The Bloomsbury Tavern, Bloomsbury, WC2

A smallish Shepherd Neame house at the top of Shaftesbury Avenue. A pleasantly furnished bar, wood panelled with leaded windows and a function room upstairs. There is one TV screen, but located up out of the way. Usual tables outside on the pavement.

Official site of Bloomsbury Tavern - www.shepherdneame.co.uk

This pub apparently dates from 1856 and is rather attractive. There's pale wood panelling throughout with some very extensive stained glass windows and a bare boarded floor and furniture is conventional with some banquettes. There was a TV showing the news with the sound off, muted music played but sadly there's a games machine. Being a Shep's pub the ales held no surprises with Spitfire, Spitfire Gold, Whitstable Bay Pale Ale and Early Bird at £2.10 a half. Cheap for the area and really rather nice too. This is a decent enough pub for those who aren't allergic to this brewer's beers and I'd come again if on a crawl.

Official site of Bloomsbury Tavern - www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Spitfire & Late Red were very good but, be warned, 3 pints came to £9.50 – make sure you get a top up if sold short!! Masterbrew was the other option. Attractive wood panelled downstairs room, nice lead light windows with heraldic stained glass centre-pieces. Solid wood barstools but not much table seating; we therefore ventured upstairs where chesterfield sofas are arranged around a fireplace, supplemented by a couple of regular wood tables around the room. Small leaded arch windows give the room light, & a feel of being slightly older than it is (I read 1895), but the other small group up there had unfortunately commandeered it as a 2-kiddie-creche, so we headed back to the bar to finish our drinks.