NOTICE: Venues need your support more than ever during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

A nationwide lockdown is currently in place in England, and you are required by law to stay at home. Hospitality venues can still provide food takeaway and delivery services, but can only sell alcohol by delivery service.

But please be aware that opening hours and services may be different to those displayed here. Before visiting or ordering from any venue, we strongly advise you to check its website or social media, or get in touch with them first to avoid disappointment.

If you see any details here that need updating, please let us know by submitting feedback on the pub.

Edgar Wallace

40 Essex Street
Aldwych
London
WC2R 3JF

• (020) 7353 3120
• Send an email to the Pub
• theedgarwallace.co.uk/index

Opening Times

Meal Times

12 - 9 Mon - Thu
11 - 3 Fri
Closed Sat & Sun

Owner

Ei Group

About the Pub

Just off Fleet Street near the Royal Courts of Justice, near all the barristers' chambers in the Temple and the Aldwych, this is a real gem of a one room pub, with an additional drinking and eating room upstairs. The ceiling is packed with the landlord's collection of beer mats, and the walls and back bar - and more! - can only be described as a mecca of advertising signs for beers, sherry, port, cigarettes, tobacco and cigars of the past.

The landlord's collection of Edgar Wallace crime novels, pub guides, etc., will make you want to linger. And with between six and eight ales generally available, all but one being rotating guests sourced from breweries, including micros, from all over the country, you're spoiled for choice. The landlord John (he gets by on around four hours of sleep a night - he's used to it after 46 years in the trade and 8 at the Edgar Wallace; it's a way of life) is invariably on hand at his table by the main door, and will happily help you make your choice of beer. Good value food is served all day (but just until 3pm on Fridays).

This pub does not open at all at weekends. It's a "quiet" pub with no music; laptops, mobiles and so on are not allowed. With its great range of interesting real ales, it operates a try-before-you-buy policy but, to compensate for this, note that half pints may be charged at a premium rate.

Historic Interest

There has been a pub here since at least 1777. Past customers of the Essex Head Tavern (known as Sam's for the publican Samuel Greaves, an old servant of Mr. Thrale - of H. Thrale & Co., brewers at the Anchor Brewery Southwark) included Dr. Samuel Johnson and Richard Brocklesbury who are said to have founded the Essex Head Club here in 1783. Rebuilt in 1891 as the Essex Head, it took its present name in 1975 to celebrate the centenary of the famous crime writer's birth.

Regular cask ales

This pub serves 1 regular beer.

• Crouch Vale Brewers Gold

Changing cask ales

This pub serves 7 changing beers.

Changing beers typically include:

• Dark Star Hophead
• East London Pale Ale
• Timothy Taylor Landlord

Usually five, sometimes seven changing ales.

Updated on 05/07/2020
Last surveyed on 04/02/2020
Branch responsible is West London

Seen some incorrect or missing details?
Send an email to the CAMRA branch with your updates.

Email this pub to a friend