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Image posted by Will Larter
Submitted on Tuesday, 9th January 2024
With picture contributions to 11856 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Devonshire, W1
W1
W1D 7HW
Served areas
Reviews of The Devonshire (Average Rating: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Devonshire
Absolutely rammed on a wet Thursday evening in the post-work rush, so it was difficult to get a full impression of the reinvigorated former Devonshire Arms. However, it is still very much a proper pub, despite the background of the new owners and their upmarket restaurant elsewhere in the angled corner building. Landlord and Hophead (£6.20) from two of the three handpumps I could see, with Cheshire Cat from Weetwood annoying off without the clip being turned. However, it might have been on from what appeared to be a duplicated selection on the other bank on the Saloon Bar side.
On 25th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8382 recommendations about 8381 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Devonshire
A remarkable recovery for this former pub, now a pub again and presented very nicely. The main bar room as large, with the bar counter in two sections. There's extended booth seating with glazed screens, a separate restaurant and the toilets are downstairs. (There's a lift for those who are unable to manage the stairs.) Beers available for my visit were Timothy Taylor Landlord and Weetwood Cheshire Cat, the latter having rarity value to go with its NBSS 3, making it a good buy at £5.00/pint.
Date of visit: 9th January 2024
On 25th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3996 recommendations about 3705 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Devonshire
The Devonshire Arms is back, although this new incarnation has dropped the Arms from the original name, and it is now just The Devonshire. As detailed below this former Taylor Walker pub was lost to the ghastly Jamie Oliver Jamie's Italian restaurant chain (I will leave you to enter your own punctuation to that sentence) for several years but has now re-opened at the beginning of November as a pub / restaurant. It is a collaboration between two well-known London pub and restaurant owners in Oisin Rogers, (formerly of the Guinea Grill in Mayfair) and Charlie Carroll (founder of the Flat Iron in Covent Garden). And they have Ashley Palmer-Watts, the former chef and no2 to Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck in Bray running the restaurant sections.
So, you would well be forgiven for expecting a modern food led gastro pub, but as the lads below describe, and I was pleasantly surprised to find, when dragged along here by a foodie mate, was a proper London boozer (well, on the ground floor at least). I thought they have done a very good job putting a pub back into this space and the faux Victorian interior with its burgundy Anaglypta ceiling, comfortable red padded booth seating with its glass snob screens, as described below by Tris, and the two-part mahogany bar that looks like it’s always been there, all look the part. And indeed there are no TV screens or gaming machines anywhere.
Although you are able to order bar snacks in the pub section, the main food action takes place on the floors above with a wood ember grill room on the first floor and an a la carte restaurant on the second floor. We sneaked up to take a look at the restaurant sections only to find said Mr Palmer-Watts doing front of house on this particular evening who, sensing my mate’s excitement and commitment to make a booking for a subsequent evening, gave us a guided tour of the two floors and the elegance and attention to detail from the ground floor have been continued up here. Although when looking at the price point of a lot of the dishes and the wine on the menu, I won’t be in tow for the return visit to these floors.
Back to the pub section and the bar supports three hand pumps on each bar section which were dispensing the same run of the mill line up described below. The Landlord was fine, but my Wandel was tired and lifeless. However, like all Mr Rogers former and current London pubs the star attraction is the Guinness, and many more pints were coming out of the Guinness taps than being poured from the ale pumps. And the bar-flys on the stalls blocking the ale pumps on the first bar section testified that it was served properly and in very good condition.
I agree with Tris that one thing they couldn’t get right, or fix, were the acoustics and when full, as it was on this evening, its extremely loud in the bar area. But that’s a small quibble and although yes I also agree there are still better original pubs close by, its just good to have an old pub rise from the ashes this close to Piccadilly.
On 13th December 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2201 recommendations about 2070 pubs]
View more reviews of The Devonshire (7)
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- Official site of The Devonshire - www.devonshiresoho.co.uk
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Devonshire - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : Yes - Pub only - "small" ones in restaurant (see website) - last updated 04 January 2024 by Will Larter
- Function Room : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Jukebox : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 09 May 2014 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : No last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - Via lift to basement - last updated 09 January 2024 by Will Larter
- WiFi : Yes last updated 16 November 2023 by Tris C