please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Think I have previously under appreciated this place. Its usually too busy to admire the inner beauty.
Lovely deep red decor and glass partitioned snugs.
Beer is OK but I recommend you pick a quiet time to appreciate its grade II listed status.
Fleet Street Pub Crawl at http://bit.ly/2etkXjQ
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Been here multiple times, an unsurpassed location near the shopping hell of Oxford Street. Fine and historic interior, tolerable selection of cask ales.
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Beautiful 18th century pub with stunning interior. Beer was well kept. Staff not terribly attentive on my visit, maybe it was the heat.
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My first visit to the newly refurbished Argyll Arms on a Wednesday afternoon for a quick pint. This pub has been extensively renovated by Nicholson’s but it has kept all of it's charm and splendid decor.
The long bar serves the 4 separate drinking areas with each of these areas separated by wooden and etched glass partitions, parlour style. Lots of wood behind the bar and brass taps on the bar.
8 hand pumps with 4 regular ales and 3 changing ales. Today's guests were Windsor and Eton Knights of the Garter, Adnams Broadside and my choice which was SA Brains Bread of Heaven @ 4.0%...brewed by this Cardiff based brewery for the recent rugby world cup.
Pretty busy while I was here with a mix of tourist and shoppers. The bar staff were attentive and friendly and added to the charm of the pub.
There is an upstairs dining room that I didn’t venture to as I only had a quick pint and left but this give me enough time to fully appreciate the pubs stunning interior.
Cracking location & great décor, the ale choice is very good just don’t be put off by the prices this is the heart of Central London after all !
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Beer - 8. Pub interior - 10. Piped muzak - 0. Note for the management - pubs like this create their own atmosphere & don't need loud music that no-one bar the bar staff wants to hear.
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No back open. Decent pub, decent beer amidst the hustle & bustle.
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***Currently closed for a full refurbishment***
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Nice beer, great interior, horrendous prices!
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I was rather off hand when I reviewed this place back in 2005. I have been back a few more times, and while it may not be the place to cuddle up in a corner and spend all day. having chatty and friendly conversations with other customers and staff, it is what it is: a busy and popular central London pub. It does have a somewhat spectacular interior. one this will impress friends and family. And the beer selection is quite decent - generally four or five interesting guests selected from a range of small breweries. On this visit - a family group having lunch after visiting Hamleys with my five year daughter for her to select her birthday presents - it served us very well. We went upstairs to the dinning room - a place I not previously seen. It is a cosy room - small, yet with the tables and chairs arranged comfortably. The most popular seats are by the window - but we were very happy on the middle tables - pulling them together to fit our party. It is waiter service in this room, though that appears to add nothing to price, which is as expected for pub food in central London. The meal was OK, though portions were a little small. The waiter didn't seem happy that we preferred to go downstairs to order our beer. Not quite sure why this was a bother to him. Nor, why he was concerned that we were picking up the menu ourselves rather than waiting for it to be brought over. He was nice enough, though, and brought our daughter some crayons and drawing paper. He forgot to bring a small plate for her, but no worries, we always carry one just in case.
Last time I rated this place a 4. That was rather mean. It is clearly an above average pub that you should visit. It does tasty pub food, and offers a good range of interesting beers. It is clean and comfortable. What it lacks is the right charm and ambiance, but the other factors more than compensate for that.
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Very impressive interior, the beer I had was in good condition, and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Shame I only had time to stay for one pint.
hadda - 11 Jul 2013 13:53 |
Enjoyed our visit here, although it was heaving (mainly office-workers, also a fair sprinkling of tourists). Lovely original Victorian interior with a couple of snugs and efficient service.
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Quite disappointed too be honest when I called in here. Had a nice enough pint of London Pride at £3.90 and there were around 10-12 hand pumps on,albeit some of duplicates of Pride etc... Drawbacks, staff didn't seem that interested, atmosphere in the pub was quite dour and somewhat pricey, especially the Thornbridge Jaipur which was on too. Its in the GBG2013 and IMHO needs to try a wee bit harder. 5/10
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It should be noted straight away that The Argyll is in a very busy and touristy part of Central London and attracts loads of foreign visitors who come out of Liberty's or The Palladium, to admire the superb interior while trying a British real ale and some British pub grub (with this Nicholsons could try harder as the portions looked very mean - a bit of fish with about 7 or 8 chips and some peas?? Not brilliant value.) Anyway, we go for the beer and enjoyed an excellent pint of Tyne Bank's Silver Dollar. It wasn't my round so I don't what the price was but I would guess it was nearer £4 than £3. Like I said this is a central London bar so expect to pay more! There were around 8 ales available including Brains/Bath Ales and their own house Pale Ale. I would agree that Nicholson's pubs are springing up on every corner of London these days (and further afield as well) but they usually offfer a decent range of beers and many are very attractive Victorian/Edwardian style pubs - so you pays your money and you takes your choice!!
