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Covent Garden and Punch and Judy go way back. The ultra-violent puppet show is first recorded in the plaza as early as 1662, in the diary of Samuel Pepys. Just metres from that spot now stands the Punch and Judy pub.
It's a curious affair, which boasts an upper floor and a basement bar, but no ground floor — surely a unique set-up. Upstairs or downstairs, you're in for a bit of a treat. The upper room (recently refurbished) boasts a large balcony from which punters can keep an eye on the street performers down below. The basement, meanwhile, is one of those barrel-vaulted spaces that seem designed for long, cosy drinking sessions.
The food menu is the standard Greene King fare which, while nice enough, misses a trick. Surely the Punch and Judy pub should be serving SAUSAGESSSSS?
This is undeniably a tourist pub, rather than a venue that many Londoners would endorse. Yet it shouldn't be dismissed. Unlike many West End pubs, this place has bags of character. Like Mr Punch himself, only without the beatings.
