9th August 2007
"No, I don't think we have any ghosts"
...says manager Suzanne. "And I'm not sure I have any interesting stories about the place."
Reviews of the Lamb always follow the same formula. Cosy old boozer...snob screens...Victoriana. I was desperate to find something new to say. And lacking facts, I'll have to make some up.
It has London's second smallest beer garden (beaten only by The Enterprise, just down the road). It has a friendly barman who looks like that young hobbit fellow off of BBC weather (Matt Taylor?). It serves a pint of 'Special' that smells of radishes. And a tributary of the River Fleet flows very close to its basement (though they're probably not aware of it). Plus, it attracts the most amiable of clientele, including the founders of this site.
None, some or all of the above are true.
The upstairs room is available for hire (normally 30). It's less ornate than the downstairs bar, but is the perfect size for a gathering of 40 or so people.
Food is good, but you really should go next door to Ciao Bella for a top meal.
You're likely to encounter medics, postdocs, adventurous lawyers, science publishers and a smattering of tourists. I seem to meet random Canadians every time I set foot in the place. Canadians are always nice. Apart from Donald Sutherland. He is clearly evil, trying to kill that nice James Bond chap in You Only Live Twice. Oh, hang on, that was Donald Pleasance wasn't it? I take it back. Donald Sutherland is a nice Canadian. Keifer is probably fairly nice, but often gets a bit aggresive in '24'. I think the jury's still out there.