Nellie's Tavern, WC2

David Walton left this review about Nellie's Tavern

Visited 30/06/26

No draught beer. Interesting selection by the bottle, including the Meteor Pilsner tried first up this evening in Baranis, TEA from Hogs Back and some other interesting stuff.

Basement bar in the relatively newly reopened Simpsons on the Strand. Past reception desk this one is a very grand room down a flight of steps you don’t see on the visit to the gents in a JDW. The bar counter, a sumptuous marble topped affair, is on the immediate left-hand side at the base of the stairs and has some tall stool seating at the bar counter. The room, wood panelled with a shed load of framed photos on the walls, is a mix of carpeted (defo a step up from patterned JDW carpet) and wood block around the bar counter. Seating, classy and comfy sofas / banquettes around the periphery, serving small tables. Lighting super discrete and ambient, this is quaffing (but not beer) on a higher plane. Not dined here in the two restaurants (traditional and modern European) yet but undoubtedly an iconic location that was on my radar to sample from the moment it closed on the first sneeze from Wuhan (possibly even slightly before). Lowly rated because of the beer choices but my glass of the Chateau Leoville Barton 2019 went down a treat.

On 23^rd September 2026 - rating: 3
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