The Covent Garden/Leicester Square location is unbeatable, and the ornate exterior and interior are unmistakably Victorian—ostentatious, just-how-drunk-was-the-designer Victorian, to be precise. Thrill to the Grecian urns in the brilliant-cut glass, the pressed-copper tables, and the nymphs entwined in the bronze lamps. No wonder it was long a favored place for furtive meetings between gay men back when homosexuality was illegal, and then an actual gay pub when that archaic law was abolished. Now it’s a haunt for all types of customers, including families but especially the city’s theatrical community, and a suitable pit stop for any West End exploration. It does burgers and fish-and-chips, too, albeit by the corporate recipes of the Taylor Walker pub company. Theater fans should check out the cellar, which is papered with posters, many of them rare, from 1980s and ’90s shows.
London
Travel Guide
London› Restaurant
The Salisbury
90 St Martin’s Lane, WC2
Frames Footage / Shutterstock
Our Rating
Neighborhood
Piccadilly Circus & Leicester Square
Hours
Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm; Fri–Sat 11am–midnight; Sun 11am–10:30pm; food served until 10pm
Transportation
Tube: Leicester Square
Phone
020/7836-5863
Cuisine Type
Pub
Web site
The Salisbury
Map
90 St Martin’s Lane, WC2 LondonNote: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.