The Open Guide to London: the free London guide

• Postal District: WC2
• Local Government authority: London Borough of Camden

Holborn is a district of central London, mainly notable for business, so it's busy on weekdays and deserted on Sundays. Many of the pubs don't bother opening on Sundays; probably some don't bother opening on Saturdays either; this applies to restaurants and sandwich shops too.

• Streetmap centered on Holborn

View all pages in Locale Holborn

Holborn's crest. The motto is a quotation from Bacon:
"Many shall pass through and learning shall be increased".

Pubs

• Open Guide recommendations:
  • Plough, WC1A 1LH -- nothing special, but has been known to not be crowded on a Friday night; something of a rarity around here. --Kake

Sandwich Shops

Like almost everywhere in London, Holborn has the same dull old chain coffee and sandwich shops like Pret a Manger, [Starbucks]?, and so on. But that's booooring. Go to one of the independent places, or a smaller chain such as Eat or Konditor and Cook, and try something different. Beware though, a lot of sandwich shops in the area (including Pret a Manger) close at around 3:30pm.

• Open Guide recommendations:
  • Eat on High Holborn near Chancery Lane station: does sandwiches; wraps; noodle dishes; salads; competent, ample and affordable takeaway sushi; and apparently some really good soup.
  • [Coffee Matters]? is just across the road from Holborn station, and does a range of Fairtrade coffees (soya milk available), freshly-squeezed juices and interesting sandwiches.
  • Konditor And Cook on Gray's Inn Road for "hand-made" style sandwiches and posh cakes. Open till at least around 5:30pm, and often even has sandwiches left that late.
  • There's a Benjy's on High Holborn (see Sandwich Shops)
  • Rudi's sandwich bar just off Gray's Inn Road is very generous with fillings and the prices are quite reasonable.
  • Andrews Restaurant on Gray's Inn Road does very cheap sandwiches -- a cheese sandwich is only �1 -- and also does fryups and things. I've only been in there once and unsurprisingly it was full of pensioners. But, look, nice and cheap; plus it stays open later than most sandwich shops in the area. I expect they have a fairly limited selection, though. (photo from e-street)

History

• History of Gray's Inn Road

Miscellany

The BBC has a Holborn 'jam cam'.

Neighbouring locales: Bloomsbury / Clerkenwell / Strand