The Jerusalem Tavern seemingly picks up awards with ease, so you’ll be forgiven for wondering if it’s all fuss over nothing. However, every hard-earned trophy and highlight is well deserved. This is one of the best pubs in Clerkenwell.

The Venue
The Jerusalem Tavern has a beauty in its design that few other London pubs get near to. The pub is small, with flaking painted wood and intimate shuttered alcoves. Wooden partitions separate the tables that sit in the light of flaming oil wicks that stick out of green fuel-filled bottles. The place is like an old speakeasy, the cracked fireplace and chipped, bare tiles look like this is a drinker’s temporary workshop, but it has secrecy and excitement in its wooden grooves and a touch of Parisian romance. The table for two that perches on top of a tiny mezzanine is the top spot for couples and the long table at the back is hidden from the bar and cosy enough for a large group to make their own.

The Atmosphere
The days are quiet yet thoughtful at the Jerusalem Tavern. There’s no TV and no music to destroy the internal solace that the place inspires. The pub fills up from 6pm as the Clerkenwell crowd pour in and the atmosphere shifts - come the summer this atmosphere spills onto the lonely street outside. The lack of entertainment puts a good emphasis on the art of conversation and what sounds like the ‘rhubarb rhubarb’ of extras fills the place. The crowd is as diverse as The City; refined gents talk over wine whilst younger groups drink in the atmosphere. Just being in this pub, even if you’re alone, is to be entertained by a true original of its time.

The Food
The food is tres gastro, it’s simple pub type dishes with good quality and fresh, local ingredients. The menu is on the blackboard opposite the bar and features the likes of the beef and Gruyere burger, lamb shank, pan-fried duck and Cumberland sausage with root mash. The menu changes depending on ingredients but with that you have the reassurance of the care taken to create good food.

The Drink
The bar itself is one of the pub’s most striking features. Built in the same style of wood as the rest of the venue, it whines to be leant on and ordered from and something in the knots call to the drinker. The ale is stored in barrels that protrude from the wall in decorative fashion and the only negative about the whole bar are the branded bottles that seem so out of place with the nature of the wood and its design. The spirits are the commercial names plus more premium choices. Ale is the main man. There are a lot to choose from including Best Bitter, Honey Porter, Cream Stout and Golden Ale. There are many more to choose from and bottles are available for takeaway, too. All comes from the St Peter’s brewery, the company that opened the Jerusalem Tavern as their London pub.

The Last Word
Run to the Jerusalem Tavern. Run now.

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