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When you're in this location you don't have to try too hard. And the Argyll doesn't. The interior is very nice and there's a decent selection of ales, but that's wiped out by charging �4 for a pint of over-cold, flat mild.
There are many pubs in the area and a lot are better than this place. How, then, given the competition, does it get into the new GBG? While you're perusing this question you might ask yourself how many of the entrants in the middle of London are owned by Nicholson's, as indeed how many around the country are Wetherspoon's, and wonder how independent CAMRA really is now.
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hey----is Mike still running this pub????? I am Sandra [scottish girl-was engaged to David Judge] would luv to know how he's doing??? XXXX
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It's been a good few years since I was here last. On entering last night, the range of beers looked fairly good. There were 4 or 5 immediately in front of me and I inquired as to whether there were any others. There seemed to be a communication problem with the Polish barman, but I did understand the word 'Tribute'. Instead I opted for the Box Steam Tunnel Vision, which was followed by a mumbled response from the barman. It turned out that the Tunnel Vision had just gone off and I ended up with just short of a pint, that had been sat on the drip tray. In fairness, I was offered the drink for the price of a half. It turned out that all but two of the real ales were off, despite all the pumpclips still showing. SA Gold and Tribute were all they had left. 2 out of the 4 lagers were also off! To top it all, we overheard the bar manager giving a member of his team a ticking off for offering to get some beers on. The response was that when in the cellar, you're not taking any money! This money-grabbing ploy should work for the one-off tourist visitors who will buy a pint regardless, but won't wash with me. It's a shame that a Nicholsons pub is run this way, when they have pubs elsewhere that offer a great range of beers, e.g. The Falcon in Clapham. This is one of the finest pub interiors in London, but is not fulfilling its potential. Its location and beautiful architecture will continue to draw in the crowds, without any effort required by its staff. But it's likely to be a good few years before I'll return to give it another go.
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Built in 1742 but remodelled in 1895. the Argyll Arms is just around the corner from Oxford Circus and has one of the most important late Victorian interiors in London with a long, straight servery and a series of screened-off drinking areas, or snugs (the divisions are partitions, NOT snob screens - see previous comment - for actual snob screens visit the Lamb in Bloomsbury). Sumptuous cut and etched glass and mirrors abound - a sheer delight! The welcome was warm and efficient and the ale is very well kept - bonus!
BobOs - 28 Sep 2011 11:11 |
Busy city centre pub just off Oxford Street, in a prime location for tourists, shoppers and office/shop staff. The interior has multiple drinking areas separated by attractive glass snob screens.
Ales and food are the typical Nicholson's range but I have had better quality beer in other London outlets. Never the less not a bad option for the area.
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Nice old traditional London pub with the glass snob screens. Potentially a good range of ales (from the Nicholson's menu) but the Nethergate IPA I tried was like vinegar...I'm not that familiar with that ale so it wasn't quite bad enough to send back but definitely not good enough to order an extra pint. Rammed with tourists, and really noisy. Prices were OK given the location but beer quality was inexcusable....whether or not I was just unlucky I don't know.
I went in on a Friday evening in August so maybe didn't see this place in it's best light.
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This has got to be the best pub in this part of town - bearing in mind its position in a very busy and touristy street with Liberty's and The Palladium etc all very close by. Fabulous interior with tons of etched glass;little rooms and mahogany panelling. Just the kind of place the tourists would expect a London pub to look like. Beer is usually good (the Nicholsons range is quite impressive these days)with prices at the level you would expect for this location - but not in my opinion overly expensive! I enjoy a beer here and just people watching.
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Not bad given the location - it could be terrible! Decent ale, the Doom Bar was under three quid which surprised me. Bit of character, multiple rooms, a pretty good place to meet people but then plot your trip to Soho or somewhere else with a few more quality bars. 6/10
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Dead handy place to meet - come up out of the tube and there you are. Always home for an outside table, never quite make it. Always seem to end up in the middle nook, sat on a bar stool. Had company today - so a pint and two cokes came to �8, I then had to explain that this is not too unreasonable for LDN. Until I sat and thought about it.
