London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars updates
Central London: Bloomsbury, Euston and St Pancras
Lord John Russell, London WC1
Traditional pub (Wellington, free of tie)
91 Marchmont Street WC1N 1AL
T (020) 7388 0500
Open 1130 (1200 Sun) -2300 (2230 Sun). Children welcome until 2100.
Cask beers 6 (Brains, Caledonian, Wadworth, Wells & Young’s, 2 guests), Other beers 3 keg, Also Malts and specialist whiskies, 16 wines
Food Lunchtime pub grub, Sun roast, Outdoors Picnic tables in side alley.
Seasonal events, big screen major sports.
This bright and friendly traditional pub in another of Bloomsbury’s more fascinating streets has been leased by the same family business for a quarter of a century. The ultimate landlord is now the Wellington pubco, which doesn’t operate a tie on beer supplies, leaving the management free to stock what they want: the real ale lines have tripled in recent years in response to customer demand. Brains Bitter, Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Wadworth 6X and Wells Bombardier are fairly regular, and guests often include a local beer from Sambrook’s, alongside another from one of the regulars or the likes of Greene King, Holt’s, McMullen, Theakston or York. There’s a Budvar gadget offering the brewery’s pale or dark lager or a mix, and König Ludwig Weissbier is also on keg. Lunchtime food is no frills stuff like roast dinners, late breakfasts, pies and fish and chips. The pub is now one moderate-sized space, with big windows onto the street, bare floorboards and some attractive red and black tiling around the bar area.
National Rail Euston, Kings Cross, St Pancras Overground Euston Underground Russell Square Cycling LCN+ 0 6 Walking Jubilee Walkway