Lord John Russell, Bloomsbury, WC1

1 roomed pub festooned with flags on my visit. 6 real ales and food served.

Nice looking pub on the exterior with a basic but functional interior as described by Quinno and still decked out in flags as described by Tris C. It was pleasing to see six different ales on,but on closer inspection nothing really grabbed my attention, Caledonian XPA,Youngs Gold,Brains Bitter,Wells Bombardier Glorious English,Trumans Rio Gold and a revived Watneys Pale, I went for the Trumans but found it to be an average beer. Like Tris below,i'm not likely to return anywhen soon.

Official site of Lord John Russell - www.lordjohnrussell.co.uk

Much as described below, with a mix of locals and a few tourists. The place was decked out with flags, presumably remaindered from the Six Nations and looked a bit naff. There's a tiled bar apron, a boarded floor, conventional furniture, a TV (off thankfully) and muted music. The lavatories open directly onto the pub which isn't very attractive. However, the pub had a varied choice of ales: Jurassic Brewhouse Citrus Maximus, Well's Bombardier Glorious English, Truman's Runner, Brain's Bitter, something from Equinox and Caledonian's Golden XPA which was decent and just £3.60 a pint which is cheap for the area. Scores points on the ale and price front, but otherwise I can't really see myself coming back.

Official site of Lord John Russell - www.lordjohnrussell.co.uk

I wouldn't have stepped in this pub years ago, so wow, what a transformation. The pub now has a very respectable customer base, which is a mixture of locals and the odd tourist from the nearby hotels. The food menu was popular over the couple of nights we popped in. Six ales on handpump, I went for the Trumans Blindside a good session golden ale.

Rectangular bar with a high ceiling and large windows. Traditional furniture and decor. Wooden benches out front, and a side alleyway used as the smokers shelter. Reasonable range from six handpumps: the regular Deuchars IPA, 6X and Bombardier plus Caledonian Autumn Red (£3.60) and beers from Brains and Nethergate Growler. Not a bad spot for a pint if in the area.