Still a great pub.
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A nice old style Victorian partitioned alehouse with numerous ales on. Had an excellent pint of Cropton Endeavour. This is probbaly your best bet for a pint of proper beer around Oxford Street. If you're coming out of Oxford Circus tube leave by exit 6.
anonymous - 1 Dec 2010 21:21 |
nice enough but hectic, beer was ok but not great, nice building but I wouldn't want to clean all of the mirrors
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Great looking pub, good beer selection. Nicholsons so beer was OK. Service good. Cant say much more. I like it.
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Lovely interior and a really central location. The wine was lukewarm but drinkable. The ladies toilet upstairs was filty and they did stink.
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We were throughly well looked after on our visit to this wonderful pub on Monday. Had a quiet excellent breakfast (bubble and squeak to die for). Sat outside enjoyed a fag, had Doom Bar a real ale from Rock in Cornwall, though it was hard to choose as Nicholson's houses are free and apart from their regular range, each pub offers guest beers. The landlord has achieved his Cask Master and wears his badge with pride. I enjoyed the sales and got bargains whilst my husband sat and supped. You can also sup an ale before buying. After some joint retail therapy, we had aa visit to the next nearest Nicholson's establishment The Black Horse, Rathbone Place, W1. Again we enjoyed our visit. As the Argyll Arms is next to Oxford Circus tube we found ourselves back there. The atmosphere buzzed, shoppers, tourists, locals, business people and weary travellers mixed and new friends were made.The attention to detail, and friendliness of the staff was refreshing to experience, in these post recession days. In future, trips to the West End will begin at The Argyll Arms and probably end there with us missing our train home to Sussex, again. Thank you to the management and staff for turning a one night stay in the Capital into a mini holiday. Helenroy
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Visited on a Sunday afternoon / early evening prior to a concert at the near by Palladium. The building itself is very impressive heavy Victorian design, sadly many of these pubs no longer exist.
Because of it's location right on Oxford & Regent Streets plus it's proximity to the Palladium means it can get very busy.
Good range of beers on offer, I think I counted 6. Asked for a pint of Doom Bar, the youngish barman pulled the pint took one look at it before pronouncing it was off and turned the pub clip round without any prompting from me at all. Very good work, I have lost count of the times I have had to argue the point in other pubs, to see this attitude from a young barman is very refreshing.
Plumped for the 7.4% Old Rosie Scrumpy instead (bit of a change I know) which was very nice.
Had food in the downstairs pub rather than the dining room upstairs. Quality was OK, nothing exceptional.
Probably wouldn't spend all night in here but will happily visit whenever I am in the area for a couple.
I can only assume Paris Hilton picked an off day with the toilets, there seemed nothing wrong with them at all.
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Nice place, much larger than I thought it would be - similar to Princess Louise in Holborn with all the different partitions............lovely old interiour with original etched windows/mirrors. Staff not so interested but worth a visit.
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It smells like the toilets could do with agood clean. Popped in yesterday for a quick one and walked out again - it stank
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Stylish interior, and a good meeting place for a quick one when in the West End. Have had some unfortunate experiences here over the years, like ales being off, pints not topped up, bartenders unable/unwilling to understand English, even shortchanged on an occasion. Still decent for an early afternoon drink, but best avoided in evenings when it's usually crowded and too noisy.
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Desperately needing to escape the maddening crowds of Oxford Circus & Regents Street last Saturday, I ventured in to to this exquisite Nicholsons pub. The decor is wonderful as detailed already and I found the service to be fast & friendly considering the masses of people taking shelter. I opted for a pint of Thwaites Nutty Black which was very well kept and hit the spot! This is pub is ideally located for a swifty pint while the Mrs spends a fortune in the shops!
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Impressive Victorian showpiece pub situated by Oxford Circus Tube Station and the London Palladium. The well preserved interior earns the pub a place in CAMRA's National Inventory of Unspoilt Interiors.
The pub entrance leads to an impressive mirror-lined corridor with, on the right, a series of compartmentalized small rooms with etched glass screens. At the end of the corridor is a spacious room, mainly used for dining, and a staircase leading up to the Palladium Bar and Dining Room. At the foot of this staircase, a framed potted history of the pub on the wall tells us that the interior was remodelled in 1895, when the partitions were added in order to separate the various social classes. Of note is the front room is a large Bass mirror.
