The Newman Arms in City of London, Westminster

Lovely little pub. Had a nice IPA and a pint of Pride. Gets very busy during the week but this time we were there early on a Saturday night and it was perfect; just 3 or 4 others.

🚇 Goodge Street 🍺 £6.10 Big Penny Lager The Newman Arms is located in the heart of Fitzrovia in central London. The nearest Tube is Goodge Street, it’s a five minute walk to get here. If visiting, make sure you walk through Newman Passage, a covered alleyway to the left of the pub, once nicknamed Murderer's Alley. The pub dates back to 1730 and was once a brothel. If you look up to the top middle window of the pub, you’ll see a mural of a prostitute in a period costume. The pub was rebuilt in 1863 when it was licensed as a beer house. The Newman Arms appears in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four where it was the model for the "Proles" pub. It featured again in his Keep The Aspidistra Flying and in Michael Powell's film Peeping Tom. This is a cosy traditional pub that is set out over three floors. The main bar area is situated on the ground floor and has a panelled servery with a rustic feel. There are some small tables and chairs by the leaded windows and a couple of stools by the bar. If you head downstairs, you’ll find a low lit intimate room with comfy seating. If you head up to the first floor, there is a Georgian panelled room with a secluded booth. The beer selection was all Big Penny (formerly Truman’s) keg beers, except one Fullers cask ale. I decided to try the Big Penny Lager, my pint was decent, price point was average. There is no food served at present. I arrived just before 4pm on a warm Wednesday afternoon in September. The pub was quiet until a group of film and TV workers arrived for an afterwork tipple. The service was great, I was served by the pub’s manager who was welcoming, courteous and kind enough to show me around the pub. I love a central London pub with a bit of history and folklore attached. This is a charming and intimate pub that is easy to settle into. I enjoyed my beer, the setting and the welcoming hospitality. The @newmanarms is definitely one for your list. ℹ️ Info correct on visiting 18.09.24

very disappointed. i used to frequent this pub and it used to have such great service. This wasn’t the case this time, i was next to the bar for about 15 minutes even after the queue had gone, i wasn’t asked if i had wanted a drink, i asked if i can order food and she said they didn’t do food as she walked away and i was talking to a back of a head. Will no longer head to this pub for after work drinks, sadly.

A great, cute location for a private function

A fine example of a fairly traditional English pub. Good beers and a friendly atmosphere. Had a great evening chatting to random strangers over a few beers. Recommended.

I’m going to give it 2 stars very poor beer selection, try to make a traditional pub into something it’s not and they then have the cheek to try and use an American style tipping system when paying for a pint!! This is not New York, the bar staff get paid a living wage and why would you tip someone to pour a pint which takes all of 5 seconds and hand it to you? Embarrassing

I’m going to give it 2 stars very poor beer selection, try to make a traditional pub into something it’s not and they then have the cheek to try and use an American style tipping system when paying for a pint!! This is not New York, the bar staff get paid a living wage and why would you tip someone to pour a pint which takes all of 5 seconds and hand it to you? Embarrassing

5pm on a Saturday and no ales on? It's the Truman brewery tap...dreadful

I used to go to this pub regularly when m husband & I used to live in London. I came down for the weekend with some members of my family & went around Fitzrovia to see if it had changed. Martin the landlord greeted us warmly & we had a couple of drinks which were great value for money. He told us some of the history behind the pub too. Pop in if you are around the area well worth a visit.

Omg the beers here were so bad, mine tasted like hot fairy liquid and the other was so chemically. Maybe the pipes were being cleaned but I had the IPA and my mate the Pale Ale. We had one sip each and one of each others and left. This can’t be the beers they serve normally. Below is how much we had before we left

Quaint and compact pub with downstairs drinking area and yummy salt beef bagels too. The beer needs a bit of TLC though.

Great pub. Good food and drinks, served well.

Cool pub experience! We are visiting the town and this pub was close to our Airbnb. Good beer and nice place

A great pub with a lovely atmosphere and amazing service, I would definitely recommend and I’ll be back next time I’m in London

Great spot for spilling out onto the pavement. Service can be slow due to the tiny bar

Perfect for a quiet drink with friends

Nice pub located in the heart of Fitzrovia off the busy streets. Came on a fairly busy Wednesday evening to avoid the rain. I did see on the menu that they had 2 for 1 cocktails. However when I asked the staff about their cocktails they seemed bewildered... So I asked for a simple cosmopolitan, more bewilderment. Bar man was fairly nice guy though and gave it a shot and it was not half bad. However, for the website to advertise this is not great. Nice inside though and pretty clean, basement had a musky smell to it but guess that's from the history of the building. I would visit again for a pint not a cocktail. Follow me on Google Maps for pub reviews.

