The Gunmakers, Marylebone, W1

The pub has had a two year closure since the previous reviews re-opening 2019. I found a single roomed rather soulless pub with a basement restaurant area. Two handpumps offering St Austell Tribute and Marstons Shipyard Pale. Nothing special to see here.

This is a single room Victorian pub close to Paddington Street Gardens and looking out across a rather dull car park. The pub is quite smartly appointed, having undergone a relatively recent change of name from its former incarnation as the William Wallace. Some limited pavement seating is available with great views of the aforementioned car park but you'd be better off entering into the spacious main bar. The room is bare boarded and has button backed bench seating down either side and under the etched glass front windows. Walls have high wood panels decorated with hunting scenes down one side and framed bullet displays down the other, which I suppose bear some relevance when considering the pub's new name. Various portraits and photographs appear on the uppers, including a picture of Muhammad Ali near the bar, apropos of nothing. Equally baffling is the collection of Churchill photos, statuettes and the like, including his image on the pub sign, which I can't seem to account for although one image of him drinking a pint did vaguely look as if it could have been taken in this pub. The bar is on the rear wall and has a dark wood counter and plain bar back topped with blackboards listing live sports coverage and detailing a function room available for hire. The room extends to the rear past the right hand side of the bar where you'll find a dumb waiter on the side wall with a fine old mirror for 'James Grafton - Gunmakers' above. A couple more tables and chairs can be found back here under similar panelling with a large bust above the toilet doors and more photos on the walls. A couple of TV screens were showing muted coverage of a Europa League fixture with music playing quietly in the background. There were four beers on here - Trumans Zephyr, St Austell Tribute, Twickenham Black Eel and a strange pump clip bearing a vaguely familiar logo but no other information as to what beer might be on. Upon enquiring, the friendly barmaid conversed with a colleague before telling me it was Whisper and True Milkshake Stout! I then instantly recognised the clip as having the logo of the Wiper and True brewery and ordered a pint (£4.90). I have to say it was in great shape but it must be one of the heaviest drinking pints I've ever tried, tasting exactly like a pint of milkshake. This is quite a nice pub with some interesting and well kept beer differentiating it from the majority of pubs in this part of town. The interior is a bit too opened out, with nothing to break up the sight lines or afford much privacy, but there is enough going on to maintain interest beyond a quick pint and I would consider this for a revisit when in the area.