This is a fun pub right in the middle of the action at Piccadilly Circus. It's right across from Zedwell hotel- lots of people sitting with their bags/suitcases and having a drink. We were a loud group that was laughing a lot - the restaurant owners were very kind and didn't say anything. The guests were enjoying our infectious laughter. The fresh Guinness was incredible! The fish and chips were ok. The burrata was out of this world! The decor of this place and the flowers outside the tavern were very English and pretty. read more

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Exceptional Tavern, my first experience tasting fish and chips , with a side a mint pea mashup. The fish was fried to perfection it was fresh and a really nice size portion .of course I tried a traditional London beer , it was great . I also tried the passion fruit martini , it's a cute drink and it's refreshing . read more

St James Tavern - London Beer - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

A bit pricey and too close to touristy spots by trafalgar, Piccadilly, etc for my liking and a bit pricey but overall a cool spot Food: Meat pie 3/5: great to try and was a great main course but the vegetable sides weren't my favorite. The potatoes and gravy where pretty good Atmosphere: Very busy in a good way, cool surroundings Went with my friend and ended up paying almost $90 US for 2 pints and 2 of these meat pie plates, a bit too much read more

St James Tavern - Meat pie - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Ordered the fish sandwich- There were 2 Tiny pieces of battered fish on a half a baguette- this fish sandwich was all bread, no fish. The fries were good hence the 2 stars read more

Well, this is one of those random pubs that I wandered into in Soho, but then again I guess that is something that you like end up doing when there are just so many pubs in Soho to randomly wander into. It was pretty quaint mind you, and rather small, but this is literally central London, so small pubs tend to be a thing. Mind you, the beers were fairly typical of what you would expect from a pub around here, but yeah, it still had a bit of charm. read more

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Awesome spot. Why they have such a low review rating is silly. Delicious food. Friendly staff. Awesome location.

We stopped in for a late lunch and it was perfect, the food was delicious and the steak pie was super tasty. The gravy was perfect and the chive mash were great. The place was super busy and a bit tight, but the wait staff was friendly and service was good. read more

St James Tavern - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Nice little place for an afternoon meal & pints. Food was quite yummy. Got surprisingly busy for noon time. read more

St James Tavern - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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The steak & Venison pie was good, not spectacular, roasted root veg were pretty good, the mash good. The scampi and chips were very good as was the lasagne, overall the food was a solid 4 stars. But they short served the beer twice, I even asked for a top up which was grudgingly given, but still was not full pint! They need to sort this out! read more

Our first stop in London. One of the few places we were able to squeeze in six on a Sunday night and have fish and chips. We actually visited another place just before this and they had run out of fish! Service was probably the highlight. If it wasn't for the friendly speedy service, I'd rate the place a little lower based on the food alone. The fish and chips were bland. All three orders had very little flavor and on the verge of bNot what I expected. The nachos were the worst. The chips might have been stale but the hardened cheese didn't help it much. If it wasn't for the generic picante salsa and sour cream, it would've been a total loss. My favorite things here were the onion rings and garlic focaccia bread. I'd probably come for brewskis and appetizers like this. Good crowd of drinkers. Skip this place if you're thinking about having a full meal here. read more

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We came here for bangers and mash as that's surprisingly hard to find in many pubs these days. Pricing is reasonable for such a touristy neighborhood. 30 min after it opens around noon, it's packed with tourists. They even have mac n cheese if that's what your kids absolutely demand. Staff is nice. read more

Didn't buy food so can't judge, but the beer selection is solid and the prices aren't unreasonable which is a pleasant surprise around the west end. The vibe was a little more generic than your traditional pub but not some stale cookie cutter corporate vibe. I'd go back if I was looking to grab a pint but there wasn't anything super memorable about the experience either. read more

So we came to try the fish & chips here. It seems like any other pub in London. The servers are nice but you need to go to the bar to make your order. The dish was relatively simple and straightforward. Seating can be a bit limited but people leave pretty fast so you don't need to wait too long for a table. Food comes out pretty fast as well. Overall though it just feels like any other average pub. read more

St James Tavern - Fish & Chips! Perfectly crisp and crunchy - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Came here today for some dinner, ordered the fish and chips because of a recommendation from the staff as he said "we get fresh fish daily". I work in the restaurant industry and honestly I can't believe they're feeding people such bad food. The fish was not fresh & it reeked of ammonia... something a person not experienced with this kind of thing could miss. I hope this changes as it could make anyone quite sick. Please don't sell expired food.. fish or anything tasting of ammonia means it's decomposing. I hope this improves so no one gets sick. read more

