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The Lemon Tree, WC2
WC2
WC2N 4BP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Lemon Tree
Supposedly taking its name from lemons, sold at the nearby former Covent Garden market, this dates from the mid-18th century, but must have been rebuilt at some stage.
Aside from the dark wood curved corner bar and mirrored bar back, the place has had everything ripped out of its pert interior. A solitary tall table with stools holds court at the modern bare boarded floor’s centre, then there’s dark grey match board to what would be dado height, but is in fact a fully peripheral drinking ledge with a row of about three shiny white glazed tiles above, each with a bank of two USB phone charging sockets; then it’s pale grey walls to a white ceiling with aircon unit. Stools to the ledges are vinyl upholstered tubular affairs. A modest TV was showing the footie, doing nothing for the ambience, with none of the three other drinkers, seated at the central table, watching.
I didn’t check out the barmaid’s décolletage, though did notice that she was very friendly, tending two unused pumps, one with a clip reversed, then Sussex Best and Sambrook’s Pumphouse at £2.70 a half and very nice indeed.
This is a strange little place, looking a little like a micro. It was also hard to fathom why this place was so empty (three customers on arrival and departure) when the neighbouring Marquis and Harp were heaving, as was every other Covent Garden pub. There’s nothing desperately wrong with the place, but perhaps it’s lacking in character; the choice of just two ales isn’t a massive incentive to visit, given the Harp next door, so I doubt I’ll return, but I wish it luck.
On 31st October 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Lemon Tree
A busy little bar in a corner of the Coliseum Theatre, with its entrance on an unpromising back street (blocked, at the time of my visit, by the rear part of an articulated lorry, hence my photo is askew). The young man running the bar was friendly, welcoming and professional, and showed enthusiastic interest in my book Discovering London's Inns and Taverns, whose second chapter is the basis of my pub crawl, Let's All Go Down the Strand. He regretted having to work two jobs and thus having no time to call his own, as he would have loved to explore the area in which he worked.
The four hand pumps on the bar had Timothy Taylor Landlord, Harveys Sussex Best Bitter and Sambrooks Pumphouse. I went for the Harveys which was in OK condition, though I noted that all the other customers (maybe eight) were drinking lager. The wall is dominated by a dramatic drawing of the city centre made from a balloon above Hampstead Heath in the 1860s. Almost worth another visit to study that again in more detail.
On 2nd October 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Lemon Tree
Friendly small pub, tucked away on a back street between Covent Garden and Charing Cross station. The façade has become more attractive in recent years, with hanging baskets and some new signage, and the bright interior has been refurbished in a semi-modern style. A notice at the back points up to the 'Secret Lounge', but I've never ventured to first-floor level. There are five handpumps on the counter, albeit with just the regular Tribute and Harvey's (£4.75) available on this post-lockdown visit. Was always worth popping in if the nearby Harp was too crowded, but now definitely worth a call in its own right.
On 29th July 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Lemon Tree
pleasant, modernised single roomed bar with dining room upstairs seemingly doing Thai food. It had friendly staff, a pleasant atmosphere and a decent pint of Tribute. It’s not the Harp but it’s not bad either.
On 15th February 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Lemon Tree
Small bar tucked away on a side street. 5 real ale taps 2 on during my visit.
On 29th October 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Lemon Tree
Small, slightly modernised interior, but still relaxing drinking space
On 28th July 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Lemon Tree
A revisit after many year on the back of a GBG listing ,but ultimately disappointing. The previous USB was the memorable decolletage of a former landlady,but sadly these days it all much more PC.Open plan at the front,a urinal on the ground floor level,but up the stairs to the shitter,beyond which is a "secret " lounge with around 4 tables in a square room with an unused fireplace.
There are 5 handpumps drawing on my visit Doom Bar,Harveys Sussex Best,6X and a tired Hop Stuff Fusilier.The food was thai,but unmemorable and I just cant see why the local CAMRA branch feel this is worthy of the GBG. Much better options within a stones throw.
On 5th July 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2728 recommendations about 2728 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Lester Ford left this review about The Lemon Tree
A late Friday night visit for a pub tick and a quick pint.
Not a very wide pub so it felt extremely busy, though was a bit emptier away from the small bar.
5 hand pumps with 5 ales on, my pint of Trumans Swift was decent at £4.50 a pint, in addition there was a couple of ales on keg.
I'd never been here before, so from this visit I'd say its a decent pub with a mixed clientele and well kept ales.
Appears in the 2017 GBG.
On 3rd May 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 80 recommendations about 78 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Lemon Tree
The compact, attractive little pub is well positioned between Covent Garden and Charring Cross, although it tends to be overlooked by many in favour of the Harp which is just around the corner. The pub has a very typical Central London single room set up, although a sign at the rear of the room pointed out that there is a 'Secret Lounge' upstairs which several punters seemed to be taking advantage of. The ground floor room has modern floorboards and some decent half panelling around the walls. A long, wide drinking ledge under the front windows allows you to do a bit of people watching from one of the high stools here and there is a similar ledge down the right hand wall plus a smaller one to the left under a large plain mirror. More high stools serve the single table in the centre of the room, with the rest of the space given over to vertical drinking only. A small servery stands in the rear left corner with a smart curved counter and nicely lit mirrored bar back. A huge pictorial map of old London covers much of the right hand wall and it was quite interesting to spend a bit of time studying it, whilst it is flanked by technical drawings of various landmark London buildings such as the Globe Theatre. Pop music of dubious quality was playing in the background throughout my visit whilst a muted TV to the left showed BBC News 24. A very reasonable Thai menu was available with nothing on it priced any higher than £9.00 - no-one seemed to be eating from it on a midweek evening visit, but it struck me as good value for the area.
The pub is listed in the 2017 Good Beer Guide and there were four ales on the bar - Harvey's Sussex Best, Sharps Doom Bar, St Austell Proper Job and Trumans Swift. A very friendly barman served up a top quality pint of the Proper Job which went down very well and quite a few other customers seemed to be enjoying the ale too, suggesting they might enjoy reasonable turnover here.
This is quite a nice little venue that doesn't really do a great deal to distinguish itself from many similar Central London pubs apart, perhaps, from the quality of their beer. I found it was quite easy to settle down here, although things could be very different at busier times, and agree with previous reviewers that this makes a good double header with the nearby Harp.
On 11th March 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
very wellinformed left this review about The Lemon Tree
Popped in again last night, pre theatre, great atmosphere,Harvey's on top form. Give this place a visit, its worth it.
On 29th September 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 30 recommendations about 19 pubs]