This pub was editorially chosen for inclusion by Londonist.
If you're a tourist looking for a pub, nothing could be better located than the Argyll Arms.
If you're a Londoner looking for a pub, nothing could be more annoyingly located than the Argyll Arms.
Located right next to Oxford Circus station, where true Londoners fear to tread, the Argyll would at first sight look like the kind of place to avoid unless you crave a lengthy bar queue and standing room only. But give it a chance, give it a chance. What we actually have here is one of London's finest pub interiors — a Grade II listed gem straight from the Victorian era. You would swear that this is a Sam Smith's pub, but no. It's ran by Nicholson's, which means the beer's more adventurous. Other than the now omnipresent Doom Bar, you'll find three or four pumps of a more obscure persuasion. Our pint of Midnight Bell was a revelation.
The mirrored walls and nobbly ceilings continue upstairs, where you'll find a smartly appointed restaurant overlooking the tourist masses below. Yes, we could really grow to like this place. Just don't try it on a busy Saturday afternoon.
