Lyceum Tavern in City of London, Westminster

Possibly the worst hamburger ever. It was completely burned.

Excellent fish and chips and very friendly service.

This is no disrespect to our server because she was working so hard and was so short staffed. We ordered bangers and mash and the sausages were so hard that you could not poke a fork through them or cut them with a steak knife. They were completely inedible. When we asked the waiter about them she apologized, but then didn’t take it off the bill as we couldn’t eat them. I do not recommend this place at all and I feel bad for the waiter!!

Love this place, my first pub visit in London and it was fantastic.

Vibrant and fun. I didn't eat so can't comment on food. Managed to get a booth. Lovely old building.

Great food and good service and atmosphere

I personally love this place. It's very traditional, has its own beers. The atmosphere is unique and different from other pubs in London. The bitter beer is my favorite one. Completely recommend it!

The atmosphere, food and beer were outstanding and just what we were looking for on a chilly March evening. The stout was great!

Really nice cosy pub, great atmosphere Sam Smiths on tap

Great old school pub with still affordable beers. A bit outdated but still amazing.

Nice place for a pre theatre drink, but bangers and mash were disappointing. Wish I had ordered the fish n chips ( which looked good on a neighboring table! ). Booths (for a pre dinner drink )on the ground floor, were lovely and private!

Wonderful and fantastic time ..😀

Good location but small selection of Beer

Definitely recommend this place if you're in London, loved it

This charming establishment strikes a harmonious balance between traditional British pub vibes with great beer on top. On my first visit, the Bangers and Mash were very good. The next day, I opted for a lighter yet equally satisfying choice—the Caesar Salad. Pair both of those with a nice Pils on tap and you've got an incredible lunch.

The atmosphere and staff exellent,

A very good and pleasant restaurant with impeccable decoration and service. thank you for everything 😁

Drinks only independent brewery, so no guinness but there. Stout and cider, we're a very good, lovely old pub 👌 with unique seating recommended, Drinks before theatre

Great pub selling Samuel Smiths beers and cider. We found the bar staff rather abrupt. However, we enjoyed the beers and atmosphere.

Great little pub with nice little booths downstairs but plenty of tables upstairs. Staff are lovely. If you are around the strand area of London and fancy a drink worth a pop in .

I would like to thank thank Ben, Harry and Brianna for their exceptional customer service and positive energy, you have left a lasting impression, and I look forward to returning soon. Thank you both once again, and see you soon.

Lovely food. There was a bit of a mix up but fixed straight away no issue. Great atmosphere. Lovely staff.

A nice bar to hang out with your friends. Friendly personnel, affordable prices.

Tea here one very rainy evening as close to hotel 🏨

Lovely old pub with individual, discreet booths downstairs, and a beautiful dining area upstairs. Staff are attentive & and friendly, giving excellent service. Their beer (Samuel Smith) is gorgeous. Go and try it out if you're on The Strand!!

Nous avons passé un agréable moment. Nous n'avions pas l'habitude et il faut au préalable commander au bar au préalable. Ambiance locale très agréable.

Bar staff don't have a clue what they are serving. Useless and expensive, don't bother going here, much better pubs along the same road.

We came on a Friday night, very busy. The area has become touristy but still fair prices.

Stopped here whilst waiting for the theatre to open. There's a good selection of tap ales and lagers and if you time it right there's also a few cosy booths with an old railway carriage feel. A nice pub with average prices for the area.

Had a couple of pints and dinner here. Fish and chips was very good and fresh Bangers and mash also good and swimming in gravy. Service was fast and friendly. Prices were very reasonable for the area.

Lovely pub, nice choice of beers 🍻 staff were great 😃

Just nipped in at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon to get out of the cold for a while. It was very quiet and we were the only two people in the Bar. Greeted by a very pleasant and friendly barman offering an extensive selection of draught beers. The lack of customers in a pub is usually a red flag for a beer drinker however I needn’t have worried as I was served with a Superb well kept Sam smith Stout, and the place soon began to fill up a bit. So if you are ever on the Strand looking for a traditional authentic English Pub selling real beer. Look no further. Definitely on my list of places to visit again.

Lovely traditional pub. Drink and food were great.

Excellent service food and atmosphere enjoyed by all veterans from HMS Hermes Association who booked a private lunch following Remembrance Day march. Congratulations to Harry and all the staff on organising a lovely afternoon for us all with very tasty food served by friendly and efficient staff.looking forward to returning next year.

