Shaws Booksellers is a reminder of the City of London’s rich history - both of its splendid buildings and of its vital printing trade. Nowadays it serves as a quality lunchtime eating house and a lively evening spot for drinks.

The Venue
Shaws Booksellers is set within the charming jumble of attractive alleyways between Fleet Street and Queen Victoria Street. Converted into a pub in the 1990s, it was originally built in 1875, being for over a 100 years a paper merchant’s warehouse. It’s described in Pevsner’s magisterial Buildings of London as ‘self-respecting…and …well-preserved.’ It has arresting eye-appeal with a rounded D-shaped exterior and segmented window heads. Interestingly its shape mirrors that of Wren’s Oxford masterpiece Sheldonian Theatre and it neighbours the Wren church St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, another genius piece of design.

The interior expresses its workplace origins - high ceilings, ledges, walls that are whitewashed above wooden panelling and an imposing iron pulley hoist in the centre. There’s one large split-level room with stripped flooring. Decoration is simple – a few books and prints – and tavern-style plain wood tables and chairs.

The Atmosphere
A Fuller’s house, Shaws Booksellers has two personalities. At lunchtime it’s primarily an eatery for local business people – far more gastro than pub. Evening is a contrast. Dining tables are pushed back to help accommodate a throng of folk coming for an after-work drink. There’s a range of age groups and all happily spill out on to the traffic-free St Andrew’s Hill.

Popularity at the different sessions reflects upon the ability of manager, Adam Sykes, and his team. They’re both attentive and cheerful.

The Food
The lunchtime menu changes daily, recognising that its core regular clientele needs a bit of variety. Two full-time chefs provide an intriguing range of fusion-influenced dishes. It can include Italian rabbit tagliatelle; a pork loin served with sautéed fennel, Balkans-style; and a potato rosti serving that’s a Swiss speciality. Included in the desserts there’s often a cream posset, an English favourite dating back to Wren’s times.

Food is always cooked to order from fresh ingredients. This, inevitably, takes time and customers are advised that this isn’t fast-food.

Evenings are devoted to drinkers so menus are simpler snack dishes, although equally freshly cooked. They include bruschetta, chorizo, croquettes, potted crayfish and a novel medley of black and white pudding. Supplementing these are good-value vegetarian (£17) and meat (£21.50) platters. These provide nibbles for as many as four customers.

The Drink
To complement the interesting menus, the wine list is adventurous. Among the whites is newcomer from Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet, listed with Albarino and a Chablis Premier Cru. The reds list a Nero d’Avola from Sicily and a Tasmanian Pinot Noir, plus a Beaune Premier Cru.

The spirits offerings are equally unusual. Whiskies include bourbon’s like Maker’s Mark and Woodford Reserve as well as malts such as Glenfarclas and Ardbeg. There are several rums with Havana Club prominent and the gins include Hendricks and Sipsmith from the emerging west London distillery.

Lager is a big seller with Peroni as numero uno and there’s also Beck’s, Kronenbourg, and the Czech Litovel. The two real ales are from the Fuller’s range – London Pride being the house brand.

The Last Word
Shaws Booksellers is a vibrant testimony to City of London history – one of fine architecture, busy workplaces and active communities. This adds to the enjoyment of sophisticated lunchtime dining and amiable evening drinking.

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