My recent early Friday morning visit found the pub mainly dominated by tourists having either breakfast or mid morning coffee. Despite the cold weather, several hardy souls were sitting outside in front of the pub in pedestrianised Argyll Street.
It's a Nicholsons pub and, on my visit, beers on were London Pride, TT Landlord, GK IPA, plus TT Golden Best and Rudolphs Reward from Sheps, the latter two as guests. The TT Landlord - � 2.90p - was moderate.
Because of its location, the Argyll Arms is a popular meeting up point and is invariably crowded. Nevertheless, I wouldn't discourage you from calling in for a swift one if you haven't been here before - but I doubt you'd want to stay all evening.
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Popped in here yesterday for a pint whilst on the way home. It has all been said before - OK for a pint or two but not an all nighter. Quick service and Friendly bar staff. I did have to ask for a top up though
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Having avoided this place for years due to its proximity to Oxford Circus I ventured in a few weeks ago for the first time. It's like quite a few pubs in the West End in that the interior is much larger than the rather small street front suggests (The Tottenham at the eastern end of Oxford St is similar).
It's a single room split into three by dividers and the glasswork is impressive. The rear area is the biggest and it's to that area I made my way. Despite there being two or three staff behind the bar they seemed to be intent on finding any excuse to do something other than serve thirsty patrons a pint. After several minutes of watching them do this (and while several other customers joined me in pub purgatory) I gave up and headed out for somewhere with a better grasp of customer service.
I doubt I'll ever be back in here agains
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I hadn�t been to this pub for years, but in the past eighteen months I�ve been half-a-dozen times. Being next to Oxford Circus tube it�s very handy for meeting up with friends who live out of town as most of London�s main line railway stations are only two or three underground stops away. The first couple of occasions the beer, London Pride, Landlord, Hardy�s, etc. was very good. Unfortunately, since then it has deteriorated. The past two occasions (a few weeks ago and last night) it has been flat, undrinkable, crap. Last night was made worse by a young lady behind the bar from Eastern Europe telling me that English beer is supposed to be flat. Lady, I�ve been drinking this stuff longer than you�ve been alive on the planet, I know how it is supposed to taste! I shan�t be going back. The tragedy is it�s a lovely �olde worlde� pub, but unfortunately the beer and the staff (who seem to change every few months) are dreadful. If you are looking for a decent pint in the area there are quite a few within two or three minutes walk, particularly the The Shaston Arms round the back of Carnaby Street where you can get a very good pint of Badger or Tanglefoot.
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Worth visiting for the "heritage" interior and layout. However, like many of the pubs near the hustle and bustle centre of London it was a bit impersonal and lacking in atmosphere. Many cask ales on offer with "try before you buy" clips on all the pumps.
So good marks for the authentic and historic interior and for selling real ales. But the service could have been a bit more cheerful. One of those pubs where a good time could depend on who you are with and who is behind the bar.
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If this pub wasn't located slap-bang right in the heart of the touristy heart of the West End (mere seconds from Oxford Circus tube station, on the same street as The London Paladium and very close to Liberty's and Carnaby Street) then I'd imagine it'd be pretty near perfect, unfortunately it is and as such whilst it is a great meeting place, the sheer volume of customers makes it too much of an ordeal to spend any real length of time here and that is a great pity.
The building itself is lovely and the etched glass and dark wood interior is atmospehric and gorgeous. There are a couple of different little nooks and crannies to squeeze yourself into and service is as quick as could possibly be expected given the huge sea of humanity crammed inside as well as being friendly. They have a good range of ales, lagers, wines and spirits and prices are actually very good for the area. I was playing it safe and drinking Heineken, but am reliably informed that the ales were in pretty good shape including the green-hued "Sign Of Spring" which apparently tastes a lot better than it looks.
Clientele ranged from regulars, to office workers, to tourists and beyond and the atmosphere was convivial. Sadly due to crowding I spent most of my time outside on the pavement in the "al fresco" drinking area, I say sadly only because the interior is so nice, it has to be said in fairness that the views outside are very nice.
If you could ever find this place on a quieter moment, it'd be well worth settling in for a few. As it is, you'd be better off using it as a meeting place for a quick couple before venturing onwards.
