Lamb & Flag
(formerly Coopers Arms)
33 Rose Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 9EB
Social Links
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Visit Lamb & Flag on Facebook
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Opening Times
11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10.30 Sun
Meal Times
12-9
Owner
Fuller's
About the Pub
It's not the easiest pub to find in Covent Garden but that doesn't stop it becoming very busy at times with office workers and visitors often spilling into the street summer and winter! But, unlike many other pubs in the area, because it is slightly hidden away, it is not quite so touristy. The Grade II listed Lamb and Flag is to be found down Lazenby Court (an alley) from Floral Street or up Rose Street from Garrick Street.
Leased by Fuller's since October 2011, and fully owned since 2013, the pub underwent a sympathetic renovation before re-opening. Though no longer a free house (and thus the real ale selection is predominantly Fuller's and Gales), it remains an attractive and pleasant traditional pub without music, musak or games machines.
The upstairs bar and restaurant, where the main food service is available (but, please note, food and drink is table service only upstairs) is named the Dryden Room, after the poet John Dryden, whose satirical writing made him many enemies as a result of which he was brutally beaten by hired thugs in the alley outside the pub in 1679. There are Latin inscriptions (with translations) on the wooden beams commemorating this ambush. When he was working in nearby Catherine Street, the novelist Charles Dickens was also a regular here, as was, it is said, Karl Marx.
The ground floor bar consists of two small dark rooms with down-lighters, low beams, wood panelling and bare floorboards. The back room has a fireplace and plain wooden seats.
Historic Interest
Reputed to have been first licensed in 1623 and so the oldest such premises in Covent Garden, the building is one of the very few left in central London with a timber frame, dating from the early 18th century or possibly as early as 1688. However, much of what is visible is Georgian and the frontage is a 1958 rebuild. The pub used to be known as the Bucket of Blood because of the bare-fist fighting matches once held here. The source of the name Lamb and Flag has a religious basis. The Lamb in the pub name is from the Gospel of St. John: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world” and the Flag is that of St. George.
Regular Beers
This pub serves 3 regular beers.
- Fuller's ESB
- Fuller's London Pride
- Gales Seafarers Ale
Changing Beers
This pub serves 3 changing beers.
Changing beers typically include:
- Fuller's - seasonal
- Sambrook's - varies
- Windsor & Eton - varies
Features
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Real Ale Available
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Member Discount Scheme
15%
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Heritage Pub
Interior of Some Regional Importance
Facilities
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Lunchtime Meals
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Evening Meals
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Dog Friendly
Downstairs only.
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Family Friendly
Only whilst dining in the Dryden Room upstairs.
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Real Fire
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Restaurant Area
Within the Dryden Room upstairs.
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Smoking Area
Pavement - standing.
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Sports TV
Freeview.
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Wifi
View on Larger Map
Lamb & Flag
33 Rose Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 9EB
Sat Nav Reference
Transport
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Close to Bus Routes
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Close to Railway Station
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Close to Underground/DLR
Nearby Bus Routes (225m)
6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 87, 91, 139, 176
Nearby Station (450m)
London Charing Cross
Nearby London Underground/DLR (200m)
Leicester Square; (225m) Covent Garden
Submit Pub Feedback to CAMRA
We welcome the help of all users to contribute to this important campaigning project. Please use the form below to submit feedback or updates directly to the West London CAMRA branch for consideration.
Please note that any changes mentioned WILL NOT have an immediate effect on www.whatpub.com but will instead be emailed directly to the West London CAMRA branch Pubs Officer for consideration. If you provide your name and/or email address this information will also be visible to the Pubs Officer, who may use this information to follow up your feedback. IF YOU WISH TO CONTACT THE PUB DIRECT, PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS FORM.
