Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Kings Arms, Fitzrovia, W1
W1
W1W 7QL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Kings Arms
I quite liked it here, with a nice mix of traditional bar fittings and William Morris wallpaper and some fairly garish upholstery. There are three hand pumps with two McMullens beers on (IPA and Country bitter), with an amusingly apologetic notice on the one in the middle, along the lines of "this beer was so popular we've run out". My half of the bitter was nothing to write home about, but lacking familiarity with it I can't say if it's oddness is down to the brewer or the cellarman.
On 8th January 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Kings Arms
A small Macs pub on a street corner with 5 letting rooms.The traditional furniture had some very strange patterned seat covers ,garish and a design mistake.Further along the interior is a drinking shelf and then a small rear lobby with locked doors.It wouldn't take many people to fill the interior ,but it wasn't that busy on a Saturday afternoon visit.Strangely the muzak was light rap,again a slight jar with the semi trad appearance.I didn't investigate the basement bar.
Maybe the lack of custom has something to do with the beer options from Mc Mullens.Several handpumps but only their Country Bitter on offer (NBSS 3),while there were two of their sub brand Rivertown kegs.Food only seemed avaiable at breakfast,maybe related to the letting rooms.
All a bit dull,not on my revisit list.
On 25th September 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Kings Arms
Dating from 1759 and rebuilt in the mid-19th century, this bucks the area’s GK/SS stranglehold for being a McMullen’s ‘boutique hotel’ pub, originally built for Charrington’s.
There’s a modern boarded floor with tiled bar apron, the bar being a modern field panelled affair with tubular steel gantry and bare brick, by way of a bar back. There’s Victorian-style wallpaper and obligatory smoky blue paint to the remainder of walls, as well as the richly textured ceiling. Lighting comes from Victorian-style fake candle lights as well as tea lights on tables, which are high in the front half, normal height to the rear. Décor comes by way of framed prints and Mediæval knight’s battle gear; mood music played over the stereo. There were two TVs on, but rather than show sport, they were showing a presentation video of the pub’s wares, alternating between shots of the ‘undercroft bar’ and plates of charcuterie; customers were a mixed bunch, some quite boisterous.
There were two unused pumps, then one dispensing McMullen’s IPA at a reasonable £2.35 a half, nice and served by a lovely barmaid.
There’s a more hotel bar feel to the place, unsurprisingly. It’s not really a traditional pub and as there are traditional pubs aplenty nearby, I don’t really see a compelling reason to return.
On 14th October 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Kings Arms
This is now a McMullen's pub with their Country and Cask Ale on, plus a guest ale of Whole Hop Brewery Flying Frog (£2.10 a half). When I arrived a fourth pump was unclipped, but by the time I left it had a handwritten clip for something called Hopping Mad, a 4.5% golden ale. I was in too early to see any sign of food.
It's carpeted, has banquettes around the sides, metal framed tables and small stools. All very traditional. The bar counter looks to be an original Victorian feature, and parts of the bar back are old, if not original, dating from 1900 according to the landlord. Unfortunately you can't see much of it nowadays, as bits of wood have been attached to it to provide shelving, and it's otherwise obscured by optics, bottles, cans, notices, an old till and some drinks machines. But some cut and etched glass is just about visible with the brewer's name (Charrington) in the top centre, and the pub name is at the bottom (but obscured by bottles). There's also a cast iron pillar with a decorative capital, plus a small vestibule at the entrance. This apparently used to be a seven room pub. There are disused doorways now of course, but I can well believe the claim to seven rooms.
As decor there were old (mainly whisky) bottles on the bar gantry, a shelf with books and knick knacks at one end, plus miscellaneous prints on the walls. I also saw a TV (of course), a juke box, and a quiz night advertised for Mondays.
It was very quiet when I was in before noon, so impossible to judge the atmosphere when busy, but it's comfortable enough and both the landlord and barmaid were friendly and chatty. I liked it in here. It had the feel of a traditional pub about it and it's the sort of place to which I'd be happy to return.
On 12th October 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Kings Arms
Quite a quirky interior serving 4 real ales. Live fitba on during my visit.
On 20th March 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Kings Arms
This is a fairly unremarkable pub, but it was pleasant enough sitting on one of the armchairs at the rear whilst flicking through a ‘London Drinker’ that I had picked up earlier in the day. The bar area at the front is pretty basic, but there is a selection of draught beers along with Staropramen and three ales. The governor wasn’t the friendliest and he reminded me of Arkwrite as he mashed the keys on the old style till to deposit my money, but the barman was nice enough and my Guinness was well poured.
There is a plasma screen which was off during a football match so I gather there is no Sky Sports. However, there is a jukebox which was playing a decent few songs at a reasonable volume.
The toilet downstairs is a little grim and there was no toilet paper or soap which was a little annoying as I could have done with not having to wait until the next pub before the big purge.
This place is ok, but I think that there are better pubs in this area so I don’t see myself returning.
On 3rd February 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5231 recommendations about 5199 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Philip Carter left this review about The Kings Arms
Not a bad place. Real ale on sale, Youngs, Bombadier & Black Sheep on tap. Lighting at a low level but not too dark that you can't see your drinking partner.
On 8th January 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Kings Arms
Seems like quite a nice place to go for a pint in mid-evening in the middle of the week - not too busy, but enough customers to give the place a reasonable atmosphere. Decent pint of Black Sheep.
On 11th December 2008
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Kings Arms
I found the Kings Arms a bit of a mixed bag. The awkward layout means that some areas are reasonably spacious whilst others are tight squeeze with quite a bottleneck at the bar. At one end of the pub is a partitioned off lounge with comfy sofas whilst the remainder of the pub is a traditional style but rather blandly refurbished. There are a few nice touches such as the old clocks, book shelves and two old fashioned tills that probably started life in the shillings and pence days. They were selling Cumberland Ale when we were there which makes a change from the usual mainstream beers. We had no problems with service and the customer base was pretty civilised. Not worth going too far out of the way for but you could do a lot worse if you are in the area.
On 2nd February 2006
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]