Great owners.., Great pub... and an amazing basement that .awesome you feel at home.

Lieu d'histoire, petit pub sympa, patron atypique mais cool, bonne bière et cidre. Juste un petit bémol : pas de verres ou pintes à la marque de la bière (c'est du chipotage).

We had a booking on Saturday evening but the pub was shut. Odd as we got an invite and a chaser. Is this pub still operating?

Organised a work event at this lovely pub and had a blast! Nice pub and friendly staff. Had a great time!

Excellent find, will definitely be back!

It seems The Newman Arms no longer has a Pie Room, nor serves pies. I was there earlier this evening: No one behind the bar knew anything about a pie room, and their upstairs room contained only more drinkers. Very disappointed as I’d been visiting (from Canada) for years (under pre-Truman’s management) and had had my reservation confirmed only yesterday. Never mind: Discovered Norma - an excellent Italian restaurant - only a block away. But - for me - another London delight has passed into history.

We reserved the beautiful wood panelled upstairs room to throw a birthday drinks party for about 20 last night. It's a great, cosy spot and we had the best time. We were able to bring our own food (Gail's does a delicious range of sharing pastries), and had the best time. Thanks Martin, and your colleagues, for making it a special and relaxing night so the drinks and conversation flowed : ) Natasha

I got for the drink and draws, good drinks

Newman's arm is a very quirky pub in fitzrovia. It was very famous for its pies back in the days. The area is partitioned in two rooms and neither of them is particularly big. The outside portion is actually the best place to have a sip in weather permits as it is a really driven back road and very quite. Drinks and the team are professional and polite and I didn't tasted food recently so I ca t say of it is the place to get a pie or not.

Terrible. Book the place for end of year drinks. Gets confirmed 3 days before. On turning up on the evening, get told that the places was double booked and the previous guy had been sacked. Claimed was unaware of my booking despite the communication being via the info email address. Terrible. Won't be going there again and nor will the team. Book at your peril.

Gorgeous pub, celebrated my birthday there with 20+ people - booked via designmynight instant bookings. Was £100 which got added to a tab at the bar. The general manager Martin was wonderful.

Great atmosphere and draft selection. I came in for a pint and their cash machine was down. Unfortunately, I left my card at home. The bartender gave it to me on the house. It’s that kind of place. Will get my patronage any time in town. 10/10

No decent real ale beers anymore and v short pints served

Really lovely pub! The owner was so hospitable and reserved us an amazing spot. Loved the Session IPA too. We will be back!

A lovely, intimate pub - single room at ground level, an even smaller space downstairs, and an upstairs room that can be hired out. Take a look at the top floor middle ‘window’; a cheeky reminder that this building was once a brothel. I bet that alley could tell some stories! Friendly staff, a decent selection of beers, and a pleasant change from the more brash establishments nearby. Definitely would return.

Managed by friendly, inviting people, The Newman Arms boasts a strong variety of beers and ales, and has real character. A tight, but inviting space, the pub is split across multiple floors and worked perfectly as a venue for our Christmas drinks. Tasty food was provided and the team let us control the music for the night. All in all, a fun night, enjoyed by all. Thank you to Mike and the team.

Should be a great historic literary pub but everything is just wrong. Awful service, beer, ambience and just couldn’t wait to leave. Dreadful. Epitomised what I hate in west end pubs. Truly depressing in all ways

It's a great atomosphere to have pints of beers with friends. I like lager here.

What a great little boozer to have a chill in. Good ales, lagers, wines and spirits. Quiet and relaxed and let the world go by outside. Really wonderful intimate pub.

We were at saturday evening in this pub. We have booked a table from 8.30 pm till 11 pm. At 9 pm the barkeeper kicked us out and said that he will call the police. Terrible pub!

Harry was an incredible host. Charming bar with an incredible history dating back to the 1700’s. Incredibly welcoming for families, groups and students dependent upon the time of day. It was the welcome that we needed- pop in and give it a go…

Lovely small pub with little terrace outside, really liked the session IPA they serve. At Wednesday evenings they did £4 pints.

Lovely little bar in the heart of London. Only a short walk away from Tottenham Court Road tube station, definitely worth a visit

Great value drinks and good bar team to keep you topped up. Cheers guys 🍻

Had a refurb recently. I quite like this pub, which has an alley running through it. Decent beer, not too expensive, nice upstairs, basement a bit gloomy. Nice to have a Truman’s pub here and it’s certainly miles better than all the Greene King dross nearby. There should be better outdoor space out front. Maybe the council can provide a parking space for some tables?

Fantastic place, great service and great beer!

Great little pub with a decent beer selection

Only one choice of larger which when poured was incredibly flat. After one sip I asked to exchange the larger as it was undrinkable and was clearly something wrong with the pump. The staff member after agreeing the larger was flat, poured another larger for me from a different pump, before then trying to charge me full price. At my surprise they explained they “don’t give away free drinks” and took the freshly poured larger away (Funnily defeating their point given the pint obviously went to waste too). Still laughing about it now. Really really poor customer service given how much they charge. Would never go back.

Tiny little pub from the outside which you could easily miss, but a delight inside. The main area isn’t large at all but there’s a surprisingly large range of drinks, especially for gin lovers. The bar staff are friendly, nice and proactive and the seating is good for small groups or individuals. Lovely quiet option in the area and I’ll certainly be returning.

Trevlig kvarterspub i liten lokal. God stämning. Går gärna tillbaka

Nice atmosphere, especially for a large group this place offers a cosy room upstairs.

Friendly place with a good range of pale ales! Welcoming atmosphere and a cool set up across the different floors. Thanks to Steve for the great service, beer recommendations and for accomodating us with the temperature upstairs!

We have been going to this pub couple of months now, I have to say the barman Steve is very friendly, welcoming us with a smile and make the atmosphere good. We were in pie room upstairs it's quite cozy and easy to talk to everyone unlike other pubs around.

It's a great pub, with great beers and an interesting history. But mostly it's great because of Steve, who is such an awesome manager. He's so friendly, and has a great rapport with everyone. Great stuff, Steve, look forward to seeing you for a beer soon. 🍻👍

Great re-vamp very comfortable with great Truman beers & Stephen the barman/manager very polite and knowledgeable of the good range of Truman Beers.

I can't recommend The Newman Arms highly enough. Steve, who was effortlessly running the place on his own, didn't even raise an eyebrow when we stuck our head in the door and told him we had been let down by a booking close by and needed some last minute venue assistance. He welcomed us all in to save our eve, opening up his 1st floor area specifically. A great atmosphere in this historic venue serving excellent pints from Trumans Brewery which has a heritage older than the pub. Great spirits list as well. Thanks Steve for being so accommodating and providing us with an evening that we all agreed could not have worked out better. It was very much appreciated and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Cracking little pub , quieter than others in that area but no wait to get a drink.

Great service. Friendly staffs who know the history of the pub. Helped us out with an umbrella when it’s pouring outside. Supporting London brewery. Special thanks to Steve and Amy who’s a great team!

I went past Newman Arms on Tuesday 27th July, around 5 pm it was shut, also went past it yesterday, Friday 30th July about 6 pm and it was also closed !

This is Truman's flagship pub serving some of the best beer in London. It is quieter on weekends due to its central location for city office workers during the week. Great looking pub inside and out with nice decor and cosy seating on three levels (got to love the 80s classics playing in the background!). Bar staff are friendly and take pride in maintaining this place to a high standard. Well worth a visit now that they have reopened post-lockdown.

Went for a quick beer before dinner on Friday evening. Nice pub with dining room upstairs. Staff was nice and helpful. Will come back to try the food which look tasty !

Great beer and a lovely atmosphere, it's a tucked away little gem.

Très bonne cuisine anglaise et staff très sympathique. La décoration du pub est très chaleureuse.

Currently my favourite pub in Fitzrovia.

Good bar but lacking atmosphere

Querky place with a small snug type area with curtains. Should you draw the curtains not surprisingly this causes a stir amongst the other patrons and their attention is drawn to the area and for once they stop chatting! Lol.

Returned to a pie restaurant, thankfully. Had a lovely venison one. Service cheerful and efficient

Archetypal british boozer with good food and real ale from Truman's Brewery. Very small and cosy.

Fabulous little pub off the beaten track. Quality of food was outstanding. Staff very friendly

Good wine, nice corners and friendly service

Love it, friendly staff and excellent gin collection

A gem of a pub hidden away in Fitzrovia. Good beers, an upstairs pie room, fresh salt beef at the bar and lovely staff.

Ask for very dry Bobby's gin martini with a twist.

Apart from the incredibly slow food service, still a good boozer

AAAAMAZING pies and very special hot wings. Excellent pub in the core of London with beautiful personnel

Really enjoy this place, probably the best pub round this area

Great service and beer. It's a bit small but it resembles the old typical London pubs. Great customer service.

I was having a walk down memory lane today showing my husband where I used to work in Rathbone Place. We popped into The Newman Arms just by chance. It is a small bar but so lovely. A great choice of food on the menu and a really cosy basement bar. Very nice staff and some great soft jazz being played. I would definitely recommend a visit. We were there around 3pm and it was quiet but I imagine it would be difficult to get a seat in the evening but well worth a try.

Beer, recommend Runner but great choice available

Da non perdere per gustare dell'ottimo cibo in un luogo tranquillo e d'atmosfera, tipico londinese, a 100 metri dalla vivace Oxford Street. Eccezionale il pie al pollo con i funghi ed ottimo il toffee pudding per dessert

2 cocktails for £10.00. Unfortunately even though advertised outside they had no food at all for us

Good beers, great salt beef, even better pies.

Lovely little pub & great staff. The ground floor space is very tiny, but they have a dining room upstairs & a hidden cocktail bar basement downstairs. Always playing 80s bangers!

Crammed into a nook this bar is light on space but high on character. If you're lucky enough to be able to grab one of the comfy looking chars downstairs this will probably be the a perfect spot for a beer and chat with some pals. The pies are tasty enough but neither filling nor spectacular on flavour; more a whim than a fancy.

Lovely Pub in the Centre of London

For the price of a half, I could get a pint in a Wetherspoons...

Their salt beef bagels and sausage rolls are legendary and the choice of beers and spirits is great

Good wine, better food. London gem.

Menu small but good enough choices. Good local bitter.

Nice beer, busy Friday lunchtime, didn't have time to try food but menu looked fine.

Decent place with nice pies. Worth a visit itlf you're in the area.

Tienen un roastbeef con beagle muy jugoso que merece la pena probar y varios tipos de cerveza. Muy recomendable

Glad to see this pub had reopened. Not as good as the original, but can still claim to be a proper pub, unlike the Pillars of Hercules, which has sadly turned into a cocktail bar.

Pessoal, Sensacional. Obrigada guys por este lugar maravilhoso👋🎵💟

Visited here with a few colleagues for lunch. Im sorry to say, it was terrible. The only veggie option was a salad. Instead I went for a bowl of chips, assuming that £4 worth would be enough for a mild lunch, but asked if I could have a little hummus on the side. I was mistaken. Not only was I charged £4.50 for a supermarket pitta bread and a little over a tablespoon of hummus, which was palatable, but not much more than supermarket hummus with a sprinkling of spices, but the mass-catering grade chips were soggy, and woefully lacking. It's worth noting, the small metal bucket they came in seemed to be somewhat unhygienic, as the paper within did not cover the bottom of the bucket which was encrusted with some kind of oxide. I had a Trumans Pale Ale, which did not have the fresh hoppy characteristic one expects from a pale ale, assuming it has not been kept appropriately, Incredibly disappointed with how far £14 went in this particular venue. Shall not be returning.

Amazing food, excellent warm service

Small nice pub, watched great angolese live music on a Saturday night. Good selection of beers as well.

Small pub with great ale choice

Really tasty fish & chips and pies. Chips were fluffy on the inside and the fish was wrapped in delicious crispy batter. Pleasantly surprised by the lunch discount on pies :)

Superb, spacious refurbishment. Great Truman's beer. A perfect Fitzrovia hidey-hole.

Great little pub if you can get in, if not, stand outside. Good beer, friendly staff.

Great Truman's ales. Lovely atmosphere. Bit reluctant to say how good it is in case it gets too overcrowded.

Booked a work Christmas meal here; the staff at the Newman arms were so friendly and attentive, I cannot thank them enough. Food was delicious and reasonably priced also. Will definitely visit again!