The Kings Arms, Fitzrovia, W1

Dating from 1759 and rebuilt in the mid-19th century, this bucks the area’s GK/SS stranglehold for being a McMullen’s ‘boutique hotel’ pub, originally built for Charrington’s. There’s a modern boarded floor with tiled bar apron, the bar being a modern field panelled affair with tubular steel gantry and bare brick, by way of a bar back. There’s Victorian-style wallpaper and obligatory smoky blue paint to the remainder of walls, as well as the richly textured ceiling. Lighting comes from Victorian-style fake candle lights as well as tea lights on tables, which are high in the front half, normal height to the rear. Décor comes by way of framed prints and Mediæval knight’s battle gear; mood music played over the stereo. There were two TVs on, but rather than show sport, they were showing a presentation video of the pub’s wares, alternating between shots of the ‘undercroft bar’ and plates of charcuterie; customers were a mixed bunch, some quite boisterous. There were two unused pumps, then one dispensing McMullen’s IPA at a reasonable £2.35 a half, nice and served by a lovely barmaid. There’s a more hotel bar feel to the place, unsurprisingly. It’s not really a traditional pub and as there are traditional pubs aplenty nearby, I don’t really see a compelling reason to return.