The Lamb, Bloomsbury, London

Hadn’t been here for a while but since my first re-visit I pop in as often as i can.

Really olde worlde charm and an eclectic clientele. Friendly and chatty staff.

Have come to the sunday quiz a couple of times in the upstairs room and had a great laugh with the quizmaster and the other teams.

Lovely pub!

Found The Lamb on a general walkabout and the Youngs sign drew us closer as my partner has history with Youngs and we were sure what drinks to expect. Lovely pub and very friendly welcome – barman patient and willing to chat. It was late Sunday afternoon and many pubs in the vacinity were as quiet as this one. Disconcerted that 2 members of staff seem to be having an inapproprite conversation about a third member of staff, and despite having time for a bitching session dirty glasses were left on tables. Didn’t stop us returning later after exploring the area to take part in the quiz which was held in a delightful upstairs room, and found that trade was picking up. At about 10.30pm I enquired if they were still serving food to be told “You must be joking!!” well I wouldn’t have asked if I already knew now would I! I didn’t even know they’d stop serving drinks let alone food. So despite its locality within easy reach of our hotel, and the Youngs on draught we didn’t make a return visit during our stay prefering instead to try out the many competitors.

We hired the upstairs room at the Lamb and they were brilliant most of the time - £50 for the evening including bar staff Most of the time they were super helpful and really happy to have us but then there were brief moments of "oh well we were only meant to staff the bar until 9pm but I thought I'd stay until 11pm", when we'd been told we had the staff until 11. Also, they got funny about us having to room moved back and everyone out by 11pm but then when we started to do it the staff were lovely and said it was fine and they were happy to do it. Odd!
The food is great though - especially the wedges, nice solid pub grub.

This is a great traditional London pub in a very good area of London. The management and staff are great. Yes it can be a little crowded sometimes, but what London pub is not. But has a great atmosphere.

Surprised I haven't reviewed this pub earlier! Anyway.

The Lamb is a thoroughly pleasant little pub in a lovely part of London. I think the location is the only reason this place gets four stars instead of three, just because I can't think of any outstanding features. It's just a nice pub for drinking beer and things, with a teeny beer garden in the back.

They've also managed to keep some features from back in the day - so there's an odd brass jukebox thingy and 'snob screens' over the counter.

If you like Sam Smith pubs (and who doesn't?) then you'll get along with The Lamb just fine.

Simple boozer. But would like to see a little more variety.

Off the beaten track which makes it a little more worthwhile, but not worth going out of your way for.

And... you don't come here for the food.

This place was ridiculously busy very early in the week. Managed to find a cramped area to stand in, but no way no how was a seat opening up.

Despite the popularity of the place and the charming olde décor,I can’t help but feel that as a pub, this place is living a little on its past glories. It was once one of the most famous pubs in London, built in the 1700s and named after William Lamb who helped improve the delivery of fresh water to the area back in the 16th century. These days I feel it is just an average Young’s pub.

Mind you. It is definitely worth visiting at least once, just to see the place and the beer is ok.

NEW. Our visit this week did not impress despite my overall review based on earlier visits. They are not competing with the pavement eateries further up the street and the Brewery is only now trying to obtain permission for outside tables.

We arrived for a quick lunch just after opening at midday. Lone female bar attendant. No welcome. Took our order, but a charm school reject?. No interest or advice about beers or eating. Blank.

Safe option of burgers which were supposedly West Country beef not good enough for the price. After 40 minutes we were the only customers. Hot day, but no trade? I think we have paid our last visit, but still recommend it for first timers for the building alone.

OLD. One of London's "must visit" old character public houses for the discerning among day-time professional business customers and, later, local residents.

Good lunchtime pub food and an excellent menu including the week-end. Sunday lunch appeals.

The Lamb is now in an increasingly stylish fashion street which has become independent retail and catering and no longer skilled craft workshops on the border of Holborn and Bloomsbury.

Quite a catchment area of occupational interests and institutions.

My my. What a great, busy little pub we have here.

The Lamb serves a good array of drinks and, when I visited at least, was absolutely rammed - however, not so busy that I wanted to end my own life. No, it was a pleasing hive of drinking indeed.

The decor is very old-fashioned, lo-and-behold, included the much talked about 'snob screens', which you can close if you don't want to look at someone's putrid face or whatever it is you're supposed to do with them.

I spied the brass-plate music making device (just by the front door) but alas, didn't get the chance to have a go on it.

