The Argyll Public House

The Argyll Public House is a mid-19th century public house, located on Argyll Street in Soho, London. It was altered around 1895 by Robert Sawyer, including a refronting of the ground floor and interior remodelling, with further minor 20th-century alterations. The building is constructed of brick, with the street frontage stuccoed. The roof is hidden behind a shallow parapet.

The plan incorporates a narrow frontage with a deep side corridor, leading to separate bars to the right and to the rear. The servery is on the right-hand side, connecting the various areas.

The exterior is five storeys high, with three bays, and entrances to the left and right, flanked by red granite pilasters with larvikite bases and terminations, with a curved timber and glass frontage in between. Windows to the second, third and fourth floors are flanked by flat pilasters and sub-Corinthian columns. Moulded imposts are present to the pilasters of the fifth floor windows; above the fifth floor windows are tympana with vermiculated detail centrally. A plain parapet tops the building.

The interior features mahogany panelling, pilasters, and mirrors with etched and polished details of urns, cornucopias, swags and foliage on the left side wall to the corridor. To the right, similarly decorated glass forms a screen delineating three separate drinking areas. Broken pediments are above each entrance, with detailed screens in between and a doorway in the screen between the two front bars. The contemporary bar counter features panelled and flat pilasters. The bar back has been altered in the lower parts, with one section canted forward, featuring doors and etched and polished glass and a clock above. Further towards the rear, the bar back has a broad section with a segmental pediment and carved frieze. A large rear room incorporates panelling and mirrors in the walling. Cased iron columns interrupt the bar counter at two points. Throughout, the ceiling is richly decorated with Lincrusta. An ornate, scrolled ironwork balustrade defines the staircase to the first floor, while the staircase from the first to second floor has modestly decorated cast-iron balusters.

The public house is a remarkable and rare survival of its plan type, retaining fittings from around 1900, and is considered the best surviving example. It represents a mid-19th century, metropolitan mid-terrace public house remodelled during the "great public house boom" at the turn of the century.