Green Man, Fitzrovia, W1

Dating from the mid-18th century but rebuilt in 1899, the place seems unchanged since Rex’s review with, some tidy heritage details gaining it a place on CAMRA’s historic interiors’ website as being of Regional Importance, though there’s now a white shiny tiled bar back; isn’t there one everywhere? More importantly, there’s some Minton-style tiles to an entrance which you certainly won’t find everywhere. However, the heritage was hard to make out as it’s a bit gloomy and the music was very loud, playing to a young crowd and possibly very gay too. There were two ales ‘coming soon’ but too late for me, otherwise it was Doom or Neck Oil at a wincing £3.35 a half. The pub is ok but the way it’s run lets it down. Even the website falls short, claiming it’s in Marylebone when it’s resolutely in Fitzrovia. The heritage value lifts the grade a little, but there are just too many negatives to recommend it.

Very football oriented pub but nice enough.Very busy. GK-yardbird and Hogsback-tea on cask.Small and intimate with upstairs area as well.

I reckon that this pub must have improved a bit since the previous reviewer's visit over a year ago. There were three ales on - Doom Bar, Darkstar Hophead and Purity UBU. I had a pint of the UBU which was in excellent condition, but at what I regard as an overly expensive - even for London - price of £4.55 a pint. Main menu meals are from £11 upwards (chicken, ham hock pie, red wine jus + seasonal veg) to the sirloin steak +++ at £14.75. Sunday lunch is £14.50, and there was a Wednesday meal advertised giving you a burger (loads to choose from) and drink for £11. The drinks included Doom Bar, but didn't say if it was a pint or a half. This one retains plenty of original heritage feautures. They included what looked like a Lincrusta ceiling, Victorian bar counter, some etched/cut glass glazing, tiled flooring on the left that would have led to a separate room on the left. The slightly more elaborate fielded panelling around on the left of the bar counter indicates a room division. The best feature for me is the surviving glazed screening at the back that would have separated the rooms at the front from what would probably been the lounge at the back. The pub is now fairly modernised, being bare-boarded with a few normal tables and chairs at the front, and the inevitable tall tables/tall stools along the side. The room at the back on the left beyond the surviving screenwork looks a more elegant and lounge-like area, perhaps more for relaxation than dining. There was some music playing, but not too loudly, whcich was quite "retro", including Chuck Berry and his contemporaries from the 50s and 60s. I also spotted board games on a shelf by the front window, surrounding a vase of flowers. I thought it was a friendly enough little pub at lunchtime, which seemed to be catering for young professionals lunching.