That said, I do intend visiting again and having a play with it... that's if the world-weary bar-staff can muster up enough enthusiasm to talk to me beyond dealing with a drinks order.

There's a decent little beer garden out back which doesn't sit many, but a welcome spot for the smokers amongst you.

The Lamb is in a lovely bit of London which is very pleasing on the eye indeed. I nearly laughed when, on exiting Russell Square tube, I was greeted with a shower of blossom from a nearby tree.

Sickeningly lovely.

Anyway, this is a fine, fine pub that you should hunt out for at least one drink... and we all know that going out 'for one' ends up in people drinking themselves under the table.

It'd be worth booking a table though.

A good quality Youngs pub in a quiet Bloomsbury road. It takes a little finding if you're coming from Holborn but easier from Russell Square.

Ale selection is fantastic, as is the decor - very little has changed over the years, and the bar is fantastic - however there probably isn't much room to move for the staff!

Food service was a little slow and a little pricey for the quantity. One order from our group of 10 was taken wrongly and took 45 minutes to rectify!

However if you're on an ale trail or looking for characterful pubs, pop in for a quick one - it shouldn't disappoint with the beer.

One of my favourite pubs in London.

Don't know how I've not reviewed The Lamb really, perhaps my thoughts were erased by the powers that be for over enthusiasm? Anyway, it's a very nice place frequented by the fellows of the mathematics department at UCL, so you'll never be short of a spot of vortex-chat over a pint of special. The food isn't bad either, I'm led to believe.

One of my favourite pubs in London. Well kept beers, beautiful interior and nice staff. I have nothing to say except it's a must if you're in the area. Delightful.

A bustling gem of a pub a short walk from Russell Square tube station station. The Lamb is always full and rightly so - 6 real ales (Youngs, Deuchars, Directors etc.), great food, friendly staff and plenty of history. My favourite feature of the pub has to be the "snob screens" on the bar. These are tiny glass shutters that line the bar and were thought to provide some anonimity to the upper crust of London when they were ordering their drinks!

Highly recommended.

Great little pub, very handy for when you drop wife off at Holborn Police station for work (barrister) and I can relax at non smoking pub with great ale while she earns us lots of money. Lol.
Recommened to everyone.

Really nice pub located next door to a fantastic restaurant, so ideal for a night out with friends. It’s normally busy in the evenings after work, but rarely reaches the point of being uncomfortably crowded. Good selection of beers (even if mine was a bit warmer than I’d have liked) and not extortionately priced.

Lovely traditional pub which often seems to be rammed despite being slightly off the beaten track. The best bit is the Victorian “jukebox” which plays tinkly music off a copper disc with holes punched in it. Ask the barstaff for a token to make it work - I think there’s a nominal payment but it’s worth it just to see the thing in action.

Nice pub that’s great to take out of town friends to if they want to see what a traditional London boozer looks like, as sadly there are few of them around now.

It’s small & cosy and the upstairs room is even smaller and cosier. They stock a good range of Young’s beer, including the very nice Kew Beer, which considering I live in Kew is actually only sold in about two pubs in Kew.

Feels Dickensian and I imagine would be a fantastic place to have a good old fashioned “lock in”.

UPDATE - Went back, had a couple of drinks. I like it here, but I’m not sure that it’s really changed my opinion. Good wine, very very very busy after work. But still a great pub. I hear there’s a room upstairs, if they open that then it might clear out a bit. UPDATE

This is a great little pub. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time here. We arrived here fairly late in the evening to meet some friends, but by the time we got here we were all pretty tired so didn’t feel like a drink!

So instead, you get to find out my first impressions of the pub, I’ll update after I’ve gone back.

This seems to be the perfect pub actually. Not absolutely packed, but not completely empty so there was still a little bit of a buzz. I liked the layout, and the huge bar with its funny spinny windows. It felt like a local pub, but still a bit classy as well. Quite typical of Lamb’s conduit street I guess.

I’m a fan, despite not having a drink here! I’ll be back next week…

Marvellous little pub, and tucked away off the main road, so can’t be found except by those who know where it is (in the manner of the treasure island in Pirates of the Caribbean). With a lovely old-fashioned feel to the pub, the dark wood and homely surroundings make for a wonderful atmosphere. Drinks are reasonably priced, and unless it’s a Friday night, you can usually get a seat. A great place to take someone on a first date, to impress them with your knowledge of good places in London!