The Argyll Arms

Upon entering the dining room, we asked for a table for two and the waiter dashed off, ignoring us. Another waiter came over and we asked again for a table for two. We were seated after a look of utter contempt from the waiter.
After 16 minutes of small talk, yawning, and generally trying to get the attention of the waiter, nobody tended to us at all. No drinks, no menus, no Melly, no CC. We left. BYE FELICIA.

Built in 1742, it’s the kind of pub with loads of secret nooks to drink in — there is a lot of beautiful Victorian glasswork and they do an incredible Sunday roast. When we went it was completely jam packed and they were out of the roast completely — we happened to time our visit right near the turnup of the Christmas lights on Regent Street. It seemed that every wayward British husband had found his way in here to avoid standing in the road with the wife and kiddies waiting for Santa. A very good idea that we shared. We settled for quick half of Nicholson’s Porter and Nicholson’s Pale Ale — yes, it’s a chain pub, but if there’s one thing about Nicholson’s pubs, they’ve definitely stepped in to save some of the most historic and beautiful pubs in England so I can’t fault them for that. We went upstairs and had a quick meal of macaroni and cheese that was absolutely delicious — I definitely recommend Nicholson’s for a good quality bite to eat when you need one. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but then again in London, so is Nando’s.

Next door to where I work. Brilliant!

Four stars because, bearing in mind it’s location, this big rambling pub is well put together and the beer well kept. If you can put up with the endless stream of tramps cadging cash and fags, then the outside is a good place to watch the world go by.

I came in to the Argyll Arms a few weeks back as part of a first date, and as pubs go, this one was certainly pubbish.
Actually, it’s nice, in a distinctly touristy kind of way. I have a feeling if you moved the Argyll Arms two blocks down the road, it wouldn’t be so touristy, but because of its easy access to the tube and proximity to Oxford Street shopping, every person feeling a tiny bit British while on holiday thinks it’s so charming they just have to stop in.
The reality is that on the inside it’s really cool – distinct areas of the bar are partitioned off, giving it a different feeling than open-​plan pubs. There are lots of good beers available, both on tap and in bottle. It’s a Nicholson’s pub, which isn’t exactly uncommon in London anymore, but still retains a bit of its olden days charm.
For those unfamiliar with the area, it’s a great option to have a moderately authentic experience. For those wanting to get off the beaten path, take a few steps of Oxford Street and try your Unilocal app again.

Monopoly Pub Crawl — Stop #25 — Oxford Street (Green)
The penultimate property was Oxford Street, and here you run into a bit of a problem. There aren’t any pubs on Oxford Street and precious few in the area. The «official» Monopoly Pub Crawl guide was of no help but luckily if there is one thing Unilocalers are good at its sniffing out a place to get a drink. The Argyll Arms is right at the exit from Oxford Circus station so it’s a perfect stop.
I’ve passed by this pub many times and never been quite sure what to think. During the day, it’s plagued with boisterous tourists screaming at each other in a variety of tongues. And let’s be honest, nobody likes dodging manic children while precariously balancing a few pints. So I was apprehensive but it turns out all that worrying was for naught. In the evenings, the Argyll Arms turns into quite a sedate spot populated many by Brits and by far by the middle-​aged generation who are in the city for the day and are up for a relaxing pint or three with dinner.
At this point, you may think that our merry group of crawlers was going to be too much but since our numbers had dwindled to a hard core group of 8, we didn’t’ cause too much disruption but rather provided a source of amusement to many a pub visitor. Check out Grant T’s photos and you’ll see Nava being surprised in a picture with a dozen randoms who were so entertained that they insisted on a picture with some of us.
I quite like this pub with its friendly atmosphere, engaging and entertaining bar staff, and spacious interior as well as a large outdoor seating area. I’ll never come during the day, but as the sun goes down and I’m looking for a place to hang out with some friends before going bar hopping, then this is a good option.

