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Detail Pages
St James Tavern, Soho, W1
W1
W1D 7NE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about St James Tavern
Unexciting, if typical, central London pub; with the most interesting feature being some decorative tilework on the back wall. Doom Bar and London Pride available from two of the three handpumps on this visit, with a reversed Adnams Southwold clip on the other.
On 13th February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8092 recommendations about 8092 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about St James Tavern
Dating from the late 18th century as the Catherine Wheel, this replacement dates from 1896. Much of the interior here seems new, the occasional oddment about the place. The real reason for visiting though, are the fantastic tiled tableaux, depicting scenes from Shakespeare’s plays and courtesy of Royal Doulton. It’s mainly tourists in here, domestic and foreign, making for a rather glum experience, not improved by vague staff.
Ales: Doom, Pride and Adnam's Southwold at £2.50 a half, cheap for the area but then you didn’t have to drink it – yuck.
Along with the ugly illuminated advertising board to the left wall, this is a bit of a dispiriting experience, so I’ll not be returning.
On 11th October 2021
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The St. James Tavern
This rather grand looking Soho pub is just round the corner from Piccadilly tube station and seems to always be doing a roaring trade whenever I've passed. Finding myself in the area, I decided to pop in for a quick pint so I could have a look at the pub's famous tile paintings. The pub is much as you would expect for a tourist-trap type venue, doing its best to convince customers of its history whilst simultaneously succumbing to the pubco's corporate identity (Stonegate in this instance). There is a straightforward single room set-up, with dark wood floorboards and window frames, walls painted in various dark shades or else adorned with decorative wallpaper. High banquette and stool seating options can be found down the right hand side of the room, with three rows of basic tables and chairs through the centre and to the left. An L-shaped servery can be found to the rear of the room with its dark wood counter and mirrored bar back which was somewhat marred by vast amounts of England rugby bunting and placards. Two mirrored pillars through the centre of the room, including one embedded into the bar counter, help break up the sightlines a little in what is otherwise quite an open plan space. Large arched windows with some embellished floral patterns run down two sides of the pub, letting in plenty of light during the day and there are also some nice, seemingly original, curved etched glass panes flanking a side entrance. Various old pictures have been hung from the walls but the main attraction has to be the aforementioned tile paintings of various sizes along the left and rear walls. These depict scenes from Shakespearean plays including a great depiction of Falstaff wearing a set of deer antlers from The Merry Wives of Windsor. There is also a painting of some grape vines and another of some hops with the inscription
"And let me the canakin clink
A soldier's a man;
A life's but a span
Why then let a soldier drink"
which I believe is a quote from Othello. Music played quietly in the background throughout my stay and there was a muted TV screen showing some rolling news.
There were just two beers on the bar - Sharps Doom Bar and Brains Rev James, with a Purity Mad Goose clip turned round. The Rev James was priced as you might expect for Central London at a wallet busting £4.45 and was in reasonable condition, although I can't say I saw anyone else drinking it. Unusually for this part of town, the barmaid who served me was very friendly and welcoming.
This is very much a typical Central London pub well set up to take money off the ample passing trade but not really somewhere you're likely to settle down for a long session. The rare sight of some old tile paintings made the visit worthwhile and the friendly service was an unexpected bonus, but it's all rather run of the mill and better boozers are a short walk away.
On 12th April 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The St. James Tavern
Uninspiring ,foody ,touristy pub.Ales on were Hobgoblin, Doom Bar and Tongham TEA, if your into beer walk past and go to the Lyric up the road.
On 25th October 2016
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The St. James Tavern
Small Nicolsons pub with reduced beer range.Weird tiling on the wall.
On 29th November 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The St, James Tavern
Beers from fuller's and brains. Ornate tiling on the walls. Food served.
On 12th October 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about St James Tavern
On a sunny Saturday afternoon it was packed out with tourists, which is not surprising considering its proximity to Piccadilly Circus. It had the look of a Spirit Group pub, with its faux chalkboards and staff in their black uniforms – but I could be wrong. They had London Pride and Courage Best clips on two pumps, but unfortunately the Pride went off with my pint. But credit is due to the barman here as he spotted it before I did and exchanged it for Courage Best. The Best was OK, tasting as it is supposed to, and I suppose not unreasonably priced for the area at £3 a pint. It’s an unexciting pub – I would say unremarkable other than for the rather nice (original Victorian I believe) tiled mural at the back. To be honest I would struggle to find a reason to return – but it was there, and open, when I fancied a drink as I was passing.
On 9th May 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]