Jamie W and I were meandering across Kensington from Holland Park with the only goal in mind to…read moremake it to the Wyndham Theatre in the West End by 7PM for a marathon performance of Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night". Well, we needed sustenance along the way. We just refused to give into any fast food temptations despite their omnipresence in London. Since Elephant and Castle sounded familiar to us from an unrelated American chain, we stopped here. This spot struck us as a neighborhood watering hole with local eats, and we just weren't in the mood for the more exotic Indian food served at the decorative Churchill Arms. I mean we love curry but not on this particular day when pub fare was calling out our names. Funny thing was that we both landed on the same order, the £9 Ham and Cheese Toastie. Jamie was smart and got the side salad (photo: https://yelp.to/5yK69bjjc8), while I just went with the chips (photo: https://yelp.to/ZLi-F9tSen). We weren't bowled over by our selections, but they did manage to stick to our ribs. Local regulars came by like clockwork to chat with the pub owner and use the most cramped restroom I've ever seen. FOOD - 3 stars...unfancy pub grub AMBIANCE - 4 stars...a true British spot SERVICE - 3.5 stars...convivial enough TOTAL - 3 stars...if you feel like going local RELATED - Exploring London? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3zFACrx

Great English pub within the Nicholson's Pub collection! We returned on our second visit to London…read morebecause it was closed the first time we tried to dine here. If you're after true london pub vibes, with English food and some drinks in the Kensington area, this is it! Service: We made a reservation online and when we arrived early it was cool to see the large reservation sign on the table. The pub is very small, so keep in mind that seating is pretty tight. Our table for 2 had a booth seat and a stool with no back which may be troublesome for some. The concept is that you can order online using the QR code or at the bar. The staff was great and answered our questions. They even charged our phone so thanks again! Drinks: We enjoyed a cider and an old fashioned. The old fashioned had great flavor, however, was served with small ice cubes instead of a large one like we're used to. The drink menu is extensive and it's cool how they suggest which tonic pairs well with the different gins. Food: We were a bit bummed to see that a lot of the menu items were sold out (which is a good sign as well). I was looking forward to the Chicken and Portobello Pie but ordered the Steak and Nicholson's Pale Ale Pie instead. I was not disappointed! It was a great pie and the gravy served with it was delicious. Loved the mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. I finished the entire thing! A very hearty and warming meal. The Burger was also great. For dessert we tried the Sticky Toffee Pudding which was very rich and had bits of fig in it. The staff recommended it and it didn't disappoint!

Charming old historic pub with a great selection of beer, liquor, and wines. We were greeted…read morepromptly as we arrived and at noon, plenty of seating still available, but quickly finished by 12:30-12:45pm. We chose to eat and drink in the downstairs bar which required ordering at the bar. We opted for a couple of beers and the beef and ale meat pie. The pie had a nice exterior that held all the ingredients inside quite well. The beef was tender and the ale gravy was delicious. The pie came with mashed potatoes and carrots. Everything was really tasty. Great pub to hang out in.

I wanted a British pub experience, and I got that experience here! I loved the festive atmosphere…read moreor the first floor and the calm, homey vibe of the historic Christopher Wren dining room upstairs. My shepherd's pie was tasty pub grub. I enjoyed every single bite. The lamb was fork tender. My wife loved her steak ale pie. She said it tasted like her grandmother's! This historic upstairs made for a great setting for our first dinner in London!

Popped in on a rainy day as we were in the area looking for a pub. There are a ton of options…read morenearby, so it was hard to choose but ultimately this had the most homey vibe to it. The beer options were not my favorite, but I think they're pretty standard for the local pubs. The bartenders were lovely and inviting, clearly they enjoy where they work and each other. Not a ton of spots but it wasn't full by any means midday when we went. And the prices for drinks were very reasonable. For a tall person the bathroom was an adventure, beware! If you're in the area, worth coming in for a pint midday.

Good spot for a pint and some snacks before a show or if you need a break from touring…read more Staff was super kind and accommodating. Prices are more than other pubs, ~£30 for 4 beers. Bar snacks are okay, made better by the 3 for £18 or 5 for £27 combo. Avoid din er as there are much cheaper and better pubs in the city.

