The Lyceum, West End, London

Quite a nice little “Olde Worldly” real ale pub on the Strand on two floors. The place is wood pannelled and has an old coach house feel with some very cosy booths downstairs.There is plenty of seating on both floors, with an upstairs bar to boot.

The bar staff were very polite and very efficient. I also liked the try before you buy policy that they had, which you don’t always find in this type of pub.

The choice of ales was certainly not the norm and were pleasantly very very palatable, especially the scrumpy cider that they had on tap and a very nice lager which the wife enjoyed; all very reasonably priced.

The pub is also located reasonably close to a number of theatres.

Another great Samuel Smith pub in a convenient location serving good and inexpensive beer in an English-y setting.

I love Sam Smith pubs (The Rising Sun and the Princess Louise are probably my faves but it's a tough call). Maybe it has to do with being an American, but something about these pubs just seem right. The dark tone wood, the nooks and cozy spaces ...

The lyceum is well situated on The Strand with a lovely upstairs space that's usually more quiet and a bit comfier than below.

The Lyceum Tavern is a great pub, popular with King's College Students.

Its food is very very good value - they specialise in excellent pies but have other pub food options which are very tasty as well.

My beer-drinking friends always compliment the choice of ales available.

The Lyceum is a great Sam Smiths pub on the North side of Waterloo bridge. It’s wood panelled and quite cosy. I think the downstairs area is best as there are some little booths with built in tables that are good for small groups to chat in and offer some privacy. There is a medium sized bar there too.

The upstairs is less characterful, although they do take food orders. I think this ends around 7:00pm.

The drinks are reasonably priced considering the pubs central location just on the edge of London’s West End. Overall a reasonably priced pleasant place to meet for a drink with friends.

This a great little pub, on an otherwise dull corner of the Strand. It’s always warm and inviting, although I’ve only ever been here in Winter and doubt it I would come in the summer. Part of the Sam Smith’s chain, it doesn’t sell any branded goods so they do their own brand of Coca-Cola etc. which come in rustic bottles and is a nice break from the norm. They are well priced drinks, and the wood pannelled booths downstairs are where you want to be! The dining room is a bit soulless and the food slightly below average but it’s great for a couple of drinks and just over the bridge from Waterloo, a good place to meet for commuters and students alike. I did however once see mice in here…hence my low star rating!

Another great Sam Smiths, there's always somewhere to sit down in here, whether it's the cute little booths downstairs, or the larger seating areas upstairs.

This is a bit of a student haunt on week nights, but the mood is friendly and safe. The food is traditional pub fare, but always filling since the portions are nice and large. The drinks are very cheap, since it's a Sam Smith's.

The staff are very pleasant, and since there's 2 bars, (one on each floor), there's rarely much of a wait. There are some cosy little areas as well, and the place is quite darkly lit, making it feel very snug and wintery.

The only downside is that you need to keep an eye on your belongings downstairs since my friend's have had phones go missing. The staff were very helpful when this happened however.

I'm glad to have found this pub at the corner of Strand. It has lots of good stuff to offer especially ales so if you are ales drinker, this is the place. Mind you, it's a Sam Smiths's pub so don't expect those general names you see in normal pubs around. Good news, it's not expensive!

Downstairs is always busy, there are some lovely tables at the front that look like bogies. Upstairs is less busy but apparently has less beer, you might have to get down for a drink and climb up for a seat, not a big problem anyway.