The Argyll Arms
The Argyll Arms dates to 1868, though a pub has apparently stood on the spot since 1740. Designer Robert Sawyer redesigned the Argyll Arms, named after the second Duke of Argyll, in 1895. The Duke lived in a mansion where the London Palladium now stands, and according to legend, a secret tunnel once connected the pub to the Duke’s mansion.
The Clachan
The Clachan dates to 1827 and was originally known as the Bricklayers Arms. It was a favorite haunt of the local police officers and firemen. It was renamed the Clachan in 1897 or 1898. Its name is Gaelic for “meeting place.” The pub was owned by Liberty’s until 1983, when it joined the Nicholson’s pubs.
The Delaunay
The Ginger Pig (Borough Market)
Borough Market in London is the home of The Ginger Pig. Tim Wilson, who farmed his North Yorkshire pasture, producing cattle, sheep, and pigs with a passion for sustaining rare breeds, was asked to join the market’s relaunch in the 1990s. It all started with one man on a butcher’s block with a chopper, preparing chops and roasts by day and sleeping in his van at night. As well as a full raw offering, visitors can buy pork pies, scotch eggs, and famous hot sausage rolls.
The Ivy
Abel Giandolini opened the original Ivy restaurant in 1917 as an unlicensed Italian in the West End. The Ivy has since blossomed into a restaurant popular among celebrities and theatergoers. It has expanded into locations across the United Kingdom and Ireland, known as the Ivy Collection. According to legend, the restaurant’s name originated from a remark actress Alice Delysia made. She overheard Giandolini apologize to a customer for the inconvenience caused by building works. When he said that it was because he intended to create a restaurant, she interjected, “Don’t worry – we will always come and see you. ‘We will cling together like the ivy'”, a line from the then-popular song “Just Like the Ivy I’ll Cling to You.”
The King William IV Pub & Rooms
The Market Porter
The Market Porter was officially established in 1890 during the reign of Queen Victoria. However, there has been a pub on the corner position since at least 1638, and it was apparently renamed The Market Porter in 1890. Why it took the name is open to debate. Previously known as the Harrow, the pub was the site of a grisly 1890 murder.
The Red Lion
The Red Lion pub has a rich and fascinating history, built on the site of an old medieval tavern called the Hopping Hall, dating to 1434. Over the years, the pub changed hands and names several times before the Crown eventually purchased it in 1531.
In later years, the pub was known as The Red Lion and was a popular spot for many notable figures. One of its most famous regulars was the renowned author Charles Dickens, who frequented the pub and praised the kind-hearted landlady who ran it.
Located just a stone’s throw away from Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament, The Red Lion was a popular spot for British Prime Ministers. Every Prime Minister up until Edward Heath in the 1970s visited the pub, including famous names like Sir Winston Churchill and Clement Atlee.
The Shipwrights Arms
The Shipwrights Arms, designed by George Treacher of Treacher and Fisher and constructed in 1884, is now a Grade 2 listed establishment that showcases an original tiled mural depicting the ‘Shipwrights’ working. The pub has been intentionally maintained in a traditional style, featuring a unique central island bar offering an extensive selection of continental lagers and up to six real ales that are “Cask Marque quality assured.”