The Hand and Shears Public House in City of London, Westminster

I walked from St. Paul's Cathedral to Barbican station when I saw this place. It was lovely pub with a lot of people chatting and drinking outside. The staff was nicet and the beer was fine.

If you love a good old London pub with loads of character and simple charms then don’t hesitate to pop in and enjoy a drink here. Looked after proper Ales on tap along with the usual selections of lagers and trendy drinks to cater for all tastes. The deceivingly small inside on the ground floor, with a small double sided bar, still has a good selection of seating, or standing area, plus an upstairs seating area too. In warmer times people stand outside in the small road which doesn’t have much traffic apart from the odd bike. The inside is full of dark woods on the floor and the walls. Lots of pictures of times gone by for the area it is in. Bar snacks and food menu available at certain times. Good old London boozer vibe with pleasant staff and atmosphere.

A piece of London history, tucked away in this corner of Smithfield , Farringdon. Great barman and manager, Carl. Very friendly and a genuine guy . He's 'old school' treats every customer with respect but, somehow, manages to let you know that 'he's the guvnor'. He 'completes' your old boozer in London, experience. An asset of this historic pub.

Pretty location but very poor bar man. I came with my family to celebrate my graduate day. The bar man was aggressive and rude and overall very disappointing experience. Not sure why he didn’t as so aggressive but he did not seem to like that we were not white. Very unpleasant experience indeed.

Dark, cozy, and off the main road, this is a great meet up spot for a few beers with friends. Not sure if it livens up in the evening, but it's quite cramped so not sure if that would improve or detract from the experience. It certainly gives that traditional London boozer vibe, but as with many pubs in the city centre, the beer on offer is pretty generic and wouldn't give me huge reason to seek this venue out again - but I would pop in if passing.

We rented out the entire pub for our wedding reception. The staff were very helpful in the planning and the party was a blast.

One of my favourite London pubs - well-run with really well-kept ales, and an interesting location near Smithfield Meat Market, Bart's Hospital and St Bartholomew the Great Church. Food offering is by way of pork pies and sausage rolls. Great transport links with Barbican and Farringdon stations nearby - and the recently-opened Farringdon Elizabeth Line station just across the road. Only open Monday to Friday but I believe that it might be available for private hire at weekends.

Traditional London market pub near Smithfield Meat Market. There are several small rooms on the ground floor and a function room on the first floor. The menu seems to consist mostly of various meat pies, the bar has a large range of Ales and Lagers A good friendly pub to meet in. I was there for drinks only.

Visited on a Friday evening. Friendly staff and good beer! Some space inside but also can stand outdoor if prefer.

"Proper" City of London boozer hidden the maze of medieval layout of streets around Smithfield market. Good selection of beers, some food, fast service an it retains the old Public and Private bars that were ripped out of most pubs post war. Well worth a visit when your in the area.

This is a cosy and traditional pub on an interesting and pretty street. The pints in here are just great. A beer that you might have tried before can taste way better here. Clearly the landlord takes pride in keeping and serving beer properly. Never had a bad pint in here on several trips.

We rented out the entire pub for a wedding reception on a Saturday evening. Not only are pubs like this getting harder and harder to find in London, but it was the perfect venue for a hundred people or under. Steve and his staff handled the set up (making and serving their own food as well as dealing with the caterers) like pros and the the drinks, music, and ambience was great. Highly recommended!

Worst pint of Doombar I have ever tasted. Something not not right at all; as if barrel opened in March. Avoid. David

We had fun! Established in 1532, tiny little place that is all you dream of in a little English pub. Greetings to Tony

hand and shears is an old school pub where you can still smell the last 300 years of tobbacco smoke on the wood and its amazing, not many like this left, drop in for a pint

We’re always looked after here, great ales and beer on tap right around the corner from our office.Highly recommended

Had a great night. Free london pride ! Was an hours promotion. Hopefully they do more and different events ?

Always great Ale on tap, if you're in the area then stop off for a pint. Very friendly and helpful barstaff.

