Friday Night Dinner: The Ship Tavern
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.. articleMetaData::
   :Where: 12 Gate Street, London, WC2A 3HP, United Kingdom
   :Date: 2026-11-06 16:30 Europe/London
   :Tags: blog, fnd
   :Cuisine: British
   :Short: ship-tavern
   :URL: https://theshiptavern.co.uk/
   :Costs: Starters: £10-£13; Mains: £21-£42; Wines from £32
   :Rating: 3.5
   :Author: Derick Rethans

A cosy no-nonsense gastropub, right next to Holborn station; that's how I
would describe this place. Which when we visited was decorated for Halloween
with pumpkins lining the stairs up to the busy dining room.

The menu has your standard pub fare (Fish & Chips, Steak, Beef and Ale Pie),
but also more sophisticated dishes, such as a Venison Loin and a Beef
Wellington to share. We chose two of their specials.

My wife had a Salmon Wellington, served on mashed potatoes with some leek. A
good wavy crust enveloped the well-cooked salmon. The mash was smooth and
buttery, with the leek adding some texture.

I enjoyed the Duck Breast, which turned out to be a duck breast and a confit
duck leg. The breast was pink and juicy, and the leg just as it is supposed to
be with a crispy skin. This was served with Tenderstem broccoli, some mash,
and a few roast potatoes. These roast potatoes were probably the best I've had
in a London pub, after never really been happy with any served with a Sunday
roast. If I have any criticism of the roasties, it's that they were on the
salty side.

When ordering, we asked our waiter what our mains came with. He didn't seem to
know this, and advised ordering vegetables with the Salmon Wellington, so we
went for a portion of maple-glazed carrots. But whilst the carrots were nice,
they were unnecessary as the salmon came with mash and leeks. This meant there
was too much food overall, as the portions of everything were very generous.

The food was excellent, and as it is close to the British Museum, it would
make for a great place to go after a day out at the museum. Booking ahead is
likely required for a Friday or Saturday evening.

.. carousel::
   :name: ship-tavern
   :directory: https://s3.drck.me/derickrethans-images.s3.uk.io.cloud.ovh.net/friday-night-dinners/
   :ship-tavern-1: Duck Breast and Duck Leg
   :ship-tavern-2: Salmon Encroute
   :ship-tavern-3: Maple Glazed Carrots