Duke Of Argyll, W1F 0RY
- 020 7437 6819
- 37 Brewer Street, W1F 0RY (streetmap) (osm) (gmap) (bingmap) (streetview)
Samuel Smith's pub in Soho, on the corner of Brewer Street and Great Windmill Street. It closed for refurbishment in 2017, but reopened at the end of the year.
Much of the small ground-floor space is taken up by the central bar, from which small wood-panelled compartments radiate out, each with its own entrance from the surrounding passageway and tall stools for half a dozen drinkers. Round at the back is a slightly larger space, similarly wood-panelled, with normal height stools and chairs and a couple of tables. There's a separate dining room on the first floor.
The decor is restored-Victorian, with the abovementioned wood panelling matched by the wooden bar and floorboards. Etched glass is everywhere, and a stained glass window in the back space depicts hops on the vine. Probably-original mosaic tiling can be seen underfoot in the entrance passageways, and old plans and drawings of the pub and other historic Soho buildings are by the stairwell.
Kake visited on a Monday lunchtime in September 2018. There were a handful of other customers when I arrived a little after 12:30pm. No music was playing. Service was friendly and helpful.
The pub has no handpumps, but did have Old Brewery Bitter on keg, as well as a bottled stout in the fridge. A pint of lime and soda was £2.20.
Accessibility: No steps to get in, but the toilets are in the basement, down a spiral staircase with a not-very-useful handrail on one side only. (In addition, said toilets have hands-free flushes with a tendency to go off prematurely.)
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