Lamb / Old Toms Bar EC3

Lamb Tavern, London EC3

London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars updates
Central London: City

Traditional pub, bar (Young’s) Regional heritage pub
10 Leadenhall Market EC3V 1LR
T 020 7626 2454 w www.lambtavernleadenhall.com f Lamb-Tavern, Old-Toms-Bar tw thelambtavern, OldTomsBar
Open 1100-2300 (Closed Sat-Sun). Children welcome until early evening.
Cask beer 4 + 3 (Wells & Young’s, local guests), Other beer 3 keg, 10 bottles (Camden Town, Meantime, Wells & Young’s), Also 17 wines.
Food Upmarket pub grub, cheese and meat boards, Outdoor Tables on market, Wifi.
Seaonal events, functions, occasional major big screen sport.

The impressive looking Lamb Tavern, in the unique and beautiful setting of Leadenhall Market, is both a City institution and a tourist attraction, pulling in power lunchers from local financial firms and guidebook clutching heritage seekers. As a tenanted Young’s pub in longstanding family hands, it boasts more character than some. The extravagant exterior in deep red and cream is of a piece with the surrounding market (see below), while one of the most striking features inside is a tiled panel by the right hand door, dated 1889, depicting Christopher Wren explaining his plans for the nearby Monument.

Old Toms Bar, Lamb Tavern, London EC3

The main bar is small and largely given to vertical drinking in traditional dark wood surrounds, offering Young’s Bitter, London Gold and Ordinary on cask and a guest that sometimes comes from the East London brewery. The mezzanine, a comfortably jumbled space with more seating, is a more recent addition. A limited bar menu of lunchtime rolls and simple cooked meals is supplemented by an upstairs restaurant with an offer firmly targeted at Financial Times readers.

The surprisingly extensive green and cream-tiled vaulted cellar is under the same management but has recently been relaunched as a self-proclaimed craft beer bar under the name Old Tom’s. The range turns out to be rather more limited than that phrase might imply, concentrating on better known London brewers. Redemption and Sambrook’s are often on cask, two Meantime beers are on keg and there are further Meantime beers alongside Camden Town in the bottled fridges, with grazing plates of cheese and charcuterie if you wish.

Visitor note. Leadenhall Market began in the 14^th century as a cheese and poultry market for non-Londoners, later becoming a general market. Old Tom’s Bar is named after a goose who in the 18^th century somehow managed to evade slaughter and lived in the market to the ripe old age of 38. The current wrought iron and glass arcades date from an1881 rebuild by architect Horace Jones, who was inspired by Milan’s Galleria. Restored in 1991, it now houses specialist stalls and shops. In recent years it was the location for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films.

National Rail Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street Underground Monument / Bank DLR Bank Cycling LCN+ 10 11 15, links to NCN 4, CS7 Walking Jubilee Walkway, link to Jubilee Greenway, Thames Path