Pub in London W1
Wheatsheaf
25 Rathbone Place, London, W1T 1JBClosest station: Tottenham Court Road, about 5 min walk4.3out of 5 on Google, from 501 ratings
Details last checked January 2025. Things may have changed since.
About Wheatsheaf
Classic pub serving a resolutely British menu and a rotating selection of real ales and craft beers.
Attractively fronted mock Tudor pub rebuilt by Youngers in 1931 and designed by John T Quilter. There is some beautiful stained glass in the windows including a Younger's sign. Inside is a narrow bar which widens out at the rear, and a restaurant cum function room on the first floor. This is yet another pub said to have been frequented by Dylan Thomas, George Orwell, and the wartime Fitzrovian crowd, many of whom were in, or desperate for, jobs at the nearby BBC. Part of the attraction for them was the stronger and hard-to-find Younger's Scotch Ale here. Dylan Thomas is said to have met his wife Caitlin Macnamara in this pub; they got married at the third attempt having twice spent the licence fee on booze. It was a marriage made in heaven - both were adulterous and drunken but she was physically violent towards him as well. The dilettante Julian Maclaren-Ross was also a regular in the thirties and forties, often with his trademark silver-knobbed cane and teddy-bear overcoat. Court-martialled in 1943, he features as X.Trapnell in Anthony Powell's Dance to the Music of Time series of books.
Yet another regular was the bohemian Welsh artist Nina Hamnett, whose fondness for boozing in Fitzrovia's pubs eventually led to a sad and penurious alcoholic decline accompanied by one-night stands with any of the lower end of the clientele willing to buy her a drink. For those interested in more of this pub's literary and artistic history, a fascinating download is on the pub website. The pub is now part of a small chain with another pub in Brighton.
Cask ales on offer in rotation may be Doom Bar, Landlord and Tribute.
For details of the Sohemian Society go to - https://www.sohemiansociety.com/
Description from WhatPub, CAMRA’s pub guide, with a summary from Google Maps.
Features
- Dog Friendly
- Outdoor Seating
- Sports TV
- Family Friendly
- Serves Food
- Serves Lunch
- Serves Dinner
- Real Ale
- Cask Marque
- Function Room
- Events: After a gap of just over four years, the Sohemian Society will be staging a new programme of events. We’ll be kicking off with an informal get-together on the evening of 5 September. See website details in text for full details of events
- Reservable
- Good for Groups
- Accepts Credit Cards
- Accepts Debit Cards
- Accepts NFC
Opening times
- Monday
- 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Tuesday
- 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Wednesday
- 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Thursday
- 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Friday
- 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Saturday
- 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
As listed in January 2025. Hours change, and bank holidays differ: check with the pub.
Good to know
- Operator
- Real London Pubs
- Price
- 2 out of 4 (Google’s price level)
- Phone
- 020 7580 1585
Google rating and reviews
4.3out of 5 on Google, from 501 ratings
5 out of 5David Morrison Google, August 2024
Lovely looking pub in a tudor style but built in 1930s. Does some nice ales and craft beers. Had a great deal on the pies which were delicious. Landlord is very pleasant and good to talk with. Have dropped in a couple of times recently and much enjoyed the ambience. Apparently, George Orwell of 1984 fame once threw up over the bar but who knows! If he did, it wasn't the beer or pies as they were excellent. Do yourself a favour and drop in!
5 out of 5Armando Marinon Google, October 2024
Great fish and chips and sausage and mash were excellent. Also had a proper pint!
5 out of 5Agnese Zirneon Google, July 2023
Reasonably priced pub only 5 minutes walking distance from Oxford street. The food and service were all good and the prices were very reasonable for central London. It wasn't packed and there was plenty of space, so, yes, a good place to have a meal and drink!
5 out of 5Adrian Tillon Google, December 2023
Stopped in for a spot of lunch whilst shopping in a very busy Oxford Street. Friendly staff and good service. Lovely Olde Pub! The food was delicious! We can certainly recommend the Christmas Pie.
4 out of 5Alaister Traillon Google, December 2021
Classic gem just hidden away enough. 1 hand pull on, which was very good and Guinness was good too. Took the pie deal 2 for £19 something kids had a selection of tapas type dishes, my pie (stilton and beef) was excellent. Well filled with tender chunks, wife had chicken and ham and leeks, it looked great. Side veg were cooked perfectly
Rating and reviews are from Google Maps, as they stood in January 2025. See the latest on Google Maps.