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This pub promises so much but ultimately disappoints. Great Victorian decor, nice layout, excellent location, the promise of a wide selection of beer. BUT!!
Terribly slow service. Staff very lax clearing plates from tables. On my first visit I ordered a pint of Harveys Best which certainly wasn't Harveys when it came out the pump- it was nice whatever it was though. On 2nd visit, the Adnans, Landlord, Harveys and something else were all off, leaving Pride as the only choice for ale. Staff didn't seem bothered by this.
Judging by the design the drinks menu this pub is under the same management as the Falcon by Clapham Junction, but that pub is exceptional and illustrates how good the Argyll could be if properly run.
Persevered with it for 2 or 3 visits to see if the above problems were one-offs but alas they weren't, so will not be retuning in a hurry. Like I say, disappointing because it could be a great place
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good pint of pride 5/10 , disgusting toilets, why are there no downstairs toilets anymore?, dirty and smelly , I know its a busy station pub but M&B should do better with a so-called flagship site. far better pubs closeby.
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This is a beautiful cosy little pub in the middle of the hellhole better known as Oxford St. I love all the little snugs and any attempt to remove them would be sinful. It can get a bit packed but there is an open floor area to the rear of the pub where it can be easier to find seats. I didn't venture upstairs as I got the impression that it was a dining only area and I wasn't hungry - just thirsty. It was was the large blackboard outside the front door with big lettering advertising "FULLERS LONDON PRIDE �2.50" that lured me in here to quench that thirst, so it was a bit annoying to be told then at the bar that "the Pride is off today". On tap were Bombardier and Landlord Ale and both were fine. There was also a guest ale but I didn't have time to try it. What lets this pub down is the service. The staff looked as though they didn't want to be there and didn't seem to care if the customers wanted to be there either. They weren't rude - just nonchalant. Perhaps, with one of the Worlds busiest shopping streets on your doorstep you are always guaranteed a passing trade so who cares if customers want to return or not. Pity because The Argyll has the potential to sell itself as one of the friendliest pubs in the West End and it doesn't have to cost a penny. 10 out of 10 for beer (when available) and decor. Null points for service so I'll give it a 5.
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Lovely looking pub on the CAMRA Heritage list. It's good that it retains it's compartmented drinking areas despite the pressures there must be to open it up to make more room. Packed with tourists, office workers, casual droppers in etc which makes for an interesting mix. The barstaff were nippy and pleasant despite the crush at the bar and the three beers I tried were excellent - Thwaites Wainwright, TT Landlord and Bee Zone (Highgate Brewery?) Very competitively priced for the area too at around �2.70 a pint and a good choice of beer.
chick - 10 Sep 2008 09:42 |
A great pub which has kept its original decor despite the temptation to change the lay out which would certainly get more punters in. The price of the drinks is remarkably cheap for it's location, being in the heart of central London on one of it's busiest streets but I suppose they can afford to as their turnover must be massive. One of the pubs I always start off at or finish at when I go on a pub crawl around London. It is also great for a pre-theatre drink if going to the Palladium literally opposite. A lot cheaper than paying their prices!
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Absolutely crammed full of original Victorian features, it is worth visiting just for those alone. It usually has two or three guest ales on as well as regulars such as Landlord and London Pride. I had the Pride, which was OK, and decent value for the area at �2.50 a pint. If only it wasn�t right on top of Oxford Circus. It just gets too busy during the tourist season, and I very much doubt whether any of them realise that they are looking at some of the very best examples of original Victoriana rather than modern facsimiles. I probably won�t visit again unless I want to show a visitor a fine example of a Victorian pub interior.
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I agree with others that the interior of this pub is fantastic and it is worth popping in just to have a look.
My London Pride was a bit iffy and the Deuchars was off, but also on offer were Doombar, Bitter and Twisted, Thirsty Work, Landlord, Sunchaser, Stella, Fosters, Heineken, Amstell and Guinness among others.
So, an extensive selection in the centre of town � surely this is a great pub � Unfortunately not. We were served by a clueless barmaid and then asked to leave by another as my 14 year old brother shouldn�t have been served his blackcurrant and water. We were then asked to stand outside with all of the smokers � Nice one! We stayed inside until we had finished our drinks as they should have told us that we couldn�t stay in the bar before we were served.
Good looking and interesting pub run by rude and thick bar staff � Shame!
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What a shame, beautiful decor, though dilapidated and very poorly maintained. We were quite taken aback at just how contemptuous the service was but I suppose the tourists and shoppers who frequent this once great pub don't hang around long enough to find out.