Like most pubs in London, you order your food & drinks at the bar & give them your table number (usually written in the corner of your table). The bartender was very nice & friendly. We all ordered fish & chips w/ green peas, which was very good. Their beer selection is good... they offer a nice mix of local craft beer on draft & bottles. read more

This place, while extremely packed for some reason, leaves a lot to be desired. It was extremely busy and we ended up being put at a table where all the chairs had been taken away for other parties. The food was pretty bland and they didn't have many options. The croutons in my salad were kind of soggy and my stepdad's fish and chips were fried to be very oily. You can get greasy, bland, standard pub fare at any number of places in London so maybe go somewhere you can at least sit down and have a conversation. read more

St James Tavern - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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We were in London for a day trip and wanted fish and chips and happened to find this place while walking around. The food was awesome and the staff was very friendly. They have a vast variety of beers, both on tap and bottled. We orders the fish and chips, duck burger, calamari, lamb croquets and the loaded Mac and cheese and everything was what we envisioned and more. read more

St James Tavern - Menu - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Super busy place, the location was great and the wifi worked great. The food was bland and not much there. They advertise "The best fish and chips in town", but that's not true at all, plus they only give one little piece of fish. The servers were not very friendly and they never came around the tables. They have a basic section of draught beers and ciders including and couple they brew in house. Good enough for a pit stop and pint. read more

St James Tavern - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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For those who want to hit a local spot in London that is close to the action but away from turistas and crowds, this is the spot! Of course I had to try the fish and chips and make it my first meal of the trip. Not disappointing at all!!! They also have local and international beers you could relish on. I am definitely in love with the batter of their fish & chips, crispy and crunchy . The sausage roll was something new to me. I have no reference to compare it with but I liked it. It comes wrapped in a sort of phyllo dough, it was yummy and comes with caramelizad onions to pair with. Heads up: You must order at the register and they'll bring the food for you. Also the please is very tiny and might me a bit challenging in the winter with all of the garments one wears to get by. We ordered a small draft beer, the sausage roll, fish & chips and paid £21. Not a bad deal! In London is not customary to tip servers in small places like this one but it's always good to do it if you were happy with your service. @francescaMusica read more

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We placed our ordered for a fish sandwich, a chicken sandwich, two Mac n cheese plates and 4 waters. The total bill came to 58 pounds (quid). The fish looked like frozen fish sticks and the chicken sandwich was just okay. The Mac n Cheese was average according to my kids. For that price, those should have been the best sandwiches I have ever eaten. When you are hungry, sometimes you stomach makes the decision on where to eat. read more

St James Tavern - Fish sandwich and Chicken, Bacon and Avocado sandwich. - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Nice, cozy place for a pint! Definitely too small for groups unless it's empty inside read more

St James Tavern - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Okay pub if you're looking for something to eat after having passed through Piccadilly in London. Order and pay at the counter than have a seat and wait to be served. They serve traditional English pub grub here but the beers on tap are rather lousy. Had the ubiquitous fish and chips served over peas. Nothing special but the fish was fresh. Counter service was welcoming and friendly and prices aren't terrible either. Not a bad pub, a tad touristy but fine. read more

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Solid pub close to our hotel in the heart of the theatre district and near Piccadilly Square. The pub is loud. You get your own table and order at the bar. It's our last night and I wanted fish and chips before we left. Unfortunately I was spoiled last night at another restaurant. I tasted their fish and chips and was sorry I didn't order it. The taste here doesn't compare to last night but still a solid pub. Busy. Crowded. Loud. Chill. Affordable. read more

St James Tavern - Fish and Chips and Chicken Sandwich in the background - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

After a long day of touring we wound up in Piccadilly. Looking for a pub and this place hit the spot. We were traveling with 3 kids so finding family friendly pubs can be difficult. Food was decent, fish and chips and meat pie were good. read more

I was drawn in by the sign out front http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/st-james-tavern-london?select=y_QSVSVS5Q-upRXlYiihVw#Pi8GqZY7V-IHqbVoj_JpYw these Brits ain't got nothing on Ensenada style Fish Tacos! While I have NO idea what awards this dish has won, it must have been a small entry of competitors, so far the food in this country has been pretty bland! Fish & Chips (£10.95) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/st-james-tavern-london?select=y_QSVSVS5Q-upRXlYiihVw#y_QSVSVS5Q-upRXlYiihVw Hand battered Cod (no seasoning to the batter) but it was a nice size piece of white fish cooked nicely (I'd give this fish a solid 4-Stars) but the French Fries were a little soft and no seasoning at all, it also came with Pea's, well they were pea's.... Tarter Sauce & Lemon slice to garnish. I liked the Fish the rest they could keep, someone find me some Tortillas PLEASE!...... read more

