The Nags Head

Visited for an early pre-theatre dinner, the central location in Covent Garden just across from the underground station makes The Nags Head perfect for this. We were seated upstairs in the dining room and table service was provided. We ordered the fish and chips and a pie. Meals arrived quickly and were very good. The drinks selection is extensive and has something for everyone. It got increasingly busy over the course of the evening and walk-ins were being turned away so I'd suggest making a reservation like we did. Keep in mind there is a £10 deposit if you reserve online and they credit this against your bill, just be sure to check this as initially they didn't include it and we had to get it adjusted, they were very apologetic and I think it was an honest mistake. All in all an enjoyable traditional pub experience in the heart of the action. Would recommend!

Busy pub opposite Covent Garden tube station. The dining area is upstairs, and the bar is downstairs. Eaten here once before and enjoyed my meal very much. I've been in since for a drink, and although very busy, I managed to get served fairly quickly. There is a good choice of beers here.

Dropped in for a drink and snack while exploring Covent Garden. Got sat on the main floor close to the bar. Really loved the selection of beers they had, was able to try some IPA’s from local breweries. My friend got an espresso martin and we split the sausage roll!

We’re visiting from Australia and, after spending 4 hours exploring the incredible British Museum and wandering through Covent Garden Market, we were ready for a late lunch around 2pm. When we stepped into this authentic British pub, we were welcomed by a friendly atmosphere, though it was quite busy downstairs. Luckily, we found a cosy, quieter space upstairs that was thoughtfully decorated and had a quirky charm. Cameron greeted us warmly and was incredibly helpful when we couldn’t decide on drinks. After a long day of sightseeing, the Porn Star Martini was just what we needed. For lunch, we enjoyed classic British pub fare – I had the Cumberland Sausage & Mash, which was delicious, and my husband went for the Fish & Chips (the size of that fish!). Aaron was attentive and shared some great local tips. I highly recommend this traditional English pub for anyone visiting London. It offers great value, tasty food, a wide range of drinks, and friendly, attentive service. Thanks for a memorable experience!

Still a "proper" London pub, with a great atmosphere. 4 of us went there yesterday evening, and went upstairs for a meal. My wife has Coeliac Disease, we checked in advance if there was a gluten free option, there was. When we saw the gluten free menu, we were pleasantly surprised, it was very comprehensive. The staff were great, very helpful and attentive. The food was excellent. All in all, we had a wonderful time. Thank you all at the Nags Head.

Upstairs there was lots of room even though downstairs was crowded out. We had some nachos for a snack they were nice but nothing outstanding. Be careful they add a 10% service charge automatically and when you pay the card machine also asks for a tip. So it's very easy to accidentally double tip.

Came for the first time upstairs nice seated area staff were excellent we had 2 pints of IPA half cider and espresso Martini Fish and Chips very big and Steak pie food was delicious will be back.

Good food for a good price. Liked it a lot

When we visited London, we joined a city tour that gave us some free time in Covent Garden. We wanted to experience a traditional English pub, so we looked around and found one. It was late afternoon, and the pub area was quite busy with customers, so we headed upstairs to the restaurant section. We ordered beef ale pie and fish and chips--classic British comfort food. The fish and chips were a solid choice, with a crispy batter. The interesting part was the side of bean paste. We enjoyed pairing the fish with the bean paste, and even tried the fries with it at times. The standout dish was the beef ale pie! The filling was absolutely delicious--tender beef with a perfectly flavored sauce. I'd love to have it again! We ordered Guinness, a classic British pub drink. We enjoyed the traditional pub atmosphere, and I later learned that this pub has a long history as well. It was a great experience, and I hope to have a beer in the downstairs pub section next time.

One thing I know about Soho and Friday nights is that the pubs here are pretty packed. This is no exception, though it does happen to be straight across from the entrance to a tube station, so yeah, it is going to be pretty packed. I do like the fact that people do sprawl out onto the road, but once again this is central London, so you don't have to worry about cars.

We stopped here with a tour group prior to taking an evening cruise on the Thames. The ambience is absolutely fantastic! You will get the full English pub experience here. You MUST get the tomato soup. It was the freshest tasting tomato soup I have EVER had in my life. And that is not an empty exaggeration. Our server was very friendly and fast considering how busy the place was at the time.

Joe, the bartender, made this a super fun stop. He was making our whole group laugh and feel welcome. He gave us good directions when we asked him how to get somewhere. Would come here again because he made the experience so enjoyable.

