The location and grand facade of the Round Table do little for this classic yet plain Central London pub. Luckily, the choice of beer is decent.

The Venue
Located in St Martins Court, the exterior of the Round Table is striking. Leaded windows run from left to right in front of the traffic free court and the pub looks like the real deal.

Unfortunately, inside it's fairly bland and there aren't even any round tables (shock, horror). The walls consist of exposed brick mixed with wood, and this doesn't just give it a bit of a cold look, it is actually fairly chilly. There are tables and chairs dotted around to accommodate a fair few people and the bar is an impressive, solid statement. The pictures hanging from the walls lack any imagination and if they're not black and white reminders of London's history then they're theatre related. Once you've seen a good version of this type of pub then the rest can just seem a little irritating.

The Atmosphere
There's definitely a sense of an older theatre crowd at the Round Table who appear to be very set in their ways. If you look around the tables are sprinkled with them, dressed in conservative chic. They are friendly but on a Friday night with spirits raised by the thought of the weekend you’re brought down to earth with a bump here. In the middle of theatre land this is to be expected, but the effect it has on the pub is strange, as if the place is merely somewhere to bide your time, waiting for the real entertainment - whether it be the theatre or something else.

The Food
The usual burgers, sausage and mash and shepherds pies are eclipsed by the platters that are on offer. Known amusingly as Drinking Munchies, these platters come in two varieties - the eastern platter and antipasti platter. The eastern is a mix of small kebabs and satay, but the real gem is the antipasti platter. Order one of these and you can feast on olives, dry cured meats, crusty bread and olives. In the Round Table they're both worth getting excited about.

The Drink
The bar is stocked well with big branded spirits to keep the mixers company and there are various shots like Aftershock if you fancy getting a little more ker-azy. It probably isn't the best place for wine, despite the popularity with pro-thespian spectators. The list of lager on tap is long. Kronenbourg, Fosters, Staropramen, Stella, Hoegaarden and Becks is a good variety in any pub, plus there's Leffe by the bottle. As sales of lager are ailing, however, they also keep a few fine ales, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Ruddles County and London Pride to be precise.

The Last Word
Come the summer, The Round Table is a lovely place to drink - its location in the heart of St Martins Court ensures its success. During the winter, however, inside is just a little bleak, although you can always drown out the world with a few decent pints.

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