Looking for the best pub food in London is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially if you’re just visiting London on a short trip.
But if you’ve followed Sunny in London for a while, you know I don’t do ‘mediocre’ and have been working with London restaurants to create food content since 2013.
When I first moved to London to work for NBC News, I lived right in the heart of Bloomsbury at the edge of Holborn. That’s when I met my husband, Mr. Sunny. He was my cameraman back then and as a man born in London, he’s spent a lot of time researching where to go for a pint and pub food.
I first reviewed The Ship Tavern back in 2015. It’s a 475-year-old independent London pub. After a recent return to this hidden gem for a Sunday Roast, I can confirm: it hasn’t just maintained its standard. It sets the bar for what a “Really British Pub” should be.
A Pub Where Time Stands Still (In a Good Way)
If you’ve ever booked a VIP London Trip Consultation with me, you know I’m honest. When clients ask for a London pub that feels “authentic,” I point them here.
The Ship Tavern is the kind of place where you half-expect Charles Dickens to walk through the door, shake off his coat and order a tankard of ale. With its dark mahogany panels and history that predates the Great Fire of London, it oozes Dickensian charm without feeling like a theme park.
Before you even look at the main menu, take a tip from Mr. Sunny. He has been here countless times and his professional opinion (as a self-proclaimed London pub expert) is that the sausage rolls are the elite bar snack. They are legendary, especially during the Christmas holidays.
The Main Event: A Smithfield-Sourced Sunday Roast
While the atmosphere is a 10/10, we came for the food during our recent visit. We started with the Cider Battered Calamari and the Black Bomber Croquettes. They were really lovely.
But for the main event, we went for the Butcher’s Board.
This is a nice mix of beef, pork and lamb roasts, with meats sourced directly from the nearby Smithfield Market. It’s served with all the trimmings: crispy roast potatoes, maple-glazed roots, creamed leeks, spiced apple and red cabbage and a Yorkshire pudding that could double as a satellite dish.
And then, there’s the bottomless jug of Tavern gravy.
Mr. Sunny has navigated some intense news locations, but nothing compares to the focus he has when there’s a bottomless jug of gravy on the table. It is rich, dark and exactly what a Sunday in London requires.
London Pub Food: Saving Room for Pudding
Usually, after a Butcher’s Board, most people surrender. We are not most people.
We finished with the Vanilla Cheesecake and the Kraken Rum Sticky Toffee Pudding served with Cornish clotted cream. The desserts were, quite simply, divine. The Kraken Rum adds a spicy, dark kick to the sticky toffee that makes the standard version of this iconic London pub food seem boring by comparison.
Planning Your Visit to The Ship Tavern
The Ship Tavern is a staple on my Top 10 Places to Eat in London list for a reason.
I’ve sent countless friends, family members and clients here. Some have even gone back twice in the same week because the experience is so consistently excellent.
- Location: 12 Gate St, Holborn (Right near Holborn Tube station).
- Booking: I highly recommend booking 1–2 weeks in advance if you want a table for the Sunday Roast. They do take walk-ins, but on a busy weekend, you could be waiting a while for a seat.
Want to Eat Like a Local Every Day?
If you loved the look of this roast, you’re going to want my full list of London places to eat. Don’t waste your trip eating at the first chain restaurant you see in Leicester Square.
- The Insider’s Guide to London Restaurants: My hand-picked recommendations across British, Asian, French, Greek and Italian cuisines. It includes neighbourhood maps (from Soho to Kensington) and my “Best Of” lists for afternoon teas, food streets and of course, pubs for food.
- The Foodie Bundle: Get the Restaurant Guide plus my 3-Day London Guide to take the stress out of planning.
- The Festive Trio– London Christmas Trip Planner: If you’re visiting during the holidays, the bundle including my Christmas Guide is a must. It even features Mr. Sunny’s secret sausage roll recipe so you can bring a bit of this iconic London pub food your own kitchen.
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What do you order when you visit a traditional English pub, Sunny friends?
