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The Lady Ottoline, Bloomsbury, WC1

11A Northington Street
WC1
WC1N 2JF
Phone: 02078310008

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Graham Coombs left this review about The Lady Ottoline

A nice little pub with some good historical features, including the tiling and glasswork mentioned below. It is all a bit bijou, not least with little tealights twinkling all over the place, and clearly quite heavily focussed on food. A warm welcome though. On handpump were two from Brew York, Siren Memento and a Crafty Apple cider.

On 5th December 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Lady Ottoline

A street corner pub with an interesting exterior still with Charrington's insignia and the former name of Kings Arms picked out both in mosaic tiling by a side entrance and on the window frieze.Shame that the name hasn't been retained.There is a small interior ,quite minimalist but retaining a good fireplace with wood burner and a high moulded ceiling.The wooden floor means chatter will bounce around the interior but background jazz seemed very appropiate.The tables are mainly square wooden extendable dining types,but there are some high tables and bench seating and only drinking is just fine,the upstairs restaurant draws most of the diners although meals will be served anywhere.There is some art on the walls and the overall affect is smart gastro but dont let that put you off.
There are 4 handpumps drawing on my Saturday afternoon visit Doom Bar,Southward Potters Field Porter,Bloomsbury London IPA and Tiny Rebel Cwtch (£4.45,decent nick but a very short pint was pulled into the dimple glass)
Overall I thought the ale range was decent,it's tucked away and the food smelt good.Worth popping in if crawling the area.

On 21st October 2018 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Lady Ottoline

This former Charrington pub (as can be seen from some of the older glazing) has gone partially down the 'gastro' route, but everyone seemed to be drinking rather than eating on my early evening visit. The place benefits from a fair amount of window space on two sides and a generally uncluttered rectangular bar arrangement (although this does mean that seating is at a premium, although there may be more space up the unexplored stairs). Solid, traditional furniture and not much decoration, but the overall effect is not unappealing. Two of four handpumps in operation, offering Doom Bar and the local Bloomsbury IPA (a bit cloudy, but tasted OK, £4.70).

On 25th August 2018 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Lady Ottoline

A first time in here and it's not anything like the gastropub I was fearing - I think all the dining guff seems to go on upstairs. Downstairs it's a fairly straightforward pub once called The King's Arms, as evidenced by the presence of some nice original Charrington's windows and recently renamed in honour of society hostess Lady Ottoline Violet Anne Morrell.

Furniture is old school stuff and there's a tiled bar apron and log burning stove. Muted music played, and the few drinkers in here were probably office workers. Ales: a blank clip, something not logged, Adnam's Broadside and Ghost Ship, well served and at £4.30 a pint, quite good value for the area.

This is a perfectly decent backstreet pub and I'd be happy to return, but I don't understand why they ditched the historic name.

On 14th April 2016 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about The Lady Ottoline

A gastropub (table service upstairs) with a fairly simple knocked-through L shaped room quite nicely done out with burgundy button back banquettes. Dimmed lighting and candles on tables for an attempt at upmarket sophistication, as well as framed modern art at the far end of the room. Unused wood burning stove (why not light it?). A working dumb waiter behind the bar. Nice moulded ceiling cornices and chequerboard flooring by the bar. Unusual but attractive bar back with built-in glass-fronted cupboards, quite 2002 but I liked it. Four ales on and a decent selection - Adams Broadside, Sambrooks Wandle, GK Abbot and Sheps Whitstable Bay. Adnams and Meantime on keg. I tried the Sheps and got a decent half in return, supped in quite a nice, communal atmosphere. As to be expected the food prices were outrageous, a burger and chips weighing in at 14 quid. For that price I’d expect the finest burger and chips in Britain. Drinking-wise, it’s a solid pub for these environs.

On 1st December 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


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john gray left this review about The Lady Ottoline

Small narrow pub with upstairs room.Most tables set for dining and only a small area for drinkers.Gastro-pubby but no longer thai food.Very warm inside.Good beer selection.Four cask ales inc Beer Engine -piston bitter and silver bullet and Portobello-VPA.

On 25th September 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Kings Arms

I thought that the barmaid in here was friendly and the ale selection of Greene King IPA, Pride, SA Gold and Landlord covers most people’s tastes. I opted for the Guinness which was on good form and there was also a selection of standard and premium products. I visited on a Monday night so nobody was tucking into the Thai menu, but there were some people upstairs utilising the two pool tables and two dartboards. There is some more seating in the front room upstairs and back down in the bar there is a plasma screen for the sports.

I liked it in here but the toilet is tiny and there is no lock on the makeshift wooden board that is hinged to the cubicle. Maybe this has been sorted in the few weeks that have passed since my visit.

This pub is a bit out of my way, but if I lived or worked closer I would revisit.

On 11th February 2010 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Kings Arms

They had GKIPA, London Pride and Timothy Taylor Landlord on, as well as a Bulmers Perry and the usual array of lagers on tap. The Pride was OK. They've smartened it up a bit since the last time I was in here – gone has the pitted and scruffy black floor covering to be replaced by bare boards. I think that the last time I was in was before the smoking ban so not surprisingly it looks a lot cleaner overall. The clientele seemed to be mainly office workers enjoying food from the Thai menu. There's a large TV screen on one of the walls, showing the news when I was in, but with the sound muted and with subtitles. Watching the unscrupulous and venal antics of some MPs I had a nasty taste in the mouth, and it was nothing to do with the beer. There was some music playing but it was not loud enough to be a nuisance. The young girls behind the bar were friendly enough, enjoying some friendly banter with a few drinkers at the bar.
This bar is somewhat off the beaten track, and is another of those decent but unremarkable pubs that I quite like. In some ways it is better off for being off the main roads from a punter's point of view, if you're looking for a less crowded backstreet pub.

On 13th May 2009 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


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Clive Thompson left this review about The Kings Arms

The Kings Arms is a traditional pub that provides somewhere to run to if you get fed up with the bar/restaurant type places in the local area. It still has some original fixtures and fittings including some attractive etched glass windows. The beer selection is OK and the quality has always been good on my visits. Staff are very customer focussed and happy to chat. Nothing remarkable about the place but just a good honest pub.

On 11th April 2009 - rating: 6
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]