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Not a bad pub considering the location. Unusual layout inside that can be confusing if you've had one to many but apart from that nothing to outstanding. Good to have a haven so close to the crazy crowds of Ox' street.
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Well worth a visit just to admire the well-preserved interior decor, but probably best done at a quiet time of day due to its proximity to Oxford and Regent Streets. No surprises, but a good range of well-kept real ale available. Definitely one of Nicholson's best (although that's not too hard...).
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Wandered down here for a pint or two after a meal tonight. In the National Inventory (I think) so worth coming down just for a look around. Tonight they had Black Sheep, Landlord, Pride, Abbot, Spitfire and Everards Tiger so a reasonable if unexciting range. Busy but we still found somewhere to sit. For such a central London pub this is as good as you could expect. As we were waiting for people to catch up before we went in we did get to look at a nice selection of young ladies in short skirts too.
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Because of it's location, a good starting point for a crawl around Soho, but also an oasis from the chaos of Oxford Street. Great interior with lots of mahogany and glass, and several little nooks and crannies. Can get very busy. Beer normally very good, and a good place to stand outside in the summer and enjoy people watching.
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Stopped off for a swifty afer a lunchtime spent Christmas Shopping in Regent Street. Peaceful oasis in a very busy area. Unspoilt decor and choice of 5 beers (though none unusual): Pride, Youngs Ordinary, TT Landlord, etc. Well worth a visit.
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The starting point of a short crawl undertaken yesterday. Interesting pub architecturally, full of nooks and crannies, nicely kept beer. Apparently breakfast is available from 8 o'clock, a fact I've noted for the future. Definitely worth a visit if in the area.
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Fantastic interior. Beers well kept and efficient bar staff
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worth a visit to see what a pub interior used to look like before theme pubs took over..nice pint of Fullers and a delicious snack well served .....sat outsdide ....sun shone ....had another pint of Fullers.......heaven
July 31st 2007
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Visited this pub as part of the "Dick Whittington Ale Trail" - Soho and Noho. You get a Frre T Shirt after visiting 5 different Pubs - There a Six different Trails to do, all run by the Brewerey. This pub offered God Food a Beer at very competitive prices - Good selection of real ales and Lagers - Well worth a Visit was absolutely packed of a Friday Afternoon - even more on the Pavement outside. Nice ornate mirrors on the wall
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Quite a good pub considering it's location.nice decor but has always been busy when I've been in but what would you expect being right next to oxford circus tube.worth a visit
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One of the best pubs I've ever visited. Just by Oxford Circus so perfect for if you're shopping. The place is a lot less expensive than you might imagine given the location. The London Pride was in excellent condition when I visited again the other day.
The interior is magnificent - original screens, bar and frosted glass that are all centuries old.
Well worth a visit - you'll stay a lot longer than you planned to!
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Superb traditional boozer with truly delicious ales which are always well kept.
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This is one of the handiest pubs in London, right by Oxford circus so really well placed to meet people or to bob in if you have had enough of shopping, in some ways it can be a bit of a creche for grown men.
It has seating to the front on the pedestrianised part of the road which obviously get rammed, the interior is fantastic, its like taking a step back in time. The beer is nothing special, nor is the food, I once ate here and the guy even apologised before he put the food on the table, but they did give me 2 pints to help wash it down so I suppose that makes up for a bit.
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Alaways enjoy this pub, sunday evening used to see publicans from around the area meet up for a drink and a chat, greg and ginge were always the quintessential hosts and a good evening was had by all. staff were always attentive ( cause we were sitting with the boss??) greg always kept the beers in top notch. havent been back since they left. suppose another visit is due
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Quaint interior is attractive, but this means little seating space downstairs. Pub was absolutely heaving due to its proximity to Oxford Circus station, with a stream of people constantly squeezing past. Still worth a visit.
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Great pub just off the throng of Oxford street. Numerous real ales plus a guest always on. Food pretty good too. 8/10.
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The downstairs snugs are certainly beautifully crafted, and the Argyll is worth a visit just for that - though there is a noticeable patch of white ceiling that hasn't been painted, which spoils the effect a bit.
Had five fairly mainstream ales on draught yesterday - the Black Sheep was good, but wasn't too sure about the Old Hooky.
I suspect that many grubby hands will be wanting to rip out the downstairs as they have with the upstairs, so enjoy it while you can.
