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Soho
The Argyll Arms
If you only go to one…
Built 1740-42 but entirely remodelled in 1897, this Grade II-listed building (1) stands as a monument to the opulence and quality of late Victorian pub design. The pub was made to pull in the punters and, more than a century later, it is still worth going inside to gasp at the etched mirrors, woodwork and brown-ridged ceilings that, after a few drinks, look like stalactites. The main bar curves out, allowing more people to get round and, naturally, leading you deeper into the pub; wandering between the Victorian etched glass and wood partitions that divide the bars (there used to be more, but back in 1900 magistrates insisted they went because prostitutes were using them for business) can become pleasantly confusing. But don’t stop here, this pub is like a CS Lewis wardrobe; the real magic is at the back. Find the bust of Shakespeare, go up the stairs then, at the first landing, turn back and look down on the ‘Gormenghast’ scene below – this is the best view inside a pub in London.
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Downstairs, sit at the bar and as you do, take note of the wide staff walkway behind it to enable quick service; 110 years later you still get served more quickly here than at any other West End pub of comparable size. Upstairs wander into the Palladium bar (the pub is across the road from the Palladium and many stars had an after-show tipple here in the 1950s and ’60s).

Best drink It’s a gin palace, so have a gin and tonic.
When to go To see the stunning interior, visit early in the day and wander around. Better still, for a real ‘Alice in Wonderland’ experience go there once you’ve had a few ales. In all, a pub London should be proud of.
Best seat Sit upstairs in the corner nearest the door underneath the photograph of Frankie Howerd. You’ll also find black-and-white portraits of Tom Jones, Michael Caine and Ken Dodd, but don’t go to the tiny bar for a drink – it’s table service only upstairs.
Best snack Spicy Cajun chicken flatbread. Michael Hodges
18 Argyll St, W1 (020 7734 6117).

Coach & Horses
This is a wine pub (2) with a pretty good selection by the glass, but take time to look at the glass-fronted beer engines, which are branded (gold on green) with the pub’s name.

Best drink Australian cabernet shiraz.
When to go Nip in for a mid-evening sharpener, but remember Tuesday night is comedy night.
Best seat Sit in the corner beneath the strange mirrored cupboard (is there a TV inside? A severed head?), so you don’t have to look at it.
Best snack Nachos to share.
1 Great Marlborough St, W1 (020 7437 3282).

The Dog & Duck, Soho

The Dog & Duck
Small, brilliant Victorian drinking hole (3). Full of whey-faced youths in the early evening, but ignore them and admire the wonderful green tile-work and the Victorian glass.

Best drink This is an ale house pub, so drink whatever the beer of the week is (it will be well kept and served). See CAMRA’s choice, right, for the pints to look out for.
When to go To appreciate the decor, pop in for a mid-morning pint (instead of your tea break).
Best seat If packed, sit at the small bar in the George Orwell room upstairs, which is smoke-free (a bit late, considering he died of TB in 1950) and usually empty…
Best snack …though not at lunchtime when it’s full of diners hunched over the pub’s all-day breakfast.
18 Bateman St, W1 (020 7494 0697).

Carlisle Arms
The exterior of this pub (4) features excellent faux-Georgian Quality Street-style windows, but the inside seems as unremarkable as the city it shares a name with. Great pub carpet and a till receipt that says ‘Hope you enjoyed the full range of crisps/nuts.’ We did.

Best drink This is a lager pub: Kronenberg, or Stella Artois.
When to go Popular with local office workers on weekday evenings, but surprisingly quiet on the weekends. A good place to rest after an afternoon shopping on Oxford Street.
Best seat There is a giant and obtrusive television screen tuned to Smash Hits TV at one end of the bar, so sit at the shelf table – a rare survivor in West End pubs – attached to the window on the right.
Best snack Salted peanuts.
2 Bateman St, W1 (020 7479 795).

Pillars of Hercules
The top end of Soho lacks the literary louche-ness that still lurks in the heart, but Martin Amis and Ian McEwan used to drink here (5) and it is dark enough to successfully hide in, though this makes it dingy rather than romantic.

Best drink The Young’s bitter was sour on our visit (is this happening more often since the brewery’s move to Bedford?), so drink water and Bell’s whisky.
When to go Head here at 7.30pm, when nearby pubs are heaving.
Best seat Walk to the end of the long, thin bar and turn left to find a round table in the corner. If you don’t like smoking, this is the table nearest to the smoke free bar.
Best snack A hearty peppered steak sandwich.
7 Greek St, W1 (020 7437 1179).