Simmons, Soho, W1

This small pub is in the heart of Soho but doesn’t really feature in the must visit pub itinery for the typical West End visitor. It looks enticing enough with its traditional frontage and mass of overhead blooms. Inside it is a small and featureless single room, plain and basic with an open bar and paltry furnishings. A flat screen hovers over the bar and in one corner, festooned with West end ephemera, a DJ was dishing out a somewhat eclectic and at times interesting mix of toons albeit this was only 6.30 in the evening and he had an audience of about 5 including the bar staff. At least twice as many were drinking on the street outside which says something. There are 3 ales which won’t excite too many people, London Pride, Courage Directors and Bombardier, the latter 2 on new fangled cunningly disguised pulls that initially look like keg beer engines so are easily overlooked in favour of the Pride which is on a traditional style hand pump. The Pride was decent enough quality and at £3.40 about par for the area. It’s not really a place I would particularly aim for in the future given that there are far more interesting pubs around with better beers elections but it was easy to get a seat and sometimes that counts for a lot in Soho.

This is a very small pub in the heart of Soho. There were a couple of real ales – Bombardier and London Pride. I had the Pride which was pretty average, although at the reasonable price of £2.80 a pint. There’s not a lot to say about the pub – a couple or so tables on the right as you go in the door; otherwise seating comprises stools either at the bar or at ledges round the sides. A fire on the go in the fireplace on the left was quite welcome on a cold February day; a few theatre posters on the back wall and a one-armed bandit just about says it all. It’s a typical Soho pub and OK for a swift pint if you happen to be passing, but I still prefer the character of the Dog and Duck just down the road.