Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Dog & Duck, Soho, W1
Soho
W1
W1D 3AJ
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Dog & Duck
This was part of my planned tour of heritage pubs in London, so I really wanted to like this pub. It's a Nicholson's pub with some very nice tiles, mirrors and woodwork (see link to Camra's heritage site below). It also has what my notes made at the timne described as "impossible to avoid pop music - loudspeakers in every corner". There were four beers on the bar (see photo) and I went for Black Sheep Fresh Start, which was only just up to scratch (a fairly generous NBSS 3).
Date of visit: 17th January 2023
On 15th January 2024
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Dog & Duck
Visited by Rossetti, Constable and Orwell, though possibly a first for me, as my recollections of the area when I worked here over thirty years ago are hazy, primarily as a result of using the hostelries extensively.
This is a stunning pub, best appreciated on CAMRA’s site, with wonderful polychromatic glazed tiles and some of the most ornate mirrors I’ve ever seen, oddly advertising neither the pub, brewery nor alcoholic beverages: Archer’s cigarettes, Hooper & Struve’s mineral waters (prior to making gasmasks) and Nicholson’s gin, but although this is a Nicholson’s pub, at the time the company was wholly concerned in the business of distilling. It’s rumoured that there’s a working fireplace here, but given the size, the occupants would probably get barbecued. There’s an upstairs room, but getting to it through the crowds was an ordeal.
It’s absolutely tiny in here and very full; the jostling wasn’t appealing from the customers who are probably office workers or tourists; music was quite loud, but this is Soho.
Ales: three unused pumps, then Pride, Doom, Nicholson’s Pale Ale and Landlord at a very pricey £2.90 a half.
This is a cracking little pub which gets an '8' for the interior, but probably warrants a '6' for the experience. I’d come here again, but I was starting to suffer from a heritage overdose, this being my third National Inventory pub in 70 minutes.
On 9th October 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Dog & Duck
A small corner Nicholson's pub with a superb historic interior, noted as a haunt of George Orwell. The tiny bar has a little room behind with excellent ceramics, while there is more space upstairs in the dining room. A splendid range of beers was on offer but I didn't get past the Siren Broken Dream Breakfast Stout, which was in fine condition. Certainly my favourite pub in the area.
On 17th March 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Dog & Duck
Tiny Nicholson's with plenty of interesting features including the fine gantry above the compact counter, old decorative tilework and several large mirrors. 'Classic Dining Room' upstairs. Much better beer choice than on my last visit some nine years ago, with NPA, Black Sheep, Ghost Ship and two Siren beers - Yu Lu and Liquid Mistress - available from five of six handpumps, so rating upped accordingly.
On 4th November 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Dog & Duck
Quite a small(didn't visit upstairs) but ornate Nicholson's interior with mirrors and tiling. 7 real ales.
On 25th October 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Dog & Duck
Once again, I am up and away in the Orwell room for decent pub food and a chance to gaze down on the mentality of soho, like some sort of judgmental god.
All the good beers are downstairs - so check first before going up - otherwise you will be faced with nicholson pale ales and euro fizz.
Photos at my blog - http://bit.ly/2dAN8k3
On 30th September 2016
- rating: 10
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Rydings left this review about The Dog & Duck
Called in here many time and will always call back well worth a visit
On 6th August 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Dog & Duck
A street corner pub in the heart of Soho, this has a traditional interior that has probably remained largely unchanged for decades. It consists of a fairly small, single bar downstairs, whilst an ornate sign advertised a “Classic Dining Room” upstairs, although we did not investigate this.
The most interesting feature of the pub is probably the tiled back wall which consists of ornate coloured tiles arranged in to a number of large panels. To the right are a number of large branded mirrors, many advertising old tobacco products. The curved bar counter in one corner has two rows of suspended shelving above for glassware whilst the flooring is dark wood boards and the ceiling a deep red. Seating is minimal due to the size of the pub, with a few tables and chairs at one end and a few high stools around the bar counter. Many people were spilling out on to the street on a recent Saturday evening visit. The gents loo was unusual in that it looked like a small wardrobe in the corner. I didn’t investigate but it was down a couple of steps so presumably went elsewhere!
Beers on tap were London Pride, Liberation Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Balmy Mild, Nicholson’s Real Ale (brewed by St. Austell apparently), Stonehenge Sign of Spring and The Solution from Brains Craft Brewery. The solitary cider was Aspall’s Suffolk.
On 2nd April 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1949 recommendations about 1862 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Dog & Duck
Another interesting Camra Inventory pub, that is well worth a visit. The pub was moderately busy on our visit, which gave ease to have a good look around. The pub had a good atmosphere and their ales were exceptionally good. We went for a great tasting beer from Great Yorkshire Brewery, Top of the Hops, which turned out to be a good session beer. The pub had no music playing and the clientele were mostly beer drinkers. Overall well worth a visit.
On 8th January 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Dog & Duck
Update - January 2013
No TT Landlord any more, but this appears to be one of Nicholsons better outlets from the beer range perspective. A good pint of Oxfordshire Meads Must was enjoyed, although being served ¾ of an inch short ( at a conservative estimate ) did rankle and a less than gracious response to my eventual request for a top up didn’t improve my mood
I’ll be charitable and put this incident down as a one off and say that it’s still worth seeking out this Good Beer Guide listed pub.
Original review – January 2010
Smallish street corner Nicholsons pub situated in the heart of Soho. In marked contrast to The Three Greyhounds, from where I had just come, the Dog and Duck has a splendidly preserved Victorian interior which earns it a place in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.
As you enter through the side entrance on Frith Street, note the decorative floor mosaic and the fine wall tiling, some of which notably features motifs of the two animals in question. Worthy of comment also are two large advertising mirrors and a rather curious mini snug to the left of the side entrance as you go in, which was presumably partitioned off in days long gone.
The Dog and Duck is of course the pub where Madonna, allegedly, developed a penchant for TT Landlord. On my recent Saturday afternoon visit, Landlord was joined behind the bar by the ubiquitous London Pride, Lancaster Amber and, most notably, Ringwood Fortyniner and Thornbridge Kipling. Both the latter two beers were in fine form, particularly the Thornbridge Kipling - a fine pale fruity bitter with an ABV of 5.2%.
There's an upstairs bar and dining room - the George Orwell room - which acts as a useful overspill during the inevitable busy periods. There's also a perilous descent to the downstairs gents.
This is probably my favourite Soho pub - best visited if possible in less busy periods - particularly if you want to admire the decor.
On 21st January 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]