Best meal to shake off the jet lag straight off the plane! First pub I stopped by during my trip to London, and it was exactly what I'd wanted. Surprisingly adequate "bar food," the States could learn a thing or two. Great for people watching (but I suppose that's most places in Europe). Strong espresso martini, no complaints there. Thank you!

Cute little pub and the first one we stopped at after I arrived in London. My fiancee ordered a drink and I had a club soda with lime and salted nuts. We sat inside for a while warming up before heading out to China town to sightsee and have dinner. The bartender (pub keep?) was friendly when prompted for suggestions for him on drinks and promptly took care of our orders. We sidled to a nearby table and enjoyed the warmth inside. It's a cool vibe in here - it's small and cozy with interesting decor and is centrally located along a great street with other eateries and pubs and shopping.

What an experience! We just brought a group here for their first British meal and wow, what a treat. Located near Covent Gardens, it doesn't get much better. Everyone was thrilled! Most chose the full English and didn't have to eat again for hours. What a hearty way to start the day. I had the vegetarian version and loved it. The pancakes are small, but tasty and the eggs benedict are awesome. You'll want extra bread to soak up the extra hollandaise sauce. Make sure you add the Nag's Head to your list next time you visit London!

Good place to hang out and have a few pints and food. I had the fish and chips which were very good. We will definitely be back again for seconds next time we go.

Not much great about this place other than the location and the beer. Wouldn't recommend going there for the food. It was ok, just ok... and we really weren't expecting counter service to order our food, but that wasn't a big deal.

The place was packed! We ordered their fish and chips and beef and ale pie. Both were very delicious! We had such a great time except it was I stuffy and hot. The tomato and basil soup and beers we had made it hotter but both were delicious! Service was pretty good.

Awesome pub right next to Covent Garden. Great traditional pub downstairs and a nice restaurant upstairs with reasonable prices for great tasting food. Try the Pilsner.

Service and food were really good... the place is well lactes in Covent Garden near by the tube station.

Great staff and location! We always hit this spot which is right in the heart of Covent Gardens!

This is a good little pub with a nice selection of draft beers. Hung out here at a table with two of my good friends from London and had a good time. If you are looking for a traditional English pub that is not pretentious with reasonable prices and just want to hang out and catch up, I would highly recommend it.

Busy pub in Covent Garden. Usual lager on tap which seems to be the lager of choice nowadays in London. Either Moretti or Peroni on tap, not so daring choices but still they hit the mark! Decent ambience and nice decor with good music.

It's funny to me how almost all of the pubs in London are on the small scale and most come in to buy a pint and then drink it outside on the street corner/sidewalks. The Nags Head is where I did just this. I wanted to try out a pub while I was in town and this place seemed to be somewhat popular. It was crowded and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I went in and ordered a pint of IPA....which was alright. It tasted a bit watery - but again, I'm from Portland, OR where we have more brew pubs per capita than Germany. Our beer is good, Very good. Aside from all that, the Nags head was not a bad little spot. I got my beer and decided to stand outside with the rest of the crowd. It was a good spot to people watch. Nothing overly special about this place. The inside was way too hot so I'm glad I could actually go outside and enjoy myself.

Super cute decor upstairs! Had the mushroom pasta and really enjoyed it. The biggest portions i've had since I came to london so I was happy!

This particular pub is a firm favourite with the locals of Covent Garden. Just a stone's throw from the tube station it delivers an unpretentious,relaxed and very lively pub vibe enjoyed by all. You can mingle at the bar,the atmosphere and the tunes are superb,having been carefully selected for an harmonious ambience.If you want to enjoy yourself then do get in early because when the surrounding offices empty-the venue gets very busy. The pub has an excellent selection of Ales like Erdinger Weissbrau,Worthington Cream Flow and other favourites like Heineken,Guinness and Fosters. When I joined my group of friends last week,between us we thought that the Spainish White Rioja was a great aperitif before we tore into some hearty pub fare. They do serve some very homey dishes like fish and chips,bangers and mash,steak and salad and tasty burgers absolutely ideal now that it is cold. Also checkout the SpecialsBoard because they have good grub on offer as well. For an entree we devoured a huge plate of Nachos served with all the usual toppings-simple but very,very tasty; and the addictive Mediterranean dips and Pitta platter.The Hummous,Tzatziki and Tarasmalata were freshly prepared and very high quality. All our main courses were large-the most favourites being the Cajun Burger,Steak, Salad and Chunky Chips.

As busy as you would expect for a Pub in Covent Garden. Very few places to sit really and a very spirited atmosphere. Good ales on tap and attentive staff. Food was mediocre but the portions were large .... not sure that made up for it. Everything seemed to be made in the kitchen and not from the freezer. The after work crowd packs in and hangs around till 7 and getting service can be hard. Not the cleanest pub but that's not why you are there.

