Smithfield · the City of London
The Viaduct Tavern
One of London's last true gin palaces
- Address126 Newgate Street, EC1A 7AA
- Phone020 7600 1863
- Websiteviaducttavern.co.uk
- OwnershipPart of Fuller's
About The Viaduct Tavern
A Victorian gin palace of etched glass and gilding, named for the neighbouring Holborn Viaduct, with a cellar mythologised as a former prison.
Built in the 1870s, the Viaduct Tavern is one of the last surviving genuine Victorian gin palaces in London, with etched glass, gilt lettering and a decorative Lincrusta ceiling. It's named for the adjacent Holborn Viaduct. Local legend holds the cellar once housed cells from Newgate Prison next door — a good story, though historians note the prison had closed by the time this building went up; the cellar's arches were more likely for beer and coal.
On tap
Fuller's cask ales in an interior worth the visit on its own.
Food
A straightforward pub menu.
More pubs in Smithfield
- The Old Red CowA serious beer list opposite Smithfield station
- The Fox and AnchorThe market's traditional early-opener
- Craft Beer CoOne of the pubs that started London's craft beer scene
See all the City of London pubs and the map · All 12 boroughs