The Ivy House , Holborn  

Close to Holborn tube, the Ivy sits on the busy Southampton Row and bills itself as a traditional British pub, so you'd be forgiven for thinking that it would be packed to the rafters with office workers, shoppers and tourists seeking a little rest and sustenance - unfortunately this doesn't appear to be the case. There have been a number of different establishments in this building over the last few years and none of them have amounted to much and, so far, the current incarnation doesn't appear to be faring any better. On a warm sunny evening, when most pubs and bars around here were thronged with merry punters spilling on to the pavements, the Ivy was eerily quiet. A smattering of tourists and a couple of office workers were the sum total of the clientele, but the quietness didn't produce a calm and restful atmosphere. None of the advertised real ale was available - all three hand pumps were off - and a couple of the other beers were unavailable too, leaving a generic choice of lagers, spirits and wines. The pub itself is a somewhat shabby and careworn, the tables were sticky, with uncollected glasses and the grubby laminated menus for the Thai food only added to the air of neglect. The service was prompt and friendly, but this really was the only plus point. It seems the current management is also finding it difficult to make a success of this pub, which always seems to have struggled, even in much happier economic times. We suspect it's the wrong, expensive, building in the wrong place, for anyone to make a success of this pub.

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