This place is located in a real convenient location near the Covet Gardens tube station and boasts a happy mix of locals and tourists. Being in such a prime location I was prepared to be butt raped with tourist prices but to my surprise 2 pints only set me back 6 GBP. A very fair and standard price that was along the lines of every pub we drank out of. Since we visited on a Sunday it was as no brainer to order a traditional carvery dinner special. We both got the roast beef carvery special dinner (see pic for details), You could tell everything was homemade down to the dinner roll. The vegetables and jacket potato were very good however the roast beef was very dry and sucked up all of the gravy on the plate in a valiant effort to re-hydrate itself. Needles to day I was disappointed with the meal. The only saving grace was the savory veggies and homemade gravy. This place belongs somewhere in the middle in regards to the grip of pubs that I visited through my London journeys. It was great choice because of it's prime location yet forgettable because of its mediocre food. Come for a quick pint and an escape from the mayhem that is Covet Gardens. Consider yourself lucky if you get a seat here as the crowd never died down the entire time we were here. Cheers!

The Nag's Head in Covent Garden is always jam packed and definitely lacks adequate seating, especially if you are in a group. However, apart from that it is generally a very pleasant place to enjoy a drink. I particularly like it on an afternoon for lunch as the food is great and very good value. I always have the tuna niscoise salad as it really is delicious! Both the customers at the Nags Head seemed to be a mix of both tourists and locals, so there is always a good atmosphere and the crowd is generally very friendly and talkative. I always brace myself before stepping into London pub toilets, but the loos here are the cleanest I have ever seen!

The Nag's Head is always jammed whenever i visit and it usually takes a good 15 minutes at least to find a seat (infact you're lucky if you ever get one!). People usually have to form a huddle in any space they can find. I always wonder how long the people who managed to get the good seats have been sitting there as I have never seen it any less than completely full. Considering how busy this place gets the service is always quick and friendly. They have a good range of beers, ciders and spirits on but you have to expect the usual Covent Garden prices. The atmosphere is always buzzing but i really don't enjoy the sardine like environment. When i have a drink i want to relax and chat to friends but in here i usually spend most of my time holding on to my bag and coat so no one tramples on it whilst trying to maintain my balance and avoid spilling my pint.

Nice pub with a good kitchen that doesn't seem to be serving the same frozen crap food that most other pubs are serving. Good selection of real ales and friendly staff.

Like most review here that mention the seating, they are absolutely correct, there just is not enough seating, even though it is quite a large pub. I think if a bit of re organizing of the tables may help this, although i usually only have a couple of beers in here when i am in London, so don't mind standing up, the service at the bar is very quick so your not too long, even if it's busy. good London Pub

They serve McMullen Ales here, and those are the best Ales I've found. They serve 4 different kinds of McMullen Ale, and my favorite is the IPA. This Ale is so smooth it hardly tastes like an IPA. Try to hit this place on a week day for lunch and enjoy the food and Ale. It gets very crowded in the evening. Even when they are packed the service is always fast and friendly.

Cheap, but no wifi :( Hard to handle the mass tourists at covent garden, but this was a quiet escape (not crowded, casual, one of the more low key and less cozy pubs i've been to - although we visited midday, so it sounds like other times can be a different story in terms of the crowds). I'd come for the cheap prices, but not expect any frills. Still, next to such a touristy locale, surprisingly cheap (ok, i've said that about 10x now). If you sit at one of the raised bar tables in the window and position your phone just right, you can catch another establishments wifi. I initially thought some guy was a total weirdo lurking in the window, but after catching wifi at the window of our table, assume that was his plan as well.

By far one of the best dish & chips I've had in London. Be prepared to share it's so huge. Service can be on the slow side when busy but that's what you get for great food.

Popular and packed with locals and tourists we stopped for a beer at Nags Head, a victorian traditional english pub in the heart of covent garden. Part of the McMullen brewery group. Great beer pumped by some friendly bar ladies. We stood drinking our beer until a few seats at a table opened up.

Situated 30m from Leicester Square tube on the thoroughfare to Covent Garden, the crowd is as touristy as you'd expect. An in-your-face, boisterous Victorian pub with all the frills expected from a 'traditional' pub ensures it lives up to their expectations too. Despite this (large) drawback, it is in a handy position for a quick pint before the journey home and a good meeting spot. The beer on tap is McMullen's and this is backed by a reasonable variety in the fridges. Don't expect it to be cheap though.