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My brother and I were visiting London from the U.S., and were staying down the street from St. James Tavern. The location of this place was right in the middle of Picadilly Circus; it was great for people watching, the food was really good, and the service was great. Next time we come to London, I will be sure to make a stop back here... read more

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I guess I was lucky as the reviews do not seem very good of lately. It was busy and we were lucky as there ws one table ready just for us. We ordered at the bar but the girl was not very familiar with the menu. She seemed new. I had the Yorkshire pudding which was just fantastic and my son had the fish and chips which I tried and enjoyed very much as well. I wanted to go back and try the fish&chips but time seems to have run out. I guess next time. read more

St James Tavern - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

This is a nice British pub in Piccadilly Circus, but unlike most, this is not one just full of regulars, this place is definitely for us tourists, as both my wife and I were in this particular case! It seems a popular place, very busy at 9pm as indeed any pub is in this country, and I should know since I actually am from the UK originally and have frequented many! Service was really friendly and I would expect nothing less from my homeland. On top of this service was fast, efficient, and the prices pretty reasonable for somewhere in this part of London. Piccadilly Circus is an area of London everyone should visit on a trip to England, and this place is great for some food and beverages when you need a little timeout from what is a busy part of the city. Definitely somewhere I would come back to. Now, with all that, I just have to end on a funny anecdote - on the menu they have a "New Yorker Hot Dog" which it states is topped with bacon, BBQ sauce and melted cheese? Not to put too fine a point on it, what the bloody hell is that about? Bacon? Fail. BBQ sauce? Fail. Melted cheese? Fail. Sounds more like some drunken Texas fry up! In New York it's Bun, Hot Dog Sausage, Mustard. That's all folks! (Try to imagine a Porky Pig impersonation at this point for full effect). read more

A great choice if you are in the Piccadilly Circus area. The pub is right in the heart of it and offers nice views from the window sides. Be mindful if you are seated by the door, there may be scammers entering the bar asking for help and distracting you while the swipe your items. We unfortunately learned of this through a couple we met that had this happen to them while there. The pub has plenty of seating and really good drink selection and food fare. The couple we met really enhanced our experience here and definitely made this a top choice for us when we return. The Piccadilly line tube station is a short 5 minute walk from here so getting about is very convenient if you're shopping as well. read more

Fish & Chips with an award to back it up! We wanted to try the classic fish & chips being in London for my first time. We chose this place because it was in a nice area and close to where we were staying. A lot of places advertise that their fish & chips have an award tied to it but this one proudly displays their-albeit 4 year old-best fish & chips for 2013. For ~£12.50, you get a fried fish bigger than the plate with the usual chips, a decent amount of tartare sauce, and your choice of round or mushy peas. I went with mushy to have the "English experience." Obviously you get the lemon on the side to top off your fish. Each bite into the freshly fried fish got better and better as I got towards the end. The tartare sauce paired with the lemon made it all the better. Fries were nicely done and peas were peas. It acted as a nice flavor balance to all the sour lemon and tangy tartare. It's no wonder why they got an award! In terms of service, you find a table and seat yourself all on your own which is something that's not common to any place I've been to and you order at the bar. Good news is they bring it out to you so you don't wonder if you have to go back there. Other than the not too confusing service, the food was great, the ambience was lively, and there's plenty of room to have a lot of people. Their restrooms are really clean too and they have a lot of drinks to choose from! read more

St James Tavern - Award winning fish and chips with mushy peas! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I stopped by this merry establishment after wandering through the city looking for some good ole' fish and chips. Upon walking in, the place was packed, attesting to its popularity and reputation. It was new to me having to order and pay at the counter, so pro-tip to you tourists out there. Anyway, I ordered the standard fish and chips. Overall, I'm struggling to find any strong feelings about the dish. Like when you go on an okay date with someone but really aren't feeling the connection for a second one, you know? The fish was crispy enough, but it was just really lacking in flavor. I had to dip it in ketchup over and over again, and I don't think that's how fish and chips are supposed to be eaten. (Do Londoners even use ketchup that often? Feels like a sacrilegious thing only us sloppy Americans do...). Some parts of the fish could've been crispier, I will say. But above all, the peas really killed it for me. They just felt stale and lifeless. A bit too rough for me and again, no flavor. Kind of killed whatever positive vibes the fish gave me. The dipping sauce for the fish was neither creamy nor flavorful either (notice a theme here), so I pretty much avoided it altogether. Food-wise, I have to say it was below expectations, but maybe their drinks are better. I didn't try any, but at least there was a big crowd. read more

