The Ship Tavern is a historic British ale house and dining room on Gate Street at the edge of Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Its story reaches back to 1549, and the narrow Holborn setting, dark wood and traditional details give the pub a sense of continuity that suits both a quick drink and a leisurely meal.
Upstairs, the Oak Room offers a candlelit dining space with antique paintings, books, private booths and an open fire in colder months. The menu centres on British culinary classics and a changing specials board shaped by market suppliers, giving regular diners a mixture of familiar favourites and seasonal dishes.
The main bar serves pork pies, Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, pickled vegetables, cockles and mussels alongside fuller plates from the kitchen. Sunday dining brings traditional roasts and comforting accompaniments, while desserts and set menus help turn a pub visit into a complete meal.
Six carefully kept real ales, including rotating choices, are joined by lager, gin, wine and cocktails. The contrast between the lively ground floor bar and the characterful Oak Room allows The Ship Tavern to accommodate after work drinks, family lunches, private dinners and larger celebrations.
Address: 12 Gate Street, Holborn, London WC2A 3HP, United Kingdom
The Ship Tavern Menu
STARTERS & SHARERS
'Crazy Bakers'' Sourdough Cob (v)
Whipped Marmite butter
Roast Bone Marrow
Garlic & herb crumb, sourdough toast
Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
Dill crème fraîche, baby spinach, lemon oil
Pressed Ham Hock Terrine
Piccalilli. toasted sourdough
Charred Hispi Cabbage (v) (vg)
Smoked Romesco, toasted hazelnuts, herb salad
Cider Battered Calamari
Lemon & herb mayo, watercress
Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs (gf)
BBQ glaze, spring onion & chilli
Wye Valley Asparagus
Crispy hen’s egg, hollandaise
Padron Peppers (v) (gf)
Sea salt, herb oil
FAVOURITES
Beef Wellington
(Available for 2 to share: £80) Buttery potato mash, spinach, glazed carrots, red wine jus
Roast Chicken Breast (gfo)
Carrot & sage purée, braised red cabbage, fondant potato, roasting jus
Smoked Beef Brisket (gf)
Buttery mash, crisp onion crumb, red wine jus
CLASSICS
Pot Pie of the Day
(Available for 2 to share: £55) Buttery mash, market vegetables, red wine jus
Local Beer-Battered Fish & Chips
Mushy peas, tartare
Crispy Pork Belly
Caramelised pears, pickled kohlrabi, new potatoes, cider jus
Pan-Fried Sea Bass
Crushed new potatoes, samphire, citrus hollandaise
VEGETARIAN
Garden Pea & Leek Gnocchi (v)
Lemon, mint, parmesan & watercress
Wild Mushroom & Leek Pithivier (v) (vgo)
Oregano, truffle jus
FROM THE GRILL
Fillet Steak (250g) (gf)
Bearnaise sauce, watercress salad, hand-cut chips or fries
Bavette Steak Frites
Red wine jus, watercress salad
SALADS
Classic Caesar Salad
(Add grilled chicken: +£4)
Smoked Duck & Grilled Peach Salad
Seasonal leaves & light dressing
Burrata, Grilled Peach & Prosciutto
Charred Aubergine (v)
Whipped feta, hot honey & herb salad
BETWEEN BREAD
(Only available Monday-Saturday, 12pm-5pm) All served with hand-cut chips or fries.
Bavette Steak Sandwich
Guinness-glazed onions, horseradish crème fraîche, watercress, crispy onions, beef-fat toasted bread, dipping jus
Tavern Bacon Cheeseburger
House sauce, pickles
Vegan Cheeseburger (v) (ve)
Onion jam, vegan bacon, baby gem, pickles, house sauce
SIDES
Fries
Proper Chips
Citrus Dressed Leaves
Onion Rings
Braised Red Cabbage
FOR THE TABLE
Warm Sourdough Cob
Bovril butter
TO START
Holborn Gin Cured Smoked Salmon
Lemon & dill crème fraîche, soda bread
Burrata
English heritage tomatoes, roast fig, basil
Sticky Glazed Pork Ribs
Apple & fennel slaw
Blistered Padron Peppers
MAINS
Hereford Beef Sirloin
Bearnaise sauce
Slow Cooked Pork Belly
Baked apple
Steak & 'Old Peculiar' Real Ale Pot Pie
SIDES
Peas, Onions & Bacon, Duck Fat Chips, Creamed Leeks, Salad Vinaigrette
Brown Butter Roast Cauliflower with Hazelnut Crumb
With hazelnut crumb porcini gravy, soft polenta, seasonal vegetables
PUDDINGS
Cheesecake of the Day
(Vegan and gluten free cheesecake also available)
Kraken Rum Sticky Toffee Pudding
Cornish clotted cream
Neil’s Yard Cheeses (£5 supplement)
Oat biscuits, sourdough & fig chutney
TO START
Crazy Baker's Sourdough Cob (vo) (v)
Bovril butter
Pea & Ham Hock Soup (gf) (vgo) (vo)
Crème fraîche, herb croutons, pea shoots
Black Bomber Croquettes (v)
Crispy sage, parmesan crisp
Ham Hock Terrine
Piccalilli, sourdough toast
Cider Battered Calamari
Garlic & parsley aioli
Roast Bone Marrow
Garlic herb crumb, toast
SUNDAY ROASTS
Our Smithfield Market meats are served with roast potatoes, maple glazed roots, creamed leeks, spiced apple & red cabbage, Yorkshire pudding, bottomless jug of Tavern gravy.
Dry-Aged Sirloin of Hereford Beef
Horseradish crème fraïche
1/2 Roast Norfolk Farm Chicken
Salt Rubbed Leg of Lamb
Old Spot Crisp Pork Belly
Sunflower Seed Roast (v) (vg)
Wild mushroom gravy
ADD
Baked Bomber Cheddar Cauliflower Cheese
MAINS
Butcher's Board
(Price per person) Heady mix of beef, pork & lamb roasts with all the trimmings, bottomless jug of Tavern gravy (Minimum 2 people)
Beef Wellington – For Two
With Sunday trimmings, red wine jus
CLASSICS
Fish & Chips
Mushy peas, tartare sauce
Garden Pea Gnocchi (v)
Lemon, mint, parmesan & watercress
Beef Wellington
With all the Sunday trimmings
Wild Mushroom & Leek Pithivier (v) (vgo)
Vegan smoked garlic roast potatoes, oregano, truffle gravy
SIDES
Extra Yorky
Hand-Cut Chips
French Fries
Mash Potato
Baked Bomber Cheddar Cauliflower Cheese
PUDDINGS
'Say When!' Cheesecake of the Day
Kraken Rum Sticky Toffee Pudding
Cornish clotted cream
Cinnamon Baked Wrapped Apple 'Pie'
Vanilla ice cream
Vegan & Gluten Free Cheesecake
Ice Creams
(Price per scoop)
Affogato
British Isles Cheese Plate
Cashel Blue, Cornish Brie and Mature Black Bomber Cheddar, crackers, ‘Garden Cottage’ spiced plum chutney