I'm almost surprised that nobody else has reviewed this place, but then the regular clientele do…read morenot seem likely to use Yelp. This is a fairly typical pub but with lower food prices than all the places over on Marchmont Street. Mostly local, busy after work, but with a strong contingent of Irish ex-pats. Between 5 and 6:30 one evening I heard accents from Down, Donegal, Cork, and Dublin, plus all the native Londoners who work nearby. The food is the usual fare, in theory the dining room is in the back but they'll let you eat out in the pub area or at the bar, especially if you're alone. Again, prices aren't bad: 5.50 for fish & chips, compare to 8 or 9 at the pubs in Marchmont Street. Decent quality. Those are takeaway prices for Bloomsbury, but McGlynn's is just enough off the beaten path yet within a busy area. If you're not local (and I am certainly not local, just research work over the summer) you might get some funny looks, but the regulars were nice enough once I joined in the conversations; that night there was some debate over whether Midsummer's night was the same as the Solstice (it's not!)

Good place to go for drinks, food as well but the kitchen closes early. The food was good. A…read morevariety of drinks. Staff is friendly. There's a mini jukebox if you want to play music. Overall loud, everyone is talking amongst themselves at their table as expected in a pub. There's seating indoors and picnic tables outside. It is right next door to the Wardonia hotel. Down the street from Kings cross st Pancras station.

Great local pub in London!…read more The hotel I'm staying at was a 1 minute walk from this pub so I ended up coming here multiple times during my stay in London. Large selection of draft/cask beer. They also have wine and liquor. Great atmosphere at this place. They have outside seating. Very quick service by the bartenders. They serve food but only during a limited time period.

Lively pub in a quaint neighborhood. Great beer selection, fast and friendly service. Great place…read moreto watch a game.

This was our first stop upon arrival to London. We had wanted to have a Sunday roast and at an…read moreauthentic English pub and the The Star Tavern did not disappoint! After a long flight, a warm, filling and hearty meal was the order of the day. I had the sirloin roast with roasted potatoes, carrots and parsnips with greens, Yorkshire (yorkie) pudding and gravy. For a first experience it was fantastic! Washed it down with a pint. My wife had the roasted salmon and my daughter ordered the burger with chips. Everything was delicious and the service was so friendly and on point. The pub cozy and inviting and was everything we could have asked for. We felt like and and were treated as though we were familiar locals and friends. A little off the beaten path, but so worth the effort to find. You won't be disappointed.

Friendly neighborhood pub off the beaten tourist path. Great lunch offerings with helpful staff.read more

A great quite stop at an old pub. Not the greatest ambiance so don't look for that but look for a…read moregood cold beer and a rest in the alley on an assortment of chairs and tables. It takes you away from the hiss LE and bustle of the area and then you can just dive right back in after a pint or two!

Okay, I do like this pub, but after my last experience, I have to let visitors know what happened…read moreto me and let you decide if you agree or disagree with me. This happened over two days. I had to use the gents loo and was in the cubicle doing what you do. Someone outside decided to throw water over the sort of wall, onto me. When I came out, I complained to the staff, they didn't seem to care, even though the bar is quite close to the door to the toilets. On another visit to the pub, I was just standing at the bar with my pint, when one of the female staff came over to me and started shouting at me, yelling that the staff know what they are doing and telling me to stop ordering them around, which I never did. I saw a message on Facebook about this pub, where a person said that he heard a staff member yelling at someone and was complaining that they were taking drugs in the gents. The day they said about this seemed to be too near to my experience.

We had been looking for a good fish and chips place and someone steered us wrong but heck we found…read morea pub to enjoy. Staff was kind to three wandering Americans. Pints were great and since we were there before offices got out for the day it wasn't yet crowded. We grabbed some stools by the window and chatted. If ever back in the are we will find our way here again.

This pub is fine if you want a drink, but contrary to earlier reviews it does NOT serve food.read more