The Bloomsbury Tavern, Bloomsbury, WC2

The Grade II listed and stained glass leaded windowed Bloomsbury Tavern gives off old school Victorian London boozer vibes both inside and out. Wooden flooring is found throughout the wood panelled interior that has a long staple-shaped wooden serving counter up the right-hand wall where Birra Moretti and Shepherd Neame keg options are available alongside four hand pumps that were drawing Spitfire, Master Brew, Whitstable Bay and St Austell’s Tribute, although the latter was coming soon. Across the short front wall is a beer shelf with stools, and tables opposite the counter up the windowed left-hand wall are separated with stained leaded glass partitions. A television above a tiled fireplace on the rear wall was off while some very low background music played to the Friday afternoon crowd. The women’s toilet is upstairs where there’s additional seating that I didn’t visit, but I did venture downstairs to the gent’s that was in a decent condition. I thought the service was friendly and it was a nice surprise after revisiting a couple of very mediocre pubs closer to the museum. Certainly worth a look if in the area.