“Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!” Imagine those words echoing through the Seven Stars pub. This London establishment is steeped in history. The Seven Stars is more than just a pub. It is a survivor of the Great Fire of London.
The Seven Stars possibly originated in the 17th century. Its frontage bears the date 1602. It was formerly known as The Log and Seven Stars. While the frontage may bear the date 1602, the building likely dates from the 1680s. The name Seven Stars is generally accepted to have been “The Leg and Seven Stars”. It was a corruption of “The League of Seven Stars”. This referred to the seven provinces of the Netherlands. This was a ploy to attract Dutch sailors who had settled nearby. Seafaring folk were known for their love of a drink.
The Seven Stars was virtually a port-side pub. This was when the Fleet was a navigable river. Landlocked now, it is between Lincoln’s Inn, Temple Bar, and the Royal Courts of Justice. The Seven Stars has become a popular legal haunt. What whispered stories of lurid cases have echoed around its walls? This especially happened when a guilty verdict often ended in a grisly death.
Sir George Carey led a colourful life. He had royal connections and theatrical goings-on. He even had a delightfully sordid death. Sir George was second cousin to Elizabeth I. He earned a knighthood in 1569. He helped quell a Catholic rebellion against her. He defended the Isle of Wight against the Spanish Armada. Sir George served as MP for Hampshire and Hertfordshire. He became patron of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. This was the company of actors that held the exclusive rights to perform plays by Shakespeare.
The interior of the Seven Stars is eccentric. Traditional pub seating is teamed with bistro-style tables. They are covered with gingham plastic straight out of the 1950s. One ante-room is a former wig shop. The bewigged heads of dummies are still on display. The ceiling is festooned with dried hops. Wood-panelled wars are covered with customer photographs and film posters. These posters feature anything to do with the law.
The Seven Stars serves a good range of cask beers. It also serves hearty, home-cooked fare. The menu changes daily on the whim of the landlady, Roxy Beaujolais. It is difficult to pigeonhole the food. British fare is in evidence. There are also more unusual dishes. There is a cat that wears a ruff. Why wouldn’t there be?
Shakespeare may have been an early customer of the Seven Stars. He might have visited while making his way through the medieval streets. He also could have visited after traversing the Thames on a wherry.
The Seven Stars faces the back of the Royal Courts of Justice. Within its ancient charm, drinking in Queer Street is pleasant. One can linger over gastronomic pub food and real ales. These are behind Irish linen lace curtains.
Roxy Beaujolais is the proprietor of the Seven Stars. She is a sometime publican in Soho. She is also a pub food cookbook author. Roxy arrived in London from her native Australia in 1973. In 2001, Roxy decided it was time to run her own joint. She and her husband found the shabby Seven Stars. They bought the lease.
During Roxy’s tenure at The Seven Stars, her hospitality and cooking have achieved recognition. The Seven Stars received the Time Out-Perrier London Best Pub Award in 2003.
So, raise a glass to the Seven Stars. It is a place where history, charm, and good company meet. May its doors remain open for centuries to come.