We popped in for a drink. We would have loved to have sat in one of the small booths but they were all taken. We ordered drinks at the bar, friendly efficient bar staff. Visited on a Sunday afternoon. They have a restaurant upstairs but it was closed.

Dropped for a drink late Saturday Night. Nice beer but special sort out for the great bar staff! Love the booths too. Wasn't rammed and super loud so you could actually enjoy a drink and chat!

Crowded - have to find a table upstairs, somehow reserve it, then come downstairs to order your food. They're not very good at queue management at the bar. Staff was friendly. FOID was good but slow to come.

Nice pub with cosy booths to have your drink! The bartender was super friendly, patient and gave great advice on what drink to choose. 100% recommend!

Great atmosphere. Cozy pub with fab dining room upstairs. Delicious, tasty meals.. Fab place to wine and dine before theatre.

A snug pub, with private alcoves to hide away from the rain. A Sam Smith's pub right on the Strand

Il y a un bar au 1er étage, mais vous devez commander vos boissons et nourriture au bar du rez-de-chaussée. Attention à la marche peu avant le bar du rez-de-chaussée, vite oubliée et hop une chute vite arrivée ! Pour la commande, il vous faudra savoir le numéro de votre table. Pas de bol pour nous, aucun numéro.Il s'agissait en fait de la table "Picture"... Ensuite, vous devez payer directement au comptoir pour le tout et monter vous-même vos boissons. Alors que vos plats vous seront apportés par une serveuse à l'étage. Où est la logique ?! Barman très sympathique et efficace. Par contre, l'attente pour la nourriture a été d'une longueur interminable, alors que nous étions arrivées tôt. Ça a pris plus de 40 minutes pour arriver par une serveuse des plus antipathiques ; alors que nous avions pris des "plats classiques" de pub, selon leur propre carte... Le "Mac & cheese" aux poivrons : comment peut-on appeler ça "aux poivrons", quand il n'y a pas plus que 3 pauvres lamelles d'une seule sorte de poivron (poivron rouge) par-dessus le plat ?! De plus, la "salade verte" qui l'accompagnait n'en était pas une...Et n'était pas à mon goût. Le pain à l'ail qui était servi avec, n'avait pas sa place non plus... La "Steak & Ale Pie" était très bonne, tout comme les accompagnements. Bref, allez-y si vous avez largement le temps sinon laissez tomber.

£6.90 for a bottle of Sam Smith beer. What a joke!

Nice clean pub with good service

Stopped in here twice on my vacation. It’s close to the theater and the perfect place to grab a pint or a drink. The staff is so friendly. Met so many nice locals here too. It’s your typical London pub and I can’t wait to go back. In fact I’ll be back in October and it’s definitely on my “must do” list.

Good boozer, not overly full, can sit and chat

We wanted a classic pub meal experience and we got it. Amazing food, they had to go out for peppers and were very apologetic when it took five minutes longer than they expected but it was still much faster than expected. They brought out a little bowl of ice cream for our baby too. Overall really happy with the food, the service and the setting. I rarely write reviews but in this case I decided it was warranted :)

Great little place staff very chatty and helpful

Had a great time just grabbing a pint here. The bartender was super friendly and recommended a beer as well as one of the owner's gin drinks, both were great and would definitely come back!

I wish this chain would start serving full pints, as I don’t want to have to ask for a top up every time I go to the bar.

Perfect place, nice food excellent staff

Good food, drink, etc. We accidentally created a small inconvenience for the staff, yet they were still hospitable and patient with us. Good pub, and just decent people, too.

Très beau théâtre, vu la comédie musicale du Roi lion qui est superbe

My husband ordered a chicken burger and chips which arrived rather quickly. The burger was covered in a horrible coating and the chips… well they were truly awful. They were not cooked enough, still white and hard. Limp leaves for an accompaniment. Do not wastes your money here. We wondered why it was so empty well now we know.

Just what we needed after the trek into London, staff were very helpful as we were pushed for time

Classic pub, cozy booths, good service, fantastic location. Pity the kitchen was closed Sunday afternoon!

Nice place to hangout with friends and colleagues! I liked the interiors and the upstairs is a bit quieter... If you're around in the area, definitely worth a visit...

