Address: 53-54 Carey Street, WC2A 2JB
Nearest Station: Chancery Lane
Welcome: Good; Service: Good (SIT); Beer: Good; Toilets: Basic
Cost of two pints: £7.80 (Adnams Bitter)
Guest: Rick; Word: Bijoux; Person: René Artois, ‘Allo ‘Allo!
Rating: 8/10
Chancery Lane meets Paris in The Seven Stars, a pub which combines tributes to the legal profession with the charm and fittings of a French café. Outside we found a large crowd, hanging baskets, and the shop front for ‘The Wig Shop’. Passing through the narrow entrance, on the brown walls of the three rooms we could see posters for legal dramas (such as Trial and Error), pictures of judges and images of old texts. Drinkers had gathered around the small bar under the pinkish red ceiling; a few had secured places at one of the tables, each covered in a green and white chequered cloth. The Seven Stars had more esoteric elements too. There was a photo of an accordion player behind the bar, and another by the window of a black cat wearing a jacket. A cabinet to the left of the spirits held a violin, books and an exotic figure. Handwriting on blackboards advertised wine and an extensive food menu, including breaded quail. Peanuts were served at the bar in brown paper bags, and a small sign above offered Havana cigars (the most expensive coming in at £34). It might be cramped, we thought, but it’s got style.
Pub Impressions 