One of many pubs in the Smithfield area. It has several smallish areas for quiet drinks. The service and the beer was good and the atmosphere was great

Small and toward the outskirts of the city, this pub is one of my favorites. It has a cosy, historic atmosphere. Friendly staff and good beer. Not good for wine, but good for beer.

Great beer and relaxed atmosphere. highly recommended watering hole. Good for meeting friends. despite being close to the city give the feeling you have escaped for a moment

Before My visit, I was worried about my journey to this place, but my visit made me more confident and hopeful, A Great experience here, Learn many new things. I get to introduce to new tastes and categories.Will plan to visit again.

Great little pub, popular with business and local community. Staff are friendly and there is live music which adds to the ambiance.

A very quiet and relaxed place perfect for brunch or coffee in the afternoon. In the heart of London, a city with magic

Pretty decent service and food quality. The ambiance was perfect for a midday chitchat with a friend, as opposed to the blaring loud music you'd find else where.

Stopped in for a quick pint after dinner, a classic, old English pub, says there has been a pub on site since 1532. Staff were good, beer selection was okay.

Like this place, it is a proper pub in a great location. Lots of good choice of beers and friendly and good staff - well worth a visit

Use this pub as it's round the corner from work, was great only on last few visits the usual staff haven't been on and the new staff don't have any clue on customer service, rude and not one bit attentive!What has happened won't return be...

3pm on a Friday afternoon in a normal London pub £10.20 for a double gin & tonic Queried this with "manager" No apology, that's the price, take it or leave it Visitors Beware!!!

A nice old fashioned London pub in an nice old fashioned London street. Apparently there has been an alehouse on this spot for nearly 900 years. Four small rooms around a central bar. Full of character. The Guinness is good too.

A group of us oldies had lunch upstairs after a wonderful visit to St Barts church nearby. The staff were very friendly, the food good and the ambiance fine. We could talk as there was no blaring pop music - a delight

Great Victorian pub with loads of history. Good spot for lunch if in the area of the Barbican or Smithfield Market.

Started working close by, this is my go to pub with clients and friends.Attentive staff and great music and decent drink. Would recommend

I read the reviews for fish and chips at the Hand and Shears and decided to give it a try. The fish was over cooked it was almost burnt and the chips were really thin. For the price you pay, I was expecting much, much...

a decent enough pub serves its purpose nice enough bar staff had i went with a friend sat and enjoyed a fairly quiet drink. not much else to say a pub is a pub really.

We all enjoyed our visit and chose from an adequate menu for our lunch. We would also visit in the evening if we were in the area.

A charming pub, hidden in plain view. Good beers and ales. Good atmosphere and music. Themed pub, taking you back in time, no imagination needed to fell the past!

We were about to walk inside a Fuller's Ale and Pie on St. John Street when a stranger, overhearing our conversation, spoke up. He pointed down an alley and said one of the most unusual pubs in the area was about a block that way....

I used to go to this frequently when I worked in the Barbican Area. I love it and their Stella and Black Currant is very good! :-) The Pub Food as well. I can only recommend this Pub with a lot of positive vibes.

Medieval, Tudor through Victorian make this a fine historical pub experience. Traditional ales and wooden floors. Nice!

A reasonable old pub. Service not too bad. If you like old Victorian pubs then you may like it for that. Good range of beers and wines. Food served most of the time.........

excellent service very nice clientele and a very clean place!!!i recommend it if you wish to enjoy a nice pub food and a cold beer.

I came here often when I was a student and then worked just round the corner. Great to return thirty five years later and find that nothing has changed. Perfect.

Searching for old London pubs that have not been modernised and retain the original period feel of times long gone? Then seek out this relatively small pub. Down an unassuming street away from traffic but close to Barbican station and St Barts hospital area. Either...

My first visit for many a year but the great thing about going back was that nothing had changed ! Very traditional pub with fabulous old wood bar and surrounds complimented by an excellent selection of very well kept beers. Lively atmosphere on a Friday...

Great place for a quiet drink and good pub grub. Tucked away so you either fall across it or like us search the internet for the location. Well worth a stop off in a City of London walking tour. See you again!