Lyceum Pub has one of the best meat pies I have ever had in my life! Also great drinks! We went here before going to the Lyceum Theater! Don’t miss this amazing gem of a restaurant.

A pub that succeeds based on location, very overpriced but it serves its purpose in times of need

Lovely bar space - dark wood, booths - and atmospherw. Sam Smiths ales, so a bit of an acquired taste. My friend rated the draft cider highly but was disappointed when she tried the bottle variety. Prices for draft beers were reasonable. We thought that £7 for a 330ml bottle of cider was ridiculous.

A great character pub with booths.

Lovely Sam Smith's pub in the heart of the west end. Gorgeous cubby holes for intimate conversations.

You had to order your food and drinks downstairs, we waited ages, there was no music, no atmosphere, the food was ok'ish but had been under a lamp for some time, we wanted tin or bottle soft drinks, but only did pump tasted awfuk, i wouldn't go back

One of the worst places for pub food. The beer is alright. Phones do not work indoors

We had a very pleasant experience here for a late lunch. Had a pint and we ordered chicken burgers, hamburgers, bangers and mash. All were solid. Bartender we ordered from was fun, and we were definitely able to have a respite oasis from a packed day, which set us up for a very memorable remainder of the day.

Thank you Richard! The Taddy’s were tasty and the service was wonderful!

"Never in my life I was ashamed of having fun in a civilized way" That could be the incipit of our experience in the infamous kill joy of what Lyceum Tavern appeared to us thanks to the portrayal of that night. For some unknown, non publicly documented anywhere (posters/warnings) it is forbidden to play a music video at an extremely acceptable volume levels, inside of the in-built cabins. Let alone the fact the pub itself is not playing any kind of music it is forbbiden to use any kind of technology (what does that even mean??? and why do you use it to accept card payments then?) According to them, this is to reflect how pubs in the past were, completely ignoring actual historical fact-checking, in a parallel universe where jukeboxes, live bands and record players didn't exist. I guess the staff lived in a twisted timeline where politely vibing and chilling were considered evil and hunted down by the anti-fun inquisition. tl;dr: don't go if you want to have fun and like music, if you are all about not having fun and falling asleep to white noise boring chatter, that's your place!

Surly bloke serving,waited to pay n he didn't come back for ages,then £22.50 for one double gnt,one bottle cherry beer n packet of peanuts? Even by central London standards that's steep,lots of uncollected glasses,first m last time thanks awfully, literally

Cute and cozy pub. Came in to just use the bathroom works have had a pint but there weren't any clean nooks. On our way out the bouncer joked about us only going in to use the loo and we told him there weren't any clean nooks. He cleaned up a nook for us and we stayed for a drink and to relax a bit. Friendly bartender and the bouncer was nice and funny. Would pop in again.

Walked in about 10.35 to be told last orders, had a Gin & Tonic..... bloody awful. Bar tender was good enough to serve us.

Staff are lovely and friendly, it's not the most inviting environment to be in.

I've never been the first, and only people in a pub before. At 1pm it felt weird. Food was fine

as a vegan it was a plus that there was a beer for vegans

Really nice cosy Samuel Smith's tavern, quite quiet when pubs around were busy. Probably as doesn't stand out, but well worth stepping inside. Great hand pulled Yorkshire bitter, at a good price (for London)

🚇 Covent Garden 🍺 £5.60 Double four Lager ❤️ A traditional Sam Smith’s West End pub. . The Lyceum Tavern is located on The Strand in the heart of London’s theatre district. The nearest Tube is Covent Garden which is only a five minute walk away. . This pub is built on the site of the original Lyceum Theatre that was destroyed by fire in 1830. The first pub on this site was The White Horse, the present pub dates from 1906. . As with all Sam Smith’s pubs the decor here is dark and traditional. Around the walls are dark wood panels with brass framed black and white photos hanging from them. A nice touch here are the secluded booths if you fancy a more intimate pub experience. Upstairs is an additional bar which is mainly used for dining and busier trading periods. . The drinks choices are all Sam Smiths in house produced Beers, wines and spirits. We both ordered the Double Four Lager which for me is a good session pint. The price point was good compared to the surrounding pubs. There is a traditional pub grub menu, Fish & Chips costs £11.95 which is very reasonable. . The atmosphere was relaxed and calm on this Saturday afternoon with a predominantly middle aged crowd in attendance. The pub is popular with day trippers and theatre goers and can get busy very quickly, luckily it wasn’t overly busy and we got to enjoy the pub and have a good mooch about. . Sam Smith’s pubs divide opinion but personally I’m a fan. The decor in here is quintessentially English pub and showcases what a traditional pub should be. I’m also a fan of the beer which is always on point. This was an excellent pub experience and I would definitely recommend a visit here. . ℹ️ Info correct on visiting 29.04.23

Old world charm in the midst of a bustling metropolis.

