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The Marlborough Arms, Bloomsbury, WC1

36 Torrington Place
WC1
WC1E 7LY
Phone: 02076360120

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Pub Type

Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)
Page: 1 2

Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Marlborough Arms

This place seems to be going downhill. There are lots of splendid old pub fittings, from the panelling to the ornate ceiling rose, but they appear to be gradually ripping it out, inserting sundry modernities and leaving bare walls . The side room is the nicest area, with almost a baronial feel, but the large TV is jarring and the prominent charging points on the table-tops just annoying. Four handpumps in use: IPA and Abbot with guests Belhaven IPA and Hook Norton Greedy Goose.

On 22nd January 2020 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Marlborough Arms

This corner pub is a fairly typical ex-Taylor Walker outlet, albeit one perhaps retaining a little more original character than most. The square bar has tall windows and a high ceiling, giving the place a pleasantly airy feel. There is also a smaller seating area in one corner and a separate dining room beyond. Traditional furniture and dark decor, as you would expect. Also has some wooden benches out on the side pavement. Now has a bank of eight handpumps on the counter (up from five on my last visit) offering the regular and seasonal Barmy Army versions of IPA, Olde Trip and Abbot plus Black Sheep, Landlord, Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Hogs Back TEA (£4.75, and the same price as a pint four years ago which is something of a surprise). Also has a good range on the keg taps, including four from Beavertown, a couple each from the likes of Camden and Paulaner, etc. Rating increased by one.

On 21st July 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Marlborough Arms

A typically thorough PSM review below needs little adding from me.This Greene King pub is indeed quite large with a back room ,and lots of standard tables and chairs with some original features.Busy and quite noisy ,the 5 flatscreens dotted about dominate the interior and the muzak was far too loud.It's food orientated,corporate and charmless but the sight of 8 handpumps has been enough for the local CAMRA branch to award it a listing in the 2019 GBG.The ale line up on my Saturday afternnon trip was GK IPA and Abbott with guests ELB Cowcatcher,Hammerton N1,Portobello Market Porter ,Exeter Grubber,Theakstons Old Peculier and a very decent Five Points XPA,but a total rip off at £2.50 the half.That justifies a GBG entry but whether you would enjoy a long session here is more debateable.

On 21st October 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Marlborough Arms

This is quite a large Greene King pub in a handy location for students from the nearby UCL campus. A corner entrance takes you into a spacious room broken only by a single large pillar pretty much exactly in the middle. Large modern windows run down two sides of the room with rather naff panes proclaiming the pub to be “Purveyors of Quality Cask Ales” and to serve “Famous Fish & Chips”. The room has chunky dark wood floorboards with standard tables and chairs down the left hand side and high tables and stools through the centre. The servery runs in a slightly crooked shape along the right hand wall and boasts a nice dark wood counter and bar back, with the latter sporting some smart etched glass mirrors bearing the pub’s name, although these were sadly partly obscured by various England flags, whilst the flags of the six nations countries could be seen hung from the ceiling. The pub has lots of nice dark wood throughout, most notably on the rear wall, where two large paintings have been set into decorative panels to create a pleasant effect. To the rear right there is a small seating area with more regular tables and chairs and dark wood, plus a lot of small picture frames depicting a variety of seemingly unrelated people. Over to the left, more seating can be found under dark wood panels that have been topped with that rubbish bookcase-wallpaper. Several TV screens were showing a muted sports channel with indie tunes playing throughout the pub.
Three Greene King brews – IPA, London Glory and Scrum Down – were outnumbered by a decent guest selection comprising St Austell Tribute, Portobello Chestnut Ale, Sambrooks Junction, Hackney Best Bitter and Wimbledon Phoenix, whilst the keg selection offered a few interesting alternatives as well. The Chestnut Ale set me back a student unfriendly £4.60 and was in pretty good shape, served to me by one of the fairly friendly bar team.
I popped in here for a quick pint prior to a gig at the nearby Student Central venue and thought this was a pretty good place for a swift jar, offering a wide selection of mainstream and local ales in a comfortable environment that didn’t seem to suffer too badly from the usual Greene King corporate loss of character.

On 20th July 2018 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Marlborough Arms

This is indeed at the better end of the Taylor Walker spectrum as this pub has quite an impressive interior, most notably the painted scenes to the walls. It's a big pub with lots of ornate wood panelling, by-the-numbers TW lanterns above the bar, Wellington lights and a tiled bar apron.
However, being a TW pub it has games machines and printed pictorial food menus. There are also multiple TVs showing sport which I can't bear in a pub. The pub was fairly well attended with mainly students and tourists.
Ales on: Greene King's Abbot and IPA, Truman's Swift, Taylor Walker's 1730 Special Ale and St. Austell's Spring Fever which for the area was good value at £2.10 a half. It was though far too cold.
I'm not a big fan of TW pubs so I doubt I'll return, not least because there are far better pubs across Tottenham Court Road.

On 30th April 2016 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Marlborough Arms

A trip down memory lane, visiting this one. I went for Adnams Fat Sprat 3.8% and got charged £4.80, typical Taylor Walker rip off prices again. I mentioned the high prices TW charged, to the barmaid, who explained that it was the brewers who dictated the high charges, ha! who is she trying to kid?

On 30th July 2015 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


hondo . left this review about The Marlborough Arms

As stated below a bit more character in this Taylor Walker pub. 4 real ales and food served.

On 23rd August 2014 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Marlborough Arms

This pub is named after the coat of arms of the Dukedom of Marlborough, whose family name is Churchill, the most famous member of which would be Sir Winston Churchill. This is now a Taylor Walker branded pub and is thus part of the Punch Pubco managed estate. The usual pub grub menu is available, and the ales on offer were London Pride, Old Golden Hen, Doom Bar and Young’s London Gold. I had the latter which was fine, but at the rather odd price of £1.79 for a half.
It looks like a late Victorian pub to me, with the trademark polished granite pillars on the outside. The main entrance takes you into a large high-ceilinged room which is partially bare-boarded and partially carpeted, and with the usual mix of furnishings espoused by this chain. The highlight of this room is the wood panelled back wall with two large (circa 5’ x 4’) prints framed in carved wood, featuring, I am guessing, stylised scenes from the time of John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough. The manager kindly showed me the two other rooms – the smaller of which is effectively an adjunct to the main room, but has an attractive fireplace on the back wall. The third room is elegantly furnished and appointed, with some comfortable looking high backed chairs, and normal tables.
Although little if anything remains inside from its Victorian past, it still has a lot going for it and struck me as one of the best of all the many pubs that I have visited from this pubco.

On 27th October 2011 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Nick Davies left this review about The Marlborough Arms

Routine Punch Inns 'City Metro' format, so relatively unspoilt, lots of wood panelling and for too many high tables and stools like to many of this chain's outlets. Popular with the vast student population round here - it's surrounded by bits of UCL which means it does get busy during term time. Beer situation pretty hopeless. I've a feeling they put four fresh barrels on each morning and when they're gone they're gone. When I got there there was four beers on, two hours later they were down to guess what - GKIPA with no sign of the others being reinstated.

Very average.

On 29th July 2010 - rating: 5
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Marlborough Arms

This is a decent enough pub that has a good friendly vibe. Only Greene King IPA was available Friday night from a selection of around five ales.

There was a young crowd, but the atmosphere was excellent.

On 15th December 2008 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]

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