O'Neill's, Soho, W1

Dating from the early 18th century as the Marlborough Head but rebuilt in 1886 and known in the ‘70s as the Dog & Trumpet before becoming a Firkin pub prior to this chain behemoth, Irish tricolour fluttering in the breeze and gobbling up tourists shopping at Liberty or taking in the multinational fashion chains that have ruined Carnaby Street. The interior displays nothing of the original pub aside from an impressive stained glass leaded Art Nouveau lantern to the rear. Far from being Oirish, the interior is quite industrial with a boarded and tiled floor, conventional furniture including some booth-style seating, all illuminated by a myriad modern lighting fixtures with décor in the form of trendy framed prints of musical instruments with some mics mounted to shiny white tiled or grey painted walls, live music credentials amplified by a large pink neon sign reading ‘Music Begins Where Language Ends’, the plastic menus and sauce bottles to tables not amounting to décor. Too many TVs to record, were showing a multitude of sporting fixtures with the sound down, so as not to intrude into the banal background music. Customers were a bunch of Spanish tourists, unaware of what they were missing out on, had they done some research into Soho’s classic watering holes. There’s nothing on cask here anymore, with a half of Neck Oil served by a friendly manageress at £3.65. In a horribly touristy area, this is a dispiriting place, perhaps redeemed a degree come the live music ‘most weekends’.

A lively, cosmopolitan, modernised pub near Liberty's with a largely tiled bar at the front and a restaurant area behind, plus some tables on the pedestrianised bit outside. A fair selection of crafty keg stuff but despite a stated commitment to real ale this was limited to Doom Bar and a rather dodgy London Pride.

Official site of O'Neill's - www.oneills.co.uk

Official site of O'Neill's - www.oneills.co.uk