On a corner between Covent Garden tube and Covent Garden market, this pub is always packed with tourists, or theatre crowd, or after-workers on Fridays and Saturdays. It's location makes it a handy meeting-place, but also curses it with these heaving crowds. Several of the tables are large, 10-person-accomodating, noise-generating zones. It's dark, packed, with loud obnoxious top 40 music, too. The only saving grace: they have a decent choice of ales. A much better choice is the White Lion (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/343813-The-White-Lion-London) , right across the street.

We had dinner here on our first day of London, upstairs above the pub. Air conditioned!! It was 86 F when we were in London. Hubby got the lasagna and didn't really like it (too soupy). My fish and chips was very good and so was the Pilsner. Daughters had Carder's salad (good - big) and the popcorn chicken with chips. Popcorn chicken was modified to be just the chicken - was peppery but good. One of our daughters had a lemonade and loved it. Would eat here again.

Such a cool vibe - from the posh-industrial decor, to the simple but robust menu, to great service and some house brews, this place is solid! I had the fish and chips with their house brew IPA and both were great!

Good spot for drinks. New waiter had some trouble but got help from an experienced one. Drinks great. Didn't eat but menu looks nice.

Another pub in Covent Garden, the Nags Head doesn't do much to stand out among the rest except for having the largest crowd outside of it. This pub is very loud and crowded inside but the music is good and the drinks are strong. I would definitely not recommend coming to the Nags Head is you want to have an intimate conversation with your date or anyone else, but it's a great place for a rowdy group to have a pint or two. Make sure to stake out seats as soon as possible, they go fast here.

This place doesn't have much attraction accept that they sell McMullen beers, beers that you won't find at many other pubs around town. The pub interior is all wood and old-school like. Average prices. Average uncaring but efficient enough service. I honestly would only visit here to try a half pint and then leave.

I walk into this pub and I am struck by how it doesn't smell like a pub! It smells a bit like a clean greasy spoon cafe, no doubt owing to various sauces and food condiments found on every single table. I sat down at one of the sparsely available seating areas (the pub has a huge gulf/space between the seats/tables and the bar, and you wonder if they could slip some more seating in). The layout is slick though, a nice horseshoe shape bar with the rest of the pub shaped around it. Two walls are made up of huge windows so that the whole pub has an airy, well lit atmosphere. I would go as far as saying that this is more a restaurant then a pub. The food menu is decent, with some things overpriced (£7.50 for a breakfast) and some things about right (£7.95 for Pie and Mash). An interesting mix, an interesting place. Give it a visit, it's well worth it.. one of the first things you see when you walk out of Covent Garden station.

What a rude and ignorant staff. Came with my boyfriend, and no one even gave us menu. I had to go take it myself when the others got their menu in hand from the waitresses. So selective and not professional at all. 40mins waiting for Sunday roast is also way too much. Won't recommend at all.

Yes, it gets very crowded, buts in a very busy area, so what would you expect? I'm giving it 4 stars because no matter how busy it is, I've always managed to duck into this place and get a good pint in a reasonable amount of time. The bar staff are friendly, efficient, and pour a good drink.If during your travels you find yourself in Covent Garden, stop in for a pint or two, the pub across the street is nice as well...

DO NOT GO TO THIS PUB. I went to meet a friend on a Wednesday evening. Ordered 2 pints and wished to pay by card. Was informed by bar man that there was a £10 minimum. I asked to leave my card behind the bar and open up a tab. They said that wasn't necessary, but instead swiped my card and returned it to me. 20 minutes later I ordered 1 more pint and a half pint, gave the barman my card, explain I wished to close my tab. I was handed the card machine with a £19 total. Obviously this was wrong considering I only had 3 and 1/2 pints. After initial disputes with the barman, the manager came over. I politely explained that there has been a mistake somewhere, and I have been over charged. He insisted that there had been no mistake, and that I purchased 5 pints in total! He refused to return my card unless I accepted to pay. In most circumstances, I would have challenged this, but I was with an old friend and did not want the scene to get ugly. Literally the worst customer service I have received from anywhere. The Nags Head basically robbed me. The staff are equipped with limited intelligence and are rude beyond acceptable levels. Avoid at all costs.

Went there for a quick lunch on a Monday in winter, so not busy which was good. The usual choice of pub grub, at an inflated price & of poor quality. My steak was over done & full of gristle, there were 2 soggy onion rings, some shrivelled up tiny mushrooms, a tomato, peas & chips. The chips were ok, as were the frozen peas, but the rest was pretty dreadful. The burger my friend had was edible, but not fantastic either. The staff seemed ok & they have a range of beers on tap. I wouldnt be rushing back though.