I visited here on a cold Thursday evening with three friends. I didnt expect there to be a host/​hostess because that doesnt seem to be mandatory for restaurants in the UK. We walked into a lively pub scene filled with what seemed to be an 30 – 40 year old after work crowd. After getting the bartender’s attention he directed us upstairs to the more formal dining room. We were seated pretty quickly and made our selections off of the menu quickly as well. However, it took forever to get the attention of the waiter and waitress. The room had about 15 tables in it but only half of them were being used. The waiter and waitress on duty could have easily handled this room. We waited 15 minutes before the waiter came over. In fact, we witnessed the waiter go to tables that were seated after us. When he finally came to us, we took advantage of it and ordered appetizers, entrees and drinks. The menu has many things that sounded amazing. Three of us order the fish and chips, one of us order the pull pork and we ordered both of the available sharing platters. The waiter recommended a beer which he described as «the best beer in London.» It turned out to be a good, yet pedestrian pilsner.
The food was good, British food. However, this is not saying much. The fish does not seem to be seasoned at all. The sausage lacked any taste at all and the ribs seemed a bit overcooked and dry. Nonetheless, the pulled pork was amazing, garnished with apple sauce.
All in all, the food was ok but the service was terrible (despite the waiters being really nice and even getting us to go trays from another store to carry away leftover chips).

Great selection of ales, makes it a wonderful after work pub to put the world to rights or enjoy the crystal ambiance. This warm and friendly pub is a pleasure to visit an soak up the décor or hide away in one of the nooks an crannies with your nearest an dearest. Food is traditional good quality but a bit pricey.

Love Arthurish’s poem. With a choice of over 8 ales we can feel relaxed and happy here. Beautiful etched glass everywhere. Music is not too loud for conversation. Good for coming here with colleagues or friends. Recommended. :)

A poem about the Argyll Arms
The Argyll Arms
The Argyll Arms seems to have
Lots of nooks and crannies
It is a family friendly pub
You can even take your granny
It’s all dark wood and etched glass
It has an olde world feel
And as it’s always crowded
That must be its appeal
Food is served in the upstairs lounge
And in other parts also
You may even want to eat outside
Though the weather may tell you no
So the next time you’re in London
And you want some atmostphere
Drop into the Argyll Arms
And you will find it here.

I LOVE this old pub, it is a perfect example of London’s many old victorian buildings retaining its features as it was many years ago and not being tempted to modernise it. There are little booths to talk or have a cosy cuddle in and the celings and glass are as they were perfectly preserved in time. But i dropped a star because my glass was dirty (they gave me a free drink to compensate) and the loos were filthy!

One of the better pubs that have good beer and grub in England.
We ordered the lager that was on draft, and my friend and I ordered an appetizer platter to share, a salad, and a meat pie, and finished off with an apple pie and one of their ice cream desserts.
Nothing to complain of in terms of the food or beer. What made the food memorable was the meat pie had a puff pastry crust and the menu had dessert other than sticky toffee.
Note: the dining portion is upstairs and the first floor is divided into several alcoves so people can hang and talk with some privacy. Also, the wiater brought the wrong dessert for my firiend – he wanted lemon cheesecake but got apple pie instead.
I would probably go there again if I were in the vicinity…

I’ll keep it brief but a group of us visited for the first time on 14÷02÷12.
Visually, fantastic loved it.
Beer reasonably good selection and seems to be kept well.
Downhill from there-​on.
From the moment we stepped in it smelt not of oak beams as you’d have hoped, but of sewage. Not nice.
Tried to put that to one side and after a couple of pints I went for the inevitable pee before we moved on. The toilets were absolutely disgraceful. There are no excuses for such unhygienic filth and this was no single ignorant contributor it was just a plain and simple lack of any maintenance.
For this reason, I cannot rate it above a 2 and I’m unlikely to hurry back!

A very nice pub. The draught line-​up is decent, with about five rotating real ales to complement the standard macros. The décor is lovely with highly ornate, dark woodwork. There is an outdoor seating area to aid any overflow at the bar. There is a substantial menu but I did not eat anything during my visit. Will certainly return to see what is on tap.