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I take it back - the staff here are great and gave me back my money - I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. It's a great looknig pub and I love the pictures of all the music stars - Judy Garland/Sammy etc
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I just went there for lunch this afternoon and they shortchanged me. They were quite unhelpful when I called to see if I could come back and get my change
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I love this pub and would like to go there more often for an evening, unfortunately I can only ever manage one drink before everything tastes and smells of tobacco and it always seems such an effort to get the bar staff's attention and then when you are served there is a communication difficulty, which means you get the wrong drinks or told the wrong price so you're forced to question your change or something like that. Perhaps I don't love it after all. Perhaps I just love the interior design!!
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A nice selection of beers in a beautiful (if chokingly smoky) setting, largely spoiled for me by the astoundingly poor service. A danger of going into a pub located, like the Argyll, on a tourist strip is that everyone hearing my accent assumes I'm on vacation. Sometimes that means I get friendly questions, sometimes it means people studiously ignore me in the hope that I'll go away, and sometimes it means I get treated like dog droppings by bar staff. At the Argyll, I was treated like someone who'd stolen the thrice-blessed goblet from which the barmaid drinks virgin blood to stave off the icy hand of death.
This is doubly a shame because the place really is a beauty, and the beer, when I was finally permitted to buy one, was well-kept and fresh (there's a beer festival on at the moment, with a selection of five real ales to choose from). But I won't be back again--there are too many friendly pubs to waste time in a place like this.
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"Real traditional" pub (see previous!!) in a busy location. The front area can get choked at busy times, but move further inside and you'll get served fairly quickly. Food upstairs if you need it, good range of beer and ale downstairs. Could be a nice spot in the summer with the outside tables, but I wonder if there's a lot of hassle with beggars from the tube next door?
Friendly service and decent beer when I went - under new management perhaps?
anonymous - 15 Feb 2006 14:35 |
Fantastic looking pub, faux traditional or real traditional, not sure. A real interesting place to drink. Did have some difficulty getting my order across but thats nothing new these days. A pleasant palce to meet friends but one you probably wouldn't linger in.
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Shockingly poor service by staff who didn't know what they were doing and couldn't understand the words 'pint', 'one' or 'of'! Not their fault being foreign and looking for jobs but the management really should put more into training staff. The only one who was any good was the elder irish lady. Really was bad service. It's got wonderful decor especially downstairs didn't see the upstairs before but it's definitely a little out of keeping with the downstairs so the other reader was probably right. The Pride was nice, downstairs is 'splendid'. A bit smokey. SORT OUT THE SERVICE - IT SHOULD BE A FLAGSHIP!! ...so there!
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miserable pub, miserable staff, full of tourists
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Downstairs still has the 'Olde' furnishings but has unforgiveably ripped it all out upstairs to attract the tourist foodies. Disgrace.
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Made another visit recently and there were no ales on at all. Lagers only! Won't be going back again.
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"Famous for our snugs" is the proud claim for another central London pub which has managed to retain original features. Most of the others in this area are owned by Sam Smiths, while this is owned by Nicholson's so has a broader, if not very exciting, selection of common or garden cask ales kept in just about acceptable condition. The "snugs" are the main attraction here; but while the glass, marble and mahogany is interesting, the service is off-hand, the music unsympathetic to the surroundings, and the atmosphere indifferent, so this is not a place that would attract a return visit, other than as a piece of historical curiosity to show a friend.
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Exactly as described by realalesnob. Hopefully it'll resist the march of 'progress' and not end up as an All Bar Slug. No smoking at the bar in this place but then again it'll be no smoking in pubs full stop sooner rather than later.
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The dying beast that is a West End pub with true character. Really interesting layout with lots of little cubby holes to hide in.
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Not a bad pub, nothing special. Very convenient for Oxford Circus so a good place for a drinks break when shopping, or a good place to arrange to meet people.
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Quite a strange pub in reality. It was very busy downstaris, and although the upstairs was nice and quite it certainly through us as it definitely did seem like a dining area. The whole of the downstairs area is like a bizarre hall of mirrors or labyrinth. As said by others it's not at all bad for it's location, and the beer was fine, although slighty expensive if I recall. Although, of course, there are some far better places to drink in the area (namely the Samuel Smith pubs) which are slightly more off the beaten track.
anonymous - 16 Apr 2005 17:59 |
oh yeah,..true true,......the five stop journey from Bank to Ox circ puts me in mind of the effort Hannibal had to make in moving those elephants....The Argyle is like a mirage as one exits ox circ tube,...nothing better than tying on a session there and forgeting where you were supposed to be meeting up in the first place......Uptairs bar as well for a bit of privacy away from the plebs
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this place is an oasis. slap-bang in the middle of town, it's ideal for that pint you need after a gruelling tube journey into town. plenty of fruities. nice dark corridor to hang around in and quietly shake.