The beer is awesome, Sam Smiths never disappoints in that regard. The wooden booths are great for focusing on great conversation with your companion. A quiet respite from the hectic streets that surrounds. The disappointment (and hence the lower star review) is with the food. The fish and chips were not good at all. Go for the beer and eat somewhere else.

Pints weren’t cheap for a pub with little to no atmosphere, slow service with one blonde bartender being particularly rude, it also smelt like stale sick for unknown reasons

Very narrow bar area, only stayed for 1 drink after the west end show

Propper little old English boozer. Door man is a real friendly character, he had us in stitches. What a great laugh he has. 😂😂🍻

got my first beer in life here. thank you for the memory.

The pub itself is very cosy and traditionally decorated, but food and personnel could benefit from some improvement (save for the male waiter that took our service, he was very, very nice)

Cozy, with private seating areas. Perfect for a chat over some a few.

Very cosy, we sat for 3 hours in one of the little pods it just what we needed after a busy day

Late Monday evening in April, lovey old pub inside; particularly the booths which seat 4-6 and allow a bit of privacy for a group. However, £7 for a pint of flat, tasteless Sam Smiths lager is ridiculous. For those not from UK, Sam Smiths is often known as the brewer of last resort, the beer is normally poor but the low prices normally reflect the quality. Not here, the first £7 pint in a normal London boozer, no wonder central London is quieter than the local graveyard.

Friendly subdued & chilled environment. A great find! Good food! 👍🏼

Vrai pub à l'anglaise avec snack et boissons à commander au bar.

had a night out in london and we stumbled upon this pub, what an amazing place!The atmosphere was great and the staff were incredible and very friendly and informative, would definitely recommend and return !!!

I ordered a glass of Prosecco, the staff member asked if sparkling wine was ok, I assumed it was similar so said yes. It was almost completely flat. I asked for another and she said sparkling wine is not as fizzy as Prosecco and it was almost the end of the bottle. I explained I didn’t like it and ordered something else. I was shocked to then be charged for the alternate drink having left the full sparkling wine on the bar. A most disappointing experience.

Walked in well before they stopped serving food only to be turned away due to understaffed.

It‘ a nice pub to enjoy some drinks (beers or ciders). I would recommend it for everybody to go here. The service is fast and nice!

Excellent pints of bitter, called in every evening of our break. Good service. Pleasant surroundings. Location good for theatre land. Worth a visit 👍👍

General pub grub. OK, plenty of food. Staff slow to smile.

Gutes Bier und authentisch englische Atmosphäre.

Gorgeous and warm pub with some classic pub grub. Had a giggle with the staff too - recommend!

Food was fine. Although I did rather object to my thimble full of mushy peas and my halumi fries portion for £7! The menu is VERY limited and they didn't have the only thing I really fancied on the menu (at 6.15pm on a Saturday evening so not last doors!) The scampi and chips were decent and quality was good. Service was lacking a little, there was no friendly interaction and we got asked to move at 7 because an event booking was arriving. There certainly wasn't any usual pub style banter or customer chit chat. All in all we were satisfied, but if you want something with a little more than 'satisfied' I'd try somewhere else.

Good beer, good food, for London excellent value.

Loved it. Great pub. Great friendly staff.

Really enjoyed our visit on Friday night. Friendly staff, enjoyed our food and drinks. The table numbers are on the cutlery boxes (not on the tables), when you need to order at the bar.

Potentially amazing as such a cute pub in an excellent location but barmaid brought bad vibes - extremely slow service with basically no music so no atmosphere. It was like she didn’t want people in there. Next door in the Wellington was rammed for info.

Traditional pub around the corner from the Lyceum theatre. We had some decent pub grub in it and a nice pint of organic lager. Recommended.