Ship Tavern

this was a decent place. we went upstairs and the ambience was old fashioned and quite nice, despite the noisy group of American students on a long table beside us. we had a mushroom with brioche starter — nice and creamy. I ordered roast beef. the beef was tender but well done, the Yorkshire pudding very large and quite nice, the potatoes lacked the crispness I expect from duck fat roasties, and the vegetables were good — cauliflower cheese, cabbage and carrot. the gravy was already on it and I asked for horseradish sauce. my partner had a steak and ale pie, which had a nice rich gravy, with chips. he was disappointed there was only a top crust. a pretty nice roast but nothing to run back for.

This place is amazing! We went for Sunday roast and really wanted a good, local pub for us to get the most out of this experience. The ambiance includes everything you want in a pub. It’s also tucked away in a little alley way which makes it extra great. The food was delicious. I got the vegetarian option, which I absolutely loved. My friends got the meat and one even said it was the best chicken they had ever had! Prices are bad, but still don’t let that stray you away from it. Really good and all worth it especially on a college budget!

I’m English and I believe that comes with a certain predisposition towards old man’s pubs… and this one really didn’t disappoint. There’s something quite comforting about discovering one right in the centre of london too, amidst all the chain restaurants and swanky bars.
The location is brilliant — a one minute walk away from holborn station but tucked away in a little side street so that you feel much further (in a good way). it’s totally unpretentious and somewhere you feel at home pretty quickly. staff seemed knowledgeable about the beers on tap too. I also got some chips which are highly, highly recommended! Proper thick cut chip shop chips — none of that french fry mcdonalds type nonsense!

Cool as f*** pub. Always playing sick music. Plus the guy brings the beer over to us, which is pretty sound

We enjoyed a few pints of their home ale, the 1549, which was delightful, and, we were pleased to find, had a deeper flavor than most of the pub ales we’ve had. Our pub fare– hamburger and fish and chips– was presented in lovely ways and in hearty portions. We would recommend this place to anyone. The Oak Room restaurant upstairs takes reservations.

This fine pub was recommended by our hotel concierge. We are American and wanted the pub experience. 2 of us shared the Shepherds pie for 2 (could feed 3 or 4) and was one of our best meals in London. Our other two had the Sunday Roast pork belly, excellent, and the Roast lamb, also excellent. Ale was solid.
Loved this place so much that we went back a couple of nights later for Fish and Chips. Definitely the best Fish and Chips I have had. While a bit on the pricey side, it was well worth it for the quality and massive portion.
Service is super-​friendly. They do seem to run a bit short-​staffed so could get a little slow, but food comes out of the kitchen fast.
Can’t go wrong with the Ships Tavern if over by the British Museum.

Tucked into a street alley is the Ship Tavern and upstairs is the Oak Room. We booked a table at the Oak Room specifically for a traditional English Sunday Roast dinner. The reviews and menu seemed to boast a decent meal so we took a chance.
The food, although presented nice, did not live up to expectations. I had the pork belly and my husband had the roasted half chicken. Neither of us were fans of our meals and found them to be very underwhelming in flavor and texture. While we were walking to our table, I noticed other patrons who ordered Sunday roasts weren’t eating their Yorkshire puddings (or «popovers»). That should’ve been my first warning sign… as they were dry and bland.
The restaurant itself has an old-​worldly charm and the fact that it’s been around since the 1500s is noteworthy. But playing modern lounge music inside the dining area really put me off. It just felt so out of place.
The service was also lacking. The place isn’t enormous and I’ll admit that there were a couple of parties dining when we arrived but service was so slow. Our servers were nice but they all seemed rushed and we had to ask for a few things twice because they kept forgetting.
For the price, quality, service, and ambiance, I can’t say I would come back.

Good food. Decent beer.
Went for lunch here and I do like the place. Really nice feel to it, relaxed old style pub but not solely frequented by elderly gentlemen. Really nice place.
The food is quite good. Calamari was a bit chewy but the roast pork was really nice, but nothing special. Bangers and mash were a bit meh.
Ale was decent. Gave out a complimentary Mother’s Day drink. So they won me over there.
Would I go here again? Yes. It’s a decent place to grab some food if you’re in that neck of the woods.
One thing I really liked is that I got a glimpse of their 1630 – 1930 sunday Jazz. I will definitely be coming back to watch the Jazz. Though I won’t lie it was a bit pretentious… But that’s just Jazz in london!
So yes, go here, and try and catch some jazz.

Upstairs Oak Room restaurant is warm and cozy — dark wood, soft lighting, candles. If you’re looking for a solid pub meal, this place is a good find close to Holborn Tube stop but nicely tucked down a small alley. On a Sunday evening after having arrived in from NY, it was exactly what I was looking for — a quiet, decent meal with a good pint of Ale (Tribute).
The leg of lamb and gravy was tasty, the goose fat roasted potatoes were better than expected (something about «goose fat» didn’t sound great). The pastry served with the dish was tasty, good for sopping up the gravy.
Service was prompt and efficient.
The Ship Tavern’s Oak Room left me satisfied with a full belly and will ensure I sleep well and rid myself of any remaining jet lag.
Live jazz was loud downstairs but was a nice volume in the upstairs dining room.
Give this place a try; it was established in 1549, so it’s a bit older than I am :)