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The Northumberland Arms, Fitzrovia, W1

119 Tottenham Court Road
W1
W1T 5AJ
Phone: 02073875730

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


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


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

A small rectangular bar near Warren Street tube station, previously owned by the small Faucet Inn chain when I last called in nearly 10 years ago, and now a Stonegate pub. Partially modernised furniture and decor. Narrow outside seating area to one side under awnings. Background music. Just two handpumps, offering Doom Bar and London Pride (£4.95) on this visit.

On 13th February 2022 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Northumberland Arms

Established in 1777 and rebuilt in 1897, probably for Courage judging by the hanging sign bracket. A first in here the other night? - I can't remember, but this was formerly part of the small G. E. Aldwinkle's chain, as evinced by the name applied to the copper flashings beneath the window, which match those of the former White Horse in Hampstead; it's now part of the Golden Brick Pubs chain - no, me neither.
Inside, and there's not a great deal of décor here, save for a large mirror and black and white photo of a duck in a dress! The interior seems to have been messed about a bit and the bar back, which is topped with white tiles, appears to be modern and made from distressed t 'n' g. There's a beige and brown colour scheme with very chipped woodwork; the pub's beginning to look a bit tatty with a rough bare boarded floor. There are a couple of minimal screens either side of the main entrance with etched glass infill, but that's about it; the double side door has been glued shut with mastic which is a bit weird - what's wrong with a lock which can be undone with the turn of a key? The lavatory is really a bit scruffy too with a tiny cubicle. There's food, though all I could see advertised was whitebait. A small TV on high was showing the football with the sound off so as not to compete with the gramophone which was playing a decent soundtrack, though perhaps a tad too loud. Customers seemed to be quite young and were most likely students, given their scruffy appearance and the pub's close proximity to UCL. Seating is pleasantly conventional and there's outside patio seating beneath an awning which makes a good place to admire the passing traffic.
Ales? Pride and Purity's Mad Goose at an extremely steep £5.05 a pint and not in the best of condition, served by a friendly barman.
This pub isn't a disaster but it's not brilliant though is probably your best bet for a pint along Tottenham Court Road. A lick of paint, refurbished lavs and a better choice of ale served well, could turn this otherwise attractive little pub into a worthwhile venue, especially given the seven-day 1.00am licence.

On 25th January 2020 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Northumberland Arms

I dived into this compact street corner pub on a bit of a whim, being at a bit of a loose end in a part of town unfamiliar to me, and was pleased to find a decent little boozer, The pub is well lit, thanks to two sides being dominated by the large banded windows that run along them, letting plenty of light into this small bare boarded space. The servery is on the back wall and has a simple dark wood counter enhanced by modern hand and foot rails and a large, unattractive bar back, the saving grace of which is the door to one side with fine etched glass panes in the door and above. Standard tables and chairs run around the perimeter of the room whilst a couple of high tables and stools have been positioned in the centre, with a fair bit of space left in between for people to stand in relative comfort. The pub felt quite well-to-do to me, being full of people in suits and snappy dresses, but the décor is considerably more down-to-earth, with a St George’s Cross flag on the back wall and six nations flags hung around the ceiling. Elsewhere, there are framed portraits where the subject’s head has been replaced by that of an animal for no apparent reason, several plain mirrors and blackboards promoting food. A TV screen in one corner was turned off but a pop music soundtrack underscored the buzz of conversation. Menus were supplied to each table, rolled up and stuffed into ancient looking pewter tankards.
The pub offers two ales, which on this occasion were Fullers London Pride and Purity Mad Goose, with the latter weighing in at £4.50 a pint and in pretty good condition. The barmaid seemed pretty icy at first, but seemed to thaw a little, which is a little unusual for a pub that must get plenty of passing trade.
I’m glad I gave this little pub a try, as I thought it was quite a nice spot in which to enjoy a decent pint and watch the world go by through the windows. The limited beer range will be an off-putting factor to some, but if you’re looking for an unpretentious pub in this part of town, you could definitely do a lot worse.

On 17th July 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Northumberland Arms

Uninspiring ale choice on our visit, with a solitary Hobgoblin on handpump. The interior has an attractive looking bar, which has been recently added, but retains the traditional style of the pub. A couple of etched glass screens on the left of entrance, helps to keep the Victorian feel.

On 4th August 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 Northumberland Arms

Corner pub with a plain interior. 2 real ales and food served. Handy for the Venezuelan Embassy.

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 Northumberland Arms

There were two real ales on here – Old Speckled Hen and the increasingly ubiquitous Sharp’s Doom Bar. The Doom Bar was in good nick, but at £1.85 a half (£3.60 or £3.70 a pint?) at the top end of the price range even for central London. Main courses were around £10 a throw, and sandwiches in the £5 - £6 range and available between 12 noon and 5.0 PM Monday to Fridays.
This is a small one room corner-site pub. It has the tall ceilings typical of a late Victorian pub, and being bare-boarded any noise bounces around the room. The piped music was at a comfortable background level when I went in, but for some reason it got cranked up after a few minutes – and with The Quo being played it seemed too loud to me. There are a couple of tall tables with tall stools in the middle of the room, but otherwise furnishings are banquettes and normal tables and chairs. Looking at the clientele when I was in on Wednesday lunchtime, I would guess that it gets most its custom from passing trade drawn from the hordes walking up and down the frantic Tottenham Court Rd.
There isn’t a lot more to say about this place. The windows are modern replacements, and are mainly plain glass, but have a small pane of blue glass in the corners. There’s nothing of note on the walls, except a couple of black and white photographs and a gilt framed mirror. This is a fairly ordinary and unexceptional pub. The beer’s not cheap even for this area of London, and I don’t anticipate making a return visit.

On 26th October 2011 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Northumberland Arms

This is a fairly unremarkable pub, although I found the staff to be friendly enough – for London anyway. Pride and Landlord were available and another 3 pumps were off.

I doubt that I'll ever go here again as there are better pubs in the area.

On 15th December 2008 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Philip Carter left this review about The Northumberland Arms

Nice enough place. Small outside seating area not facing Tottenham Court Road, so no probalems with noise or polution. Sells real ale. Has food all day. Brollys for smokers to use, so the sign says.

On 16th January 2008 - rating: 6
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]