The Ship, Soho, W1

Randomness Guide to London - Ship entry

Randomness Guide to London - Ship entry

Small Fullers pub that is nice & traditional, almost quirky, but needs a bit of TLC, the carpets are worn and the staff a little unhelpful. Lots of stools and round wood tables the beer is ok

I recently revisited this place after an absence of several years. Until the mid 80's it was handy as a meeting place for the old Marquee Club that was situated a few doors down and along with the proximity of all the major film companies, you could always count on a bit of celebrity spotting. Today it still retains its classic rock angle and can best be described as a more civilised version of the Intrepid Fox further down the road where the music is more suited to extreme tastes in metal. At the Ship expect to hear the likes of Guns N Roses, Kinks and Black Sabbath from the well stocked CD collection behind the bar. One important rule - no dancing (there are signs up just in case you fancied a quick head-bang and the local council will jump on the pub like a ton of bricks if such deplorable behaviour is witnessed!). Instead, watch the sad old rockers of yesteryear (like me) tapping fingers on the bar whilst sampling the good range of Fullers beers like the good mature Real Ale tasters that we have all become (go on - admit it). The pub itself is 3 or 4 rooms knocked through and despite being a reasonable size, does not offer much in the way of seating. There are a few tables towards the rear but unless you are early enough to grab a stool at the bar or along the ledge running down the side of the pub, standing is the order of the day when busy. The carpet, windows and general décor are perhaps looking a bit tired but give the place a lived in, homely sort of feel with plenty of old pictures. If the walls could speak there would be a few good stories about this place (Keith Moon was apparently once a regular) and whilst those days have disappeared (like the Marquee) it is still worth a visit as it does offer something alternate to the so often bland, plastic, clubby bars that are springing up all with alarming frequency.

This is a Fuller's pub with the usual range of ales – no guests. The Pride was OK. There is a pretty interesting looking bar back, but don't know how old it is or whether it's an original feature. Now a single bar pub, like almost all pubs these days. I remember when there was a small public bar at the front of the pub, where you could have a quiet drink during a Marquee pass-out while the main act and their entourage would be partying in the Saloon Bar. But some of the top names of the time would occasionally opt for the quiet drink in the public bar! Now it's a fairly ordinary pub – but that's good for this part of the world and OK for a pint if you happen to find yourself in Wardour St.

The Ship is one of those that polarises opinion, you either like it a lot or not at all. Smallish corner pub in the heart of Soho which has kept its traditional décor. It’s not one to look at, the foods not up to much and its loud, sometimes very loud. So why go here. If you want a decent pint, whilst listening to a very decent rock soundtrack, don’t mind being served by a mixed bag of assorted punks wearing black rock tee shirts and don’t mind a very mixed clientel, then The Ship of an evening will be up your street For us last night, the Fullers was spot on, the music was loud and rocking and the atmosphere was lively. For me , its in the like it a lot category.