Landmark Name: Round Table
Type: Indirectly Related Landmarks, Pub
Association: None
Location: Covent Garden, London, UK (Google Maps)
While sporting the familiar name and rondel on the facade, the pub has no relation to our organisation. Over the years, many members of staff were bewildered by enthusuastic Tablers somehow claiming to somehow being a member of the pub they work in.
This historic pub located at 26–27 St Martins Court in London’s Covent Garden, just off St. Martin’s Lane in the West End. Established in 1877, this 19th-century establishment offers a traditional British pub experience.
Managed by Greene King, The Round Table provides a family-friendly and dog-friendly environment, featuring a beer garden for outdoor enjoyment. The pub serves a selection of cask ales and classic British pub fare. Visitors have praised its quality food and drink, noting it as a “fab little discovery” and an excellent spot for a drink or bite before or after attending nearby theatres.
For those interested in visiting, The Round Table operates from 11:30 am to 11:30 pm on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 12:00 pm to 10:30 pm on Sundays.
Whether you’re seeking a traditional pub meal, a refreshing pint, or a cozy atmosphere near London’s theatre district, The Round Table offers a welcoming experience. Make sure to take the obligatory selfie showing off your pin.
Sign on the facade
A sign on the facade reads as follows:
The neighbourhood of St. Martins Lane was, in the middle of the Eighteenth century, the resort of horsy men. The most popular house in the early days was “Ben Caunt’s Head”, named after the Nottinghamshire giant who was at one time the landlord.
It was in these taverns that the fancy regularly met for many years and arranged historical fights, including in October 1805, the encounter between Jim Belcher and the Game Chicken, staged by Earl Grosvenor, Colonel Mellish, and Captain Halliday.
The Round Table played its part during these times, putting up the American Champion, John C. Heenan, when he came to contest the belt with the valiant Tom Sayers, the famous Sussex fighter.
The sign of the Round Table indicated during these times that even-handed justice was observed within and that all corners were treated alike.
The present building dates back to 1877, when the area had major redevelopment to provide for a road between Oxford Street and Charing Cross. This reconstruction made available land that was bought and built upon by Sir Charles Wyndham, the famous Actor Manager, and so began the traditions of theatre land, with the Wyndhams and Albery Theatres named after the owner and his stepson, respectively.
In the following years, the Round Table has grown closer to the world of theatre and is a welcome meeting place for actors and audiences alike.