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The Viaduct Tavern, Holborn Viaduct, EC1
EC1
EC1A 7AA
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Viaduct Tavern
I arrived here at 10:55 on a Saturday night but apparently that was moments too late as the staff wanted to finish and decided to stop serving, a pain but I only wanted a half, some friends of mine had already got drinks and were there long after I would have finished my half. Enough moaning; it’s an amazing Victorian decorative pub, inside and out, shame it has only Fullers’ beers but that’s life.
On 16th October 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4293 recommendations about 3953 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Viaduct Tavern
A return visit, as now in the 2025 Good Beer Guide Pub. One of those pubs I have always found difficult to resist, when I previously worked in London. Fuller pub, round, central bar. I had heard the rumours of the cells and prisoners stopping for a drink on a way to Tyburn. I hadn't previously heard about the bullet holes.... in the ceiling and one of the friezes on the right hand side as you walk in. Someone getting handy with a revolved in WWI according to the bar staff. Wonder if they got a life ban?
Quiet on a Saturday night - but to be honest, I was surprised to see it open. Looked like they were about to close up. I know it is closed on a Sunday. Fullers and ESB in fine condition.
On 8th January 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1926 recommendations about 1886 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Viaduct Tavern
A return visit to this beautiful *** pub, with fantastic alabaster and marble, pre-Raphaelite friezes and etched mirrors picked out in gold.
And still uncleared tables, terrible acoustics, pissed customers and malty ESB the best of a bad bunch.
Pretty pub, pretty awful experience.
On 2nd February 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2351 recommendations about 2289 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Viaduct Tavern
Another fine evening in the Viaduct Tavern and the first post covid for us. We usually leave this one for the warmer months as it’s not the biggest space inside and, due to its proximity to Bank and Barts it does tend to get rammed with the afterwork crowd. So, at this time of year the crowd tends to congregate on the pavement outside and its reasonably easy to get served.
I do agree with the previous reviewer that its now looking like it could do with a bit of TLC to brighten up the fantastic interior and spruce it up to its former glory. But even with a few plaster bits missing the red ceiling is still very impressive and although the three fine paintings of Pre-Raphaelite style women on the right-hand wall have lost their lustre, you are still not going to find many paintings like this in a pub.
The four ale pumps had London Pride, Seafarers and Griffin IPA on, with the fourth badged with Olivers Island and a coming back on soon sign. We stayed on the Pride and Griffin IPA all evening and they were on fine form for these Fullers Brews. To complete the picture there is a bank of keg taps either side of the four central ale pumps and alongside the usual standard keg suspects (Peroni e.t.c.) there was a couple of modern craft such as Beavertown Neck Oil, Brixton Reliance Pale Ale, Tiny Rebel Easy Living Session Pale Ale and Jubel Beer Peach.
Decent craft and Cask ales in a pub with an excellent interior, very much still worth a visit.
On 25th July 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2375 recommendations about 2216 pubs]
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Blackthorn _ left this review about The Viaduct Tavern
A prominent pub with an unusual and attractive curved frontage, it certainly looks impressive and upmarket with it’s marble façade, polished wooden doors and red awnings over the windows. Inside though, whilst it’s similarly ornate, I thought it was looking a little shabby. No doubt it was really something in it’s heyday, but it now rather looks as though it could do with a bit of TLC.
It all appears to be one single open plan room internally, unless there are further rooms elsewhere that I did not see. The flooring is plain wooden boards, with red painted wallpaper on the lower part of the walls and pale cream plasterwork up above, with black painted dado rails separating the two. The ceiling is fitted with heavily embossed wallpaper which has been painted a very deep red, but the main feature is some very large and elaborate mirrors covering almost the entire right hand wall that have pictures of some classical maidens on them. Perhaps something from Greek mythology, I’m not sure, but they were certainly impressive. The mirror frames are elaborate gold and there is further gold etching in the arched mirrors behind the bar. Carved faces inset in to the panelling below the ceiling are another interesting and unusual feature, and there was some very elaborate carved wooden shelving behind the bar. Despite the grand surroundings, it lacked much in the way of atmosphere with only three of four other punters in on my recent Tuesday evening visit, even though other places nearby were packed.
