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.....
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