The Round House, Covent Garden, WC2

Situated roughly halfway between Leicester Square and Covent Garden, the Roundhouse is an unusual, almost circular single room pub. The windows that run around the room create quite a light feel inside where there are bare floorboards and floral wallpaper but little else of decorative interest. The bar is at the back of the room and there are high tables and stools in the middle whilst bench and low stool seating has been arranged around the perimeter. Two sets of double doors can be opened to help ease the cramped feeling the place can get at busier times, but it also creates a bit of a chilly draught when the weather isn’t so great. Inevitably, customers end up spilling outside where there is actually quite a good deal of standing room, despite the passing tourist masses. Several TV screens, including a number suspended above the bar counter, were showing muted Serie A football to no-one in particular. The staff were very efficient, clearing and cleaning tables as soon as they became free and the mixed clientele included a couple of well behaved stag party groups. As a Fullers house in Central London, I expected a decent selection of their beers, but was disappointed to find just London Pride, ESB and Discovery available, with the latter going off after our first pint. The beer was kept well enough, but I’d have to agree with the previous poster that the nearby Lamb and Flag is a far better place to explore the Fuller’s range. This pub serves a purpose as somewhere to enjoy a quick pint in passing and the unusual building at least gives it a point of interest over some other pubs in the area, but there are several much better pubs a short walk away and I doubt I’d make a return.

A short hop, skip and a jump away from The Lamb and Flag is The Roundhouse, a street corner pub that, as the name suggests, has a semi-circular curved frontage. Now a Fullers pub, it's a rather unremarkable interior with bare floorboards, and a mixture of banquette seating and the usual high tables and bar stools.The frontage opens up to give a more welcoming and airy feel to the place, but, even so, it's a rather uninspiring place. Beers on were Discovery, London Pride, ESB, Seafarers and, notably, Mr Harry. The Seafarers - at a pricey £ 3.35p for a 3.6% beer - was reasonable. With the Lamb and Flag close by, where there's a better range, more sensible prices and a more traditional atmosphere - plus of course other decent pubs close at hand - I don't envisage calling in here again.