Join Nicholas Cox on a trail across Soho and Fitzrovia to discover his pick of pubs, some dating as far back as the early 1700’s, with a lasting legacy – and a story or two to tell!
THE FRENCH HOUSE
The French House is a Grade II-listed pub and dining room at 49 Dean Street. It was previously known as the York Minster but was informally called ‘the French’ by its regulars. It sells more Ricard than anywhere else in Britain and, before Covid, only served beer in half-pints. During the Second World War, General Charles de Gaulle was a regular, his speech rallying the French people, ‘À tous les Français’, was written in the pub. The name was changed to ‘The French House’ after the fire at York Minster in 1984. Contributions toward the restoration fund started arriving at the pub. Upon forwarding them, the landlord learnt that the cathedral had been receiving deliveries of claret intended for him!
49 Dean St, London W1D
THE RISING SUN
Originally established in 1730, the Rising Sun at the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Windmill Street is an art nouveau Gothic building designed by Victorian architects Treadwell and Martin in 1896 and built by F. A. Rhodes in 1897. In the early 1980s the pub was renamed ‘The Presley’ and decorated with images of Elvis Presley, the owners lowering the ceiling and destroying the Victorian interior.
46 Tottenham Ct Rd, London W1T 2EL
THE SUN AND 13 CANTONS
The Sun and 13 Cantons is a Grade II listed public house at 20 Great Pulteney Street, Soho. The pub, which takes its name from Swiss woollen merchants who used to be based nearby, has operated on this site since at least 1756. During that year it appears in Freemasonry records as a Masonic Lodge meeting place. The present building dates to 1882, and the architect was Henry Cotton. The actor John Hurt once lived above the pub.
21 Great Pulteney St, London W1F 9NG
THE BRICKLAYERS ARMS
Dating from 1789, I love the fact that this pub has hardly changed since I started visiting regularly in the 1980s. There has been a no mobile phones policy since they were invented, and it now has a blanket no tech policy!
31 Gresse St, London W1T 1QS
THE NEWMAN STREET TAVERN
The Newman Street Tavern was built in 1899 on a site where there has been a pub since the 1780s. Previous names include The Oxford and Cambridge, The Cambridge Stores, The Cambridge Arms, and The Garrick’s Head. The Cambridge Coffee House is recorded on the site in local directories of 1841 and 1856. It is now called Mr Fogs House of Botanicals and is filled entirely with flora and fauna collected from all around the world. Botanical-inspired cocktails are served.
48 Newman St, London W1T 1QQ
WHITE HORSE
Dating back to the early 1700s, the White Horse was rebuilt in the 1930s with a stunning art deco exterior, including two original stained glass pub signs.
16 Newburgh St, Greater, London W1F 7RY
THE COACH AND HORSE
There are at least six Coach and Horses in London’s West End, two of them in Soho, but the most famous is at 29 Greek Street on the corner with Romilly Street. In the 1980s, it became a haunt for Soho personalities and journalists and its former landlord Norman Balon, became known as London’s rudest bartender. In 1989, the interior of the pub was recreated on stage for the biographical play Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell.
29 Greek St, London W1D 5DH
THE GLASSHOUSE STORES
The Glasshouse Stores, 55 Brewer St, Soho was the Coach & Horses when built in 1730, but was renamed in 1876. Its Victorian style is steeped in etched glass and dark wood panelling. A Samuel Smith’s pub, the brewery’s policy is to discourage the use of mobile phones, laptops, tablets, iPads or similar and there is no music or television so as to encourage human-to-human social conversation. Despite lower-than-average prices, Samuel Smith’s pubs are generally less crowded and less touristy, with a local atmosphere and yes, people do actually talk to each other!
55 Brewer St, London W1F 9UJ
THE SHASTON ARMS
The Shaston Arms derives its name from the mediaeval version of the town of Shaftesbury in Dorset. It’s also a reference to Carnaby’s landlords, Shaftesbury Plc, the nearby Shaftesbury Avenue which runs between Soho and Chinatown and Anthony Ashley Cooper, (28 April 1801 – 1 October 1885), better known as Lord Shaftesbury, the politician, philanthropist, and social reformer. Although it looks much older, the pub opened in December 2000 and sells traditional country ales from the Badger Brewery in Blandford Forum, in Dorset. It is believed to be the only pub in London with a dumb waiter which doesn’t actually serve food!
4-6 Ganton St, Carnaby, London W1F 7QN
Written by Nicholas Cox | @njcoxx
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This article was originally published in the Autumn issue of My Soho Times. CLICK HERE to view online.
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