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Have regularly walked past this place over the years but only went in for the first time the other night. The internal architecture is very interesting; it looks like the pub has been relatively unchanged for many years and the surrounding area has sprung up around it. Seems like a good spot to meet your friends if you are going on a night out in the west end.
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Not a bad pub, but when the Palladium turns out it is crazy. Ideal for a train home from Oxford Circus tube.
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It's actually alright in this place, considering its location.
I was forced to go there through meeting non-London living friens and found it quite bearable and not overly expensive.
If you must be in this vicinity then there are worse places to have a pint.
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Manages to be surprisingly good despite being smack bang in the middle of the Hell on Earth that is Oxford Circus. The interior is interesting (lots of old fashioned mirrors, corridors, etc.) and the staff are friendly and efficient (they need to be given how busy this place gets). London Pride is pretty well kept if slightly unmemorable. I can't remember what the prices were but it certainly didn't stand out as being overly expensive. If you have the profound misfortune to find yourself in the vicinity then the Argyll is well worth popping into to console yourself.
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Nice pub with beautifull interior. Nice screens and mirrors and stunning bar-back. Friendly efficient staff and a great pint of Tim Taylors.....Because of its prime location gets very busy though.....Is the upstairs area for drinking or dining only?..even the staff seem unsure. Other than that though, well worth a visit.
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I took over the management of this pub recently and would like to emphasise that we are now operating a bar area upstairs , not a dining area.
We are happy to welcome drinkers or diners in all areas.
Any poor service , food or drinks should be reported asap to the management and will be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
We are committed to offerring a variety of products including a minimum of 4 cask ales and 4 lagers.
Customers can email me direct if they have any comments or suggestions.
Thanks
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Beautiful pub in all aspects. Good selection of beer. It does get crowded... But aren't all good pubs suppose to be popular???
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This bar has so much potential but consistently refuses to live up to it.
Be prepared to wait for a decent seat even at off-peak times of the day. Seating downstairs is limited and the upstairs area is reserved for food only and has been known to be booked out for private parties. This drives the few random shoppers/lunchers in search of table space downstairs. If you are looking for somewhere to go at lunchtime for a few drinks, give the Argyll Arms a miss - staff make it plain that you are using up valuable seating for food-buying (���) customers. If, on the other hand, you have a longing for bangers and mash and don't mind occasionally late/not as ordered/undercooked food, or the feeling that staff have a hundred other more important things to do than take your order, then it offers OK food in a convenient location and really gorgeous surroundings.
sla - 6 Apr 2004 15:58 |
Went there for a beer after the Cock on Friday. Amusing bar man - which one of our vast range of lagers would you like (only do Carling & Stella) & bitter (they only did John Smiths).
Anyhow very accessible & worth a visit.
PJB - 8 Mar 2004 10:58 |
They have turned the upper storey into a dining area only. All the nice fittings have been removed. This was a retrograde step and has caused me to drop my rating from 7 to 5.
Alistair - 24 Dec 2003 11:59 |
great pub, very beautifully carved mahogany in side with loads of brass and mirrors. Very clean and has a definite atmosphere.
pat - 22 Oct 2003 15:06 |
Gets very packed very quickly, but it's beautiful inside.
Was being done up recently - fingers crossed it hasn't been mucked about with.
Darryl - 11 Aug 2003 13:24 |
Brilliant Pub split inside by screens great atmosphere just watch your bags. Enjoy it while you can Six Continents are trying to get permission to tear inside original fittings down(Grade 1 listed!) and turn into 'trendy' Nicholsons bar.
arturo_morales - 21 Mar 2003 10:38 |
A good pub but gets very crowded very quickly in the evenings. Upstairs part of the pub is not open often enough even when the large number of customers makes it worthwhile
Alistair - 21 Nov 2002 11:06 |
Perfect place to meet and the sitting area upstairs is usually less busy.
Eva - 28 Oct 2002 16:25 |
