Simmons, Soho, W1

This traditional Soho boozer is a short walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station and well positioned just outside Soho Square. Entering through the front door, you find yourself in a bare boarded room with a compact front seating area filled with small round tables and standard chairs. The servery runs down the right hand side with a partitioned drinking ledge and high stools on the opposite wall. The servery is fairly basic, but pleasing enough on the eye thanks to plenty of dark wood, a ‘Pillars of Hercules’ name plate on top of the bar back and a nice integral clock above. Beyond the bar, there is a reasonably cosy raised section. This space has been carpeted and offers low stools around a number of small tables with half panelled walls and a red, painted brick upper half. Décor throughout consists of black and white photographs, enamel beer signs and the pub’s own promotional material. Perhaps the nicest feature is the red ceiling with a grapevine frieze running beneath it. Fairly loud music played throughout my late, mid-week visit, but it was at a level where conversation was still just about possible without having to shout. I’d not really expected much in the way of decent beer but was pleasantly surprised to find six ales available, not all mainstream choices either. Options on this visit were Sharp’s Doom Bar and Cornish Coaster, Trumans Bold as Brass and Runner, Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Westerham Grasshopper. I decided to try a pint of the Grasshopper which set me back £4.00 and was in pretty good nick. Having read the previous reviews, it would seem that a Westerham beer is usually available here. I found this place a bit run of the mill, but elevated somewhat by a much better ale range than I’d anticipated. It doesn’t strike me as the sort of place you’re likely to enjoy and extended session, but would be worth a quick look in passing or as part of a crawl.

Was a great Soho meeting spot once upon a time but my most recent visit was terrible: the beer was undrinkable - the Doom Bar taken back and swapped for a glass of water, Deuchars left barely touched, broken furniture, surly staff. The layout has been mentioned - when you have bunch of selfie taking WKD drinkers clogging up the narrow bar area it's probably a sign you're in the wrong kind of pub. I won't rush back.

Looks quaintly mock-medieval from outside so I called in briefly to take the weight off and pass a few minutes people watching from the front corner window. The pub is OK but nothing to write home about and the ale was distinctly mediocre but the one thing that will put me off returning is the £3.95 they charge for a pint.

A nice old pub which has had a modern refurb. There is a mixture of small booths and a large room which has less atmosphere despite the wooden floors and furniture. The large flat screen tv adds little. The beer selection was good though - 5 ales on, and I enjoyed a very well kept pint of Thwaites's Wainwright. Worth dropping in and a good inclusion in a crawl.