The Newman Arms, Fitzrovia, W1

Official site of Newman Arms - www.thenewmanarms.co.uk

Official site of Newman Arms - www.thenewmanarms.co.uk

The Cornish experiment clearly didn’t work and this pub shut down in early 2017, but after a year of closure it has been bought by the Truman Brewery who have done it up and re-opened it as a Tap pub for the brewery in May this year. Can’t recall visiting in its former guise so cannot really comment on what changes have been made but with reference to previous reviews it looks like they may have taken the small ground floor bar and the upstairs dining room back to closer to the original old pub feel mentioned below. Plenty of wood panelling (especially dark panelling in the upstairs dining room) modern mock gas lighting, leather stools and chair and polished table tops. But one change is the addition of two new snug rooms in what was the basement but these were both hired out for my visit. The small corner bar with its centrepiece Truman’s mirror supports two banks of keg taps and four ale pumps that were dispensing Trumans Runner, Lazarus, Zephyr and Bow Bells. And further Trumans offerings, including their Lager, IPA and Pale Ale were available on the Keg taps along with a few other options. This was only a fleeting visit and I need to return to give it a proper try but good to see this one back from the dead

unchanged since my last visit 10 years ago. Or there may have been less furniture. Restaurant currently closed. Decent London Pride. Check out the alley along the side - location for an opening scene in the 1960 Film, Peeping Tom. Photo at my blog - http://bit.ly/2dAN8k3

Very tiny indeed, though with a restaurant upstairs. A stark place, dark, gloomy, a flagstone floor, virtually no décor and bulkhead lamps to the walls; three other people in on our mid-evening early week crawl. Muted music played and there was a TV, off. Mr Man's not wrong when he mentions the pervading smell of damp as it really hits you hardest when you go to the loo - a note on the wall informs us that thieves operate in the area but I suspect the smell of damp will keep them out of here! Beer: two clips reversed, thereafter Tintagel's Cornwall's Pride and Castle Gold at £2.00 a half. Given the gloom, smell and availability of better pubs in the immediate area, I doubt I'll return. Closes at 7.00 pm on Sunday.