The Gunmakers, Marylebone, W1

There were four real ales on during my midweek lunchtime visit – Landlord, Spitfire, St Edmunds, and GKIPA. At £3.50 a pint, I thought the Landlord was somewhat overpriced. I didn’t ascertain the prices of the other ales, but I would be surprised if they were not similarly overpriced. The Churchilliana still remains, with the outside sign plus at least a couple of portraits of the great man inside. Other features include a couple of small artillery pieces outside the main door, and a large number of cartridge cases in frames on the walls. On the ledge on the wall on the left is a plaster model, some 4 feet in height of someone leaning on a lamppost. It could be George Formby I suppose, but looked more like Charlie Chaplin to me. The walls are wood panelled, and the floor is varnished bare boards with what look like the original boards. Seating is normal tables plus banquettes and small stools round the sides of the room, with the centre of the room remaining empty, presumably to aid vertical drinking. All the tables sport a small vase with two or three roses in them, and a piano in one of the corners also has a couple of flower vases on it. I guess the piano is there for decorative purposes. Further evidence of the upmarket aspirations of this place is provided by the yellow awning covering the handful of outside tables that appears to be sponsored by Veuve Clicquot. The pub has some interesting features and is a reasonably comfortable place to stop off for a pint, but I have to say that I found the ale prices to be a bit offputting. I doubt whether I’ll be visiting again.

Randomness Guide to London - Gunmakers entry

Randomness Guide to London - Gunmakers entry