Museum Tavern, Historic pub near British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, England.
The Museum Tavern is a Grade II listed building on Great Russell Street featuring an ornately crafted Victorian stone facade with large windows. Inside, original elements such as mirrors, gas lamps, and wooden bar fixtures from the 1800s remain intact.
The venue opened in 1723 as the Dog and Duck and was renamed in 1759 when the British Museum opened nearby. Its Victorian reconstruction between 1855 and 1864 established the interior character visitors see today.
The name directly refers to its position next to the British Museum, a landmark that shaped the neighborhood's identity. The space serves as a meeting point where visitors and locals gather between cultural activities.
The pub sits directly on a busy street between the neighborhood's museums and is easily reached on foot. It offers traditional British food including vegetarian and vegan options alongside a selection of ales.
Karl Marx wrote portions of Das Kapital while sitting here during his research at the nearby British Museum library. His visits connected intellectual work with the everyday social life of the neighborhood in a surprising way.
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