The Devonshire, W1

Now disarmed, this pub dates back to the late 18th century, to be rebuilt in 1898, spending 2012 to 2023 as part of Jamie Oliver’s pukka restaurant empire, known as CoqBull (cock and bull?). I came here once before in the late ‘80s and discovered Old Peculiar, so can’t recall it. Summed up well by Moby a few hours ago, there’s now a faux Victorian interior, part boarded, part carpeted, with some booth-style seating, burgundy Anaglypta ceiling, traditional furniture and period-style tasselled wall sconces; there’s a restaurant upstairs and of note was the absence of electronic entertainment, which is a bonus in my book. Customers were mainly suited office workers, contributing to quite some cacophony due to poor acoustics. A rather unimaginative Groundhog Day cask lineup presented Pride, Wandle and Landlord at an expensive £3.10 a half and decent, served by an attentive barmaid who retrieved my glass to give an unprompted top-up. Acoustics and prices aside, this isn’t a bad place, certainly better than your average Soho cocktail bar-cum-pub, but I’d prefer the Old Coffee House, Lyric or Ship.

A decent looking but food led pub, nicely turned out inside with a nod to its Victorian past but all a little too prim and proper to feel authentic.The cask beer offering was London Pride, Wandle and Landlord, all a bit run of the mill.