Williamson's Tavern — Restaurant in London

🚇 Mansion House 🍺 £6.50 Amstel

The Williamson’s Tavern is located in Groveland Court, a short stroll from Cheapside, Watling Street, and Bow Lane in the City of London. The nearest Tube station is Mansion House.

The original pub on this site dates to the 17th Century, not long after the Great Fire of London. The site became the address of the new Mayor of London but by 1739 the building was not thought to be grand enough for the Mayor and it was sold to Robert Williamson for conversion into a hotel. The pub you see today was built in the 1930’s.

This is a two bar pub that is traditionally decorated which although built in the 1930’s, this pub has an old world feel to it. The front bar is a good size, is dimly lit and has a curved servery on the left. The decor consists of lots of dark wood, ceiling beams, a mix of seating and an ornate fireplace. The bar at the back is quite spacious and feels a lot brighter and is predominantly used for dining. There is also a function room downstairs, outside there are a few tables and chairs opposite the now closed Four Sisters cocktail bar.

This Nicholson’s pub offers a good selection of beers which included four cask ales. I kept it simple and ordered an Amstel, my pint was great, price was above average. The food menu is traditional pub classics, Fish & Chips costs £18.50.

I arrived at 12pm on a chilly Thursday lunchtime in February. The pub was initially quiet but soon filled up with City workers hankering after a bit of lunch and a few lunchtime liveners. The atmosphere was upbeat, there was a nice buzz in both bars. The service was excellent, I had a nice little chat with one of the team who was welcoming, friendly and an all round nice chap.

The Williamson’s Tavern was an enjoyable City pub experience. The location is historic and atmospheric, the decor and ambience creates an inviting setting to spend time in, the beer wasn’t overly priced and the service is personable. I would definitely recommend a visit, not open weekends.

📅 20th February 2025

More London Pub info...

Alleyway London grand tavern with great heritage & a place in history. Hidden in a narrow City of London alley this tavern 🍺 is intriguing. Superb alleyway drinking space with a long tavern interior in two halls. Bevel glazed square window panels with ornate wood coving stretch through to the second hall with an intensely decorative papered finish on the ceiling. Vintage feel decorative art, mirrors & fabulous wooden period fireplaces. The half moon 🌙 bar reaches through the tavernesque room, with a decorative wood back bar & quirky old age features like the 'Waitresses Only' inlaid wood top on the bar swing door. There's a fantastic, historic back story posted in the wall from the home of Lord Mayor's to the City Livalry Club, a hotel, Roman tiles & a ghost story for Saturday nights, although it's too noisy to hear ghostly movements. This is an interesting place of history with all the right features & character to preserve...

This place is a great find. It's tucked away down an alleyway of Bow Lane, so it is close to St Paul's Cathedral. One great thing about it is that it's air conditioned in the back bar, which makes quite a difference on the, admittedly few, really hot summer days. The service is friendly, albeit sometimes the staff seem a little rushed but they manage to cope. The food comes quickly if you are having lunch or an evening snack. My only gripe, and it is a very minor one, is that one of my party had a food intolerance and we had to wait for the manager to go up to the office to "check on the computer" as to which food she could have. Would be good if this was on the menu as it would have saved us time. But aside from that, the food was excellent and the...