The Devonshire is one bonnet and an orphan away from being the set of a Dickens film—in the best way possible. At the flawless pub and British restaurant in Soho, roaring fires make cheeks flush, groups sink bottles of 2019 Barolo Sