The Devonshire — Restaurant in London

Listen, The Devonshire isn’t just Gastropub of the moment. It’s officially gastro pub of the year and anyone who is anyone has been or is waiting to go. More buzz than a Rampant Rabbit. Patience required if you’re a pleb looking for a good Sunday lunch but the wait finally over, off we trot. When RunDMC declared themselves tougher than leather back in 1984 I wondered if that’s as tough as tough could ever get. 40 years later and the kings of rap have been mashed. Not by Kendrick or Central Cee, but by a simple spud. The Devonshire had been a seedy Soho stalwart for 230 years until it painfully morphed into a Jamie’s Kitchen. Mercifully two smart restauranteurs, Charlie Carrol and Oisin Rogers bucked the trend of disappearing pubs with a wonderful vision. Carrol points out that while restaurants are a place to be seen, pubs are a place to disappear. And voila. A place you can do both. Slap bang in the heart of Piccadilly Circus and stretching over three floors with a recently opened roof, it feels exciting. The downstairs is dark with plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in. Tourists stumble down missed steps as they gaze around looking for their next insta shot. It’s all a bit of a bunfight and we’re relieved to get to the front of the queue to the restaurant where we are escorted upstairs to a wonderfully bright, airy, smart and simple dining room. Exposed brick, wood panels and wooden stools, it’s no frills and elegant all at once. Eager diners clamour for the waiters’ attention. They are as obliging as they can be but waiting and not getting what you asked for is the price you pay for being at the hottest ticket in town. The Devonshire has certainly got people talking and getting a table isn’t easy which might partly explain why everyone was so delighted to be here. But those tougher than leather roasties. Like a bikini clad pensioner who’s camped out on the Carlton Beach in Cannes for 80 years, a skin that was once golden and glowing was now galvanised and fortified into a formidable foe for the jawbone. Mere incisors are not up to the job of puncturing these potatoes and I understand now why they gave us steak knives. Conversely the beef could be cut with the desert spoon. Meltingly tender and delicious. But here’s the rub. When it comes to Sunday lunch, the roasties are the bar by which everything else can be measured. To find a way to get them 80% right 100% of the time throughout a busy service shows a kitchen that’s on top of its game and knows what is truly important to its audience. They were already forgiven because the Iberico pork ribs we shared as a starter were some of the tastiest things I have put in my mouth. But if you’re looking for perfection from the newly acclaimed gastropub of the year Sunday lunch, you won’t find it yet. Service-wise, they are stretched. Puddings never came, water needed to be begged for. We weren’t bothered. We made a sterling contribution to the general hubbub, chatted to our ever so close neighbours and departed more than happy but also dreaming of the roasties you get at home or at Hammersmith’s Anglesea Arms, a pub that once had a similar buzz but has long since settled into quiet Sunday brilliance. Gastropub of the year may be a little generous judging by our Sunday excursion but full marks for the spirit and the ambience and I hope, once things have settled, roasties...

A Visit to The Devonshire, Soho – A Tale of Two Courses

The Devonshire in Soho is, by all accounts, one of London’s most talked-about gastropubs at the moment. On our visit, this was immediately evident—the place was heaving. Outside, the crowd was three deep, Guinness pints in hand, creating a scene so quintessentially “trendy London pub” that it almost felt like a satire. Inside, it was no less packed, the air thick with chatter and the rich scent of stout. Thankfully, we had a reservation upstairs. The dining area is elegantly put together, though the tables are arranged with that familiar Soho squeeze—intimate, if you’re feeling generous; a little too close for comfort otherwise. This did, however, provide some unintentional entertainment. The young couple next to us had an air of a Made in Chelsea dress rehearsal, swirling their drinks with studied nonchalance. They spoke about the Guinness as though it were a fine wine, marvelling at its complexity as if it had been brewed in a monastery known only to them. It was all we could do to stifle laughter—especially when a dramatic hand gesture sent red wine sloshing across the young girls top.

Drinks-wise, I stuck with the house special—Guinness—while my partner opted for an Orchard Thieves cider. Both were well-executed, with my pint poured to perfection, velvety and rich.

For dinner, we both went for the set menu. The prawn cocktail arrived first, a delightful throwback to classic British dining, but elevated. The prawns were fresh and sweet, the sauce well-balanced, and the dish was crowned with a beautifully cooked langoustine, adding a touch of indulgence. A promising start. The main—skirt steak and chips—continued the theme of simple dishes done well. The steak was perfectly cooked, with just the right amount of char and tenderness, while the chips were crisp and golden. Nothing groundbreaking, but when executed this well, nothing needed to be. Dessert, however, was another story. We shared a sticky toffee pudding, which turned out to be a grave misstep. Where the rest of the meal had balanced indulgence with refinement, this was a cloying, artificial-tasting disaster. The pudding was aggressively sweet in a way that masked any depth of flavour, and the accompanying ice cream was forgettable at best—crystallised and bland, lacking the creamy richness you’d hope for. It was, unfortunately, the worst sticky toffee pudding I’ve had in recent memory. Service throughout the evening was less than impressive—efficient but indifferent, lacking warmth or attentiveness. When we raised our disappointment about the dessert, the staff at least had the good sense not to charge us for it, though their response felt more like a transaction than an apology.

Would I return? For the Guinness, the atmosphere, and that beautifully cooked steak—absolutely. But next time, I’ll be giving dessert (and any expectations of stellar service) a...

🚇 Piccadilly Circus 🍺 £6.90 Guinness ❤️ London has an exceptional new boozer.

The Devonshire is located on a corner plot opposite The Piccadilly Theatre at the southern end of Soho. The nearest Tube station is Piccadilly Circus, it’s only a couple of minutes walk to get here.

There has been a pub on this site since 1793. The Devonshire Arms as it was closed in 2012 and was used as a Jamie’s Italian and more recently a Coqbull restaurant, Thankfully in November this year The Devonshire (minus the arms) was reborn under the ownership of Publican Oisín Rogers, Flat Iron founder Charlie Carroll. Oisín Rogers previously ran The Ship in Wandsworth, and The Guinea Grill, Mayfair.

The decor in this one bar pub is traditional and nods to the decor of pubs of the 80’s and 90’s. The left hand side of the bar has exposed floorboards, frosted glass screens and an intimate and cosy low level seating area. The right hand side has an oldschool ‘Saloon bar’ feel. There is a proper pub carpet, a long buttoned banquette and brass topped tables. The solid wood servery is split in two, has an ornate back bar and is framed by a black and white chequered floor. Behind the servery is a snug which is reserved for family and friends plus the occasional visiting celeb, upstairs is a restaurant called The Grill Room.

The beer selection had a bit of something for everyone. There were four cask ales, continental lagers, a little London craft and Guinness. With an Irish Guv’nor at the helm, I had to try the Guinness. My pint was excellent, I would go as far to say this was the best pint of Guinness i’ve had this side of the Irish Sea. One of the reasons the Guinness is on point is probably due to the Guinness being served at the correct temperature, the Guinness line is separated from the other keg lines which are much colder.

I visited on the opening day earlier this month, I was pretty much first person through the door. I received a warm welcome from the Guv’nor and various team members on duty. Not long after I arrived the pub started filling up and soon after the place was packed with local workers, friends of the owners, food critics and a few foodie celebs. The atmosphere was fantastic, it was reminiscent of a Sunday lunchtime back in the 80’s with everyone trying get a fair few down them before the pub shut at 3pm. The service here was first class, the staff were chatty, attentive and courteous.

The Devonshire was a fantastic visit and lived up to the pre opening hype. I loved the vibe, the sublime Guinness, the traditional look and feel and the customer first service. If you want to treat yourself this Christmas, get yourself to The Devonshire.

📅 Info correct on...