Beers on tap were Siren Yuhu, London Pride and Dark Star Pale Ale. The solitary cider meanwhile was Cornish Orchards. Overall, I’m glad I popped in and ticked this one off, but it’s not somewhere I’d make a point of ruching back to.
On 12th May 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2173 recommendations about 2064 pubs]
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Will Larter left this review about The Viaduct Tavern
A corner pub with a curved front, this penultimate pub on my London's Beautiful Pubs crawl was initially a little more difficult to appreciate as it was so busy - they must knock off early around here on Fridays. The wall to the right of the bar has three large paintings set into marble surrounds, and there are some sparkly mirrors below the staircase; perhaps there's more to see but it was too busy to go exploring. My glimpses of the bar encouraged me to wait for a lull in proceedings, and I was eventually rewarded with quite a good photo of its simple, clean lines. Some of the detail on the exterior is quite interesting too. My notes say "beer nothing special", but to be fair my Fullers London Pride was in competition with memories of my first drink of the day, the same beer in the Victoria near Paddington, so was always going to be fighting a losing battle.
On 4th October 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 4937 recommendations about 4518 pubs]
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Brainy Pool left this review about Viaduct Tavern
A beautiful looking Victorian corner pub with a typically grand Victorian interior which matches the snooty brigade that drink in here at office let out time. It is a bit too small and also the first pub in which I have genuinely felt underdressed, but I can’t really blame the pub for that. It’s nice.
On 16th May 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1183 recommendations about 1143 pubs]
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Bucking Fastard left this review about Viaduct Tavern
This Fullers tied house is well worth a visit for it's very fine exterior and interior,with a host of original features.It covers a 45 degree circular site opposite the Old Bailey ,while the interior has a very fine high moulded ceiling and a relief frieze which has been picked out by spotlights,highlighting cherubs with hops.Along one wall run full height mirrors,some with inlaid silk pictures,while behind the horseshoe bar is a former managers office in etched glass where beer tickets could be purchased and then distributed to thirsty employees after a days hard graft at the Old Bailey/Smithfield/Barts.There is also some fine wood carved doors and wood panelling around this area.
On Monday and Tuesday there are trips to see the former cells in the cellars,this pub reeks of history.The bar will offer three Fullers option which on my trip was London Pride,Olivers Island and an excellent Dark Star APA.I noticed the manager has a Fullers cellarmanship award and that explained the excellent conditioning.
The bar boards flooring has been scrubbed,and the pub will get rammed on Friday afterwork,but spend a little time here and soak up the fine features.
On 2nd March 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3261 recommendations about 3261 pubs]
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hondo . left this review about Viaduct Tavern
Fuller’ pub that has retained many ornate features.
On 27th October 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3062 recommendations about 2989 pubs]
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Tris C left this review about Viaduct Tavern
Dating from 1874, this pub has a fabulously ornate interior with marvellous polychromatic prints to the walls and even a fine marble-framed Bass mirror on the way to the bogs. There's a booth where the Victorian landlady would sell gin tokens to customers. Some tables have marble tops, thereafter furniture is conventional. Most of the clients seem to be City types with some locals drawn from I don't know where. On the down side, music really was a bit loud and despite the pub not being busy during our late evening mid-week visit, staff couldn't be bothered to clear the multitude of empty glasses from tables.
This is a Fuller's pub so expect ales from their stable and subsidiaries: London Pride, Gale's Spring Sprinter and Oliver's Island at £4.30 a pint which for the area, is sadly about the going rate. Unfortunately it was a bit soapy.
This was our first visit and I know from experience on passing that it's rammed during early evening and is closed at weekends. I might come again but I wouldn't make a special trip to get here.
On 27th May 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2351 recommendations about 2289 pubs]