The Angel and Crown, 58 St. Martin's Lane

The Angel and Crown, 58 St. Martin's Lane, WC2N 4EA

Being a pub on St Martin’s Lane is a bit like being a venus flytrap - a case of standing there, orifice open, in the knowledge that sooner or later something tasty is going to wander in. The generic nature of so many pubs in the Covent Garden area is ample illustration that, if you’re situated in the right spot, you don’t have to try very hard to catch your punters. In respect to this, it would be churlish of me to complain that the Angel and Crown doesn’t offer very much. Much like a Philip Glass opera, however, the little it does offer is at least well done. It’s a pleasant wooden box of a pub containing a cheerful mix of workies and tourists, the bar staff are usually quick and attentive, and it offers a few decent real ales and a reasonable, tourist-oriented food menu. There’s nothing here to set the world on fire, but then, it’s not the sort of place that will ever need to.

Reviewed by Fred Flange, Oct 2008

Telephone: 020 7240 5848

Nearby pubs: Cafe Koha, 11 St. Martin's Court (90 metres), The Salisbury, 90 St. Martins Lane (30 metres), The Lamb and Flag, 33 Rose Street (130 metres), The Chandos, 29 St. Martins Lane (100 metres), The Harp, 47 Chandos Place (140 metres), The Long Acre, 1-3 Long Acre (130 metres), Verve, 1 Upper St. Martin's Lane (160 metres), The Brewmaster, 37 Cranbourne Street (100 metres), The Garrick Arms, 8-10 Charing Cross Road (110 metres), The Essex Serpent, 6 King St (180 metres)

Nearest station: Leicester Square, Zone 1 (110 metres)