Close to Barbican station, great little pub, not many around now days, especially in the heart of the city.

Good pub to visit to experience an old and atmospheric English pub. Good stop off if visiting The Barbican or the London Museum. The side streets are interesting for a walk around.

I had lunch with a friend here one day and was very pleasantly surprised that I had not discovered this place before. It is an unpretentious establishment with good beer and food, friendly staff and, mercifully, no headbanging music to drown out intelligent conversation. I...

A really authentic pub a few minuted walk from the City. Lovely old wooden interior, decent beer on offer a and good service. All in all one of the best pubs around with a very low prat quotient.

Wow, established in 1532, tiny little place that is all you dream of in a little English pub, hidden in the city.

A jewel of a pub just a short walk from Barbican station .. Apparently this pub has been around since the early 1100's .. An example of how pubs used to be years ago with several small bars in the one pub with a pair...

A busy and popular pub in Smithfield, nothing special apart from a no hassle atmosphere and great beer

This is the best place in central London to experience a real British pub...this was my favorite place in London

I have been to this pub many times.It is very popular with local office workers.The bar has different spaces which is nice and we often use the private room upstairs for meetings and private gatherings. They have great pork pies for sale! It can get...

My husband moved to the neighbourhood over a year ago, so you could call us 'locals' to the Hand and Shears. The Manager Tony is so brilliant and welcoming with people and is really popular with the local community and visitors alike. My husband assures...

This is a good solid pub with a strong range of ales. Always really busy with lots of people outside and a bit cramps but it is a good spot and probably the best pub in Smithfield.

I used to manage the hand and sheets in the late 90s. It has always had a great atmosphere and the beers were the best in the area. I worked in many pubs in London guringvthe 90s - 00s. This was by far and away...

Still retains its old world charm, where most in the area have modernised and lost their character. A good choice of beer, cosy and welcoming.

Harks back to the 60s, atmospheric little place off the main Road, you can drink outside, but it can be very sunny late afternoon.

Excellent pub. Good decent ales. Great friendly atmosphere and staff always seem happy ( even when really busy). I wish The Hand and Shears was my local pub at home. Such a refreshing pub in The City where so many "fancy" pubs have their character...

Really enjoyed the experience of a pint and a pie in this pub. Old style, not many of these pubs left in London. Only open during weekdays I believe, as too quiet for business at weekends. Charming and quaint, worth a visit

Lovely old pub with individual rooms and open fire. Good selection of beers and interesting location in the backstreets of Farrringdon.

Used to drink in this original pub 40 years ago, just revisited and it has not changed, probably not alteted in over 200 years. It's not crowded these days as it is hidden down a side street,near smithfield market and the Barbican. Just the place...

Be sure to visit! Warm welcome and good choice of beer that changes regularly. Just round the corner from The Barbican tube station. Proper old style London pub.

This is my friend's 'local' and we used it to pass the time between an Italian lunch and a Turkish dinner. We started on Adnams' Fat Sprat and after three pints moved on to Suffolk rival Greene King's Old Hoppy Hen. As an East Anglian...

Such a shame...that this historic London pub (with some original features) has such poor and unfriendly service, and serves badly-kept ales. Could be a real gem, but isn't.

I love this pub. It's hidden away from the main street which makes it feel almost private but it's still always bustling. The staff are great, they're really friendly. If you want to book a private party there's a whole upstairs room which gives you...

What I was hoping to be a pleasant Friday evening with a fellow of my colleagues rapidly changed into quite a sinister experience. It was so chilling in fact, that it has caused me to write my first, and probably my last, review on Tripadvisor....

Right on the edge of Smithfield just by The Founders' Livery Hall, the hand and shears is a good stop [last chance for a drink on the way to an execution] at any time. More than reasonable grub, well priced for its geographical location and...

Have been there at EAT a number of times along with friends. Have liked the food and its within budget.

Go here if you want good pies and good beer. Athenaeum fantastic pork, chicken and cheese and pork with black pudding pies ready to eat. Good real ale selection.