It’s a good pub to meet/​wait for laggers (like me) by oxford street. The drinks are cheap and it is old stylee inside with wood/​frosted glass partitions. Kind of rabbit warren-​y with hidey holes and corners to sit down and enjoy a pint of something or another. Nothing special about the drinks list here; but you honestly should think of going somewhere else if you are looking for artisan beers or the like.
It was also nice and quiet until the theatre opposite finished. Then it was rather crowded and unpleasant.
Nothing amazing about it; but it is dead convenient and a good place to meet if nothing else.

The Argyll Arms #18 hold its patio to the good ol’ boys,
With nothing to do than drink life away. Pint by Pint.
sip after gulp after sip.
Intermittant cloud cover threatening to take their lazy saturdays indoors.
I pray for rain.

Decorative mirrors and lots of mahogany adorn this old fashioned pub. There are also some small cubicles at the front of the bar. I was reminded a little of the Princess Louise in Holborn (which is at this time the number 1 pub in London on Qype).
Its location just off Oxford street makes it a good place to dive into if you just can’t take the crowds any more.
I was also impressed by the selection of ales available. It looks like they have a few guest ales which change often.
Then the toilets. Oh dear. Filthy, no lock and no toilet paper. Really disgusting. A real let down in a pub I really liked until this point.
The chain that runs this pub is Nicholson’s and I had a similar experience in another of their pubs so I guess its part of their styleold style décor, good selection of ales and awful toilets. Pity because it could be a 3 or maybe even a 4 if it sorts itself out.
Worth popping into perhaps, before you break the seal.

Located just next door to Oxford Street tube, it comes as no surprise that this pub is always busy. It is actually a really nice pub though — not particularly different from any others but it has a pleasant atmosphere and I like the secluded seating as opposed to ‘open plan’ areas.
The décor is quite standard but a little more traditional than most. It has that oldy worldy type atmosphere and the staff are friendly. There is a separate eating section upstairs which serves fairly average pub food which is quite decent but not very adventurous.
In the summer, it is pleasant as you can sit outside but as the area is so hectic, it is always loud. A nice pub to go for meeting friends or as a quick drink stop on arrival in Oxford Street.

Going to pubs in the Oxford Circus is a bit of gamble, you might end up somewhere really nice or somewhere a bit dull and unexciting. This bar is one of the latter.
One thing this pub’s got going for it, is its history. The building dates back to 1740 and it opened its doors as the Argyll Arms in 1742, making it one of the oldest pubs in London. It was named after the the 2^nd Duke of Argyll. The interiors were last redesigned in 1897, and you can feel it as soon as you walk in. Very wooden, and it is smaller side rooms that feed the main pub. According to Victorian tradition, these smaller rooms were the way in which people from different social background were kept apart; to avoid brawls. It is a Mitchells and Butlers pub now, so you can expect a decent selection of lager (Kronenburg, Stella, Amstel), ales (IPA, Bombardier, London Pride) and spirits. I have to agree with Amy, as the food is really disappointing. Good to meet up for a couple of pints, but don’t eat here, except for the bar peanuts and crisps.

There’s an original london boozer feel to this place-​you feel like you’ve walked into a dickens tale or a sherlock holmes set. There’s intricate and ornate designs on the ceiling and wooden partitions giving a real old worldy kind of feel to the pub.
There is an upstairs dinning area to the pub but to be honest the food isn’t that great-you’ll find a lot better in the area for the same prices but i like going here as it’s a perfect spot to meet up with friends as it’s right outside Oxford Circus tube station. If you want to sit down there’s a few tables outside and a couple of bar stools inside but apart from that there’s not a lot else and if you’ve been trapsing up and down Oxford Street you may be disppointed if you’re looking for somewhere to relax your tootsies. However, they serve a good pint and the staff are friendly and helpful.