Worst choice I made in London. Other reviewers call this a "tourist pub." I call it awful. We went for lunch, not for drinks, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything. Walk in and seat yourself at a dirty table. Get back up and walk to the crowded bar if you want to order anything. The soda is flat or mostly seltzer unless you get it from a bottle. Don't expect the food to come out right. Don't expect it to b any good, either. The lettuce was brown, the tomatoes were beige, the bread was floppy supermarket white bread. The "waitresses" are glorified bussers that aren't quite qualified. I Nonexistent service, horrible food, dirty establishment. I wish zero stars was an option. read more

St James Tavern - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Fish and chips were great! Sienna was spot on on service! This place is great! Will come back.

Ok pub. Everything is ordered from the bar, but food will be brought to the table. Several tables were not cleaned, so we had to ask. Once we asked it was done quickly. Fish and chips were above average. Beer selection was good. read more

If you are lucky enough to get to see Moulin Rouge like we three did yesterday then Bravo you will have a fab time. If you are unlucky enough to choose to go to this pub as well then you will be as disappointed as we three were. I have mobility issues and when asking if I could use the loo I was told there was none and that I could as an elderly female mind you, use the blokes loo as that was not down a flight of stairs! Strike two for this Middle Ages venue was the response my friend got upon asking if she could have soya milk in a cup of coffee. She probably would have had less disgust if she had asked for a cup of infants blood such was the horror that met her request. The food was bland and previously frozen and just meh to be honest. So....too tip - go to the Indian restaurant two doors away - I wish we had! read more

What caught my eye as I walked around Piccadilly Circus was a sign on the side of this pub that said it was famous for its award winning fish and chips so we decided to try it. Busy pub no doubt and I walked in confused and waited for someone to put us on a waiting list/bring us to a seat only to realize that you can actually sit anywhere you like as long as you can find a table that is free. Super crowded both at the bar and the tables so you may have to wait a while. Tip: Orders for mains and appetizers are taken at the bar as well so no need to wait for a server at your table What's for dinner? - I decided to try the fish and chips which comes with peas (mushy peas are an option as well). Although now I wish that I had tried that mysterious thick green lumpy green pea soupy goodness I did end up ordering just the regular round peas. Was it award winning? - The fish and chips were prepared fresh and served super hot as I remember being hungry but trying not to burn my tongue. The batter was light and crispy; and the fish was soft, delicate, and not dry. The fish could have been fluffier, so out of 5 I would say it is 4/5. An okay "award winning" contender I would say, but at that moment I knew that I was still in search of the best fish and chips. None the less it still tasted great and enjoyed it very much We also got a calamari to share, and I was quite impressed as they were thick calamari rings with not too much batter + oil and the right amount of softness 5/5 A fun atmosphere with beer everywhere so if you are hungry and just want to grab some grub I recommend stopping by! read more

St James Tavern - Calamari + Camden Hells - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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The West End is probably the tourist hub of London, the Times Square of London if you will. In amongst the neon screens of Piccadilly Circus and the cosmopolitan hubbub of Soho and Chinatown, it's almost anachronistic to find St James Tavern. Its name suggests that they're going for a more old style saloon feel rather than some of the more new-fangled chain pubs. I have to confess that I initially popped in because I had to use the toilet. That's a handy tip for tourists by the way - pubs are good places to find a toilet or bathroom if you find toilet an offensive word. I then stayed for a drink, partly out of thanks for the toilet facilities, partly to quench my thirst and partly to catch the lovely ambiance in the pub in order to be able to Yelp about it! If you fancy getting a more authentic older pub atmosphere in Central London, you could do worse than pop in here read more

The pub is in a great location and is generally packed with tourists since, apparently, Charles Dickens used to frequent the places, hence the one star. We ordered sandwiches for lunch and both were more than disappointed. Bread was at least a day old, turkey was like rubber and had to be sitting out. To eaten it would have been a mistake. Disgusting food, unfriendly and abrupt staff. Not a place I'll be returning to.... read more

St James Tavern - Disgusting! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Bottom line: This is a tourist pub that want your money. Leave to the tourists. Difficult to get a seat because most people eating. Nowhere to stand without getting jostled. Perhaps staff were busy but some of them a bit rude and pushy. Ales were ok, not bad. read more

We came here for a drink while visiting London. It was really busy but we got a table. My husband ordered a pint and I ordered their house wine - both were really good and a fun atmosphere to enjoy. read more