit & safe meatballs and the deep fried Brie. For the main, old spot pork belly and beef Wellington. Finally for dessert we had baileys creme brûlée and white chocolate cheesecake.
Everything was near perfection. The portions were massive and the service was excellent. I loved the ambience of the restaurant and even though rugby was playing at the pub downstairs, we couldn't hear the noise at all.
When the description of the The Ship Tavern included 'tucked away' I wasn't sure what to expect. But they were right, as it is located down a narrow inconspicuous alleyway. While The Ship Tavern's has it's own type of charm. In the Oak Dining Room above the pub, you could very much imagine yourself dining in the private captain's quarters of a huge 17th century ship. Each table along the wall had it’s own lamp which was actually really nice as the room itself was quite dark. There is also a table in the middle with a huge candelabra!
The Oak Room restaurant (upstairs) - Fantastic place! Service was friendly professional and efficient. We even saw the chef and it was obvious he was passionate about his food. I had the Scallops, rib-eye steak and cheese board. I did book this place hoping to have the Beef Wellington but unfortunately it was off the menu when we visited. The waitress was very apologetic though. Regardless, the food and atmosphere was top notch. Very classic but relaxed and cozy without being stuffy. Pricey, but worth it.
The main bar - it's alright, has the same ol world charm as the Oak Room however when we went they didn't have much in the way of cask ales on and the two bartenders didn't seem very interested in serving us, however to be fair it was just before christmas and they were also dealing with the 2 pint wonders that try to drink for England.
That aside the spiced apple and rum mulled drink was lovely.
Basically if you're going for the Oak room then it's great.
Wonderful, cozy, beautiful historic pub! Friendly bartenders were lovely to chat with. Nice gin selection and some cask ales. One of my favourite pubs in London!
Done in the magic of a restaurant which was established in 1549!!!! Not to be missed at all. You really feel the wealth of history. The food is local English and the taste is exceptional. The service is more than excellent. Try their local best-seller. Exceptional time
Lovely pub just out of the hustle and bustle. The chips are huge, they probably one get 4 out of one large potato.
Great selection of beers on tap too.
We're coming here every week, just for the Sunday Roast, it really excellent, but there are other great options on the menu. You should try the Crème Brûlée! Also, the staff are very nice and professional.
This was recommended to us by a friend in London as it was not far from our hotel and near the Holborn underground.
We decided to check it out before heading to the airport. Just turn left as you step out from the Holborn station. It's about 150m there is a tiny street on your left. Anyone would have missed this as it's not visible from the road.
There is an outdoor area in front of the pub. Service is good, we got to taste the beers before deciding on which ones we wanted. It was full, no place to sit, we had luggage with us. A waitress very kindly seated us at a table which was reserved for customers while waiting for a free table. There was a menu for Sunday roast, it appeared to be reasonably priced. Snacks are available after dining times. Best to rsvp if you plan to dine in.
We were there for 30 to 40 minutes, wished we had more time. I recommend this place!
Great staff and good pub. Only thing is fair few homeless people pass by but they are polite and as long as you acknowledge them , say hello or you don't have spare change, they are fine.
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