Dame Alice Owen — Restaurant in London

🚇 Angel 🍺 £6.70 Cruzcampo

The Dame Alice Owen is located in Clerkenwell close to Sadler's Wells Theatre and Exmouth Market. The nearest Tube is Angel.

This pub was established in 1809 and rebuilt in 1924. This pub started life as The New Red Lion, in the last twenty years this pub has had a number of names, The Bull in 2000, The Queen Boadicea in 2006, The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker in 2012 and after a period of closure The Dame Alice Owen since 2019. Dame Alice Owen born 1547 was a local philanthropist.

The exterior of this large one bar pub is clad in gorgeous glazed tiles. Inside, the pub is bright and airy due to the large windows. The servery is located down the left-hand side and has an original back bar with Watney’s signage. The decor is traditional with a few contemporary touches. There are some lovely features throughout the main bar like the terracotta tiled floor, an ole’ Joanna and more of those gorgeous tiles. Just off the main bar is an adjoining room with contemporary artwork, a nice fireplace and an open kitchen. At the front of the pub is a partially covered outside space with lots of benches.

The beer selection will please most and offers mainstream brews and cask ale. I decided on a Cruzcampo, my pint was great, price point was above average. The food menu is Pizza, there are ten to choose from, most large Pizzas cost around £13.

I arrived just after 4pm on a rainy Friday afternoon in April. The pub was busy with an upbeat atmosphere and a predominantly younger clientele, probably from City University London which is close by. I had a nice chat with the Guv’nor who was the consumate host, I also met the Guv’nor of @theladymildmaypub , both were sampling some new wines which their pubs were introducing.

Great to see this pub on a firm footing after a number of years of turmoil. Visiting the @damealiceowen was a pleasant experience, I loved the exterior tiles and the welcoming atmosphere, the beer was a bit pricey and the hospitality first class. This pub is only open Monday to Friday, so why not take a cheeky afternoon off and pay it a visit.

📅 19th April 2024

More London Pub info...

We had our wedding party at the Dame Alice Owen pub this past weekend and I couldn't recommend it more highly. A few highlights I want to draw attention to:

1. The staff were amazing. The managers, Charlie and Alastair, are exceptionally nice and went out of their way to make our night exactly how we wanted. Charlie graciously answered all of our questions leading up to the day, gave us pretty much free rein to decorate the place how we liked, and even ordered in specific drink options we requested especially for the occasion. On the night, Alastair and the team were all super friendly, highly attentive and ran the event seamlessly. Several of our guests commented on how nice the staff were.

2. The food was delicious. The pub makes great wood-fired oven pizzas and the chef was pumping them out throughout the evening to our guests' delight. He also made a bunch of small plates from their menu for people to graze on which people loved, too. Everything was a hit.

3. The building itself is lovely. The Dame Alice Owen has that classic cosy, historic English pub vibe whilst also having palatially high ceilings and loads of space for a party, so you don't have to compromise on your guest list because of space constraints. It's also not really quirky like some pubs with random knickknacks on the wall, etc., which make decorating difficult - you can easily make it look the way you want.

4. The value was great. Because the pub is usually only open Monday-Friday, we didn't have to meet a ridiculously high minimum spend to make it worth their while for us to hire it out on a Saturday night. We had checked out probably 10 or so venues around Clerkenwell/Islington and the Dame Alice Owen was definitely the best bang for the buck.

In sum, we couldn't have asked for a better experience for our wedding party. A big thank you to Charlie, Alastair and the team again for making it so special for us. I would definitely recommend the Dame for private events, as well as for a weekday...

Dame Alice Owen is not your average London pub — it’s a cozy, welcoming spot with a surprising twist: fantastic pizza. Housed in a historic building, it blends traditional pub warmth with a laid-back, continental vibe. Whether you’re popping in for a pint or settling in for a meal, the atmosphere is relaxed, friendly, and quietly distinctive.

The pizza is the star — thin, crisp, and full of flavour. One guest even claimed it rivalled what they’d had in Italy. The drinks list is solid, with a good selection of beers and wines, though prices lean a bit high. Bar snacks like chorizo, asparagus croquettes, and cheese boards are surprisingly refined and reasonably priced. Staff are consistently praised for their friendliness and attention to detail, adding to the pub’s welcoming feel1.

Highlights

Unexpectedly excellent pizza and bar snacks Historic setting with a modern, easygoing vibe Decent drinks list, though not the cheapest Great for casual meetups, quiet chats, or pre-theatre bites

Final Thought Dame Alice Owen is a pub with a twist — cozy, characterful, and quietly impressive. If you’re after a pint with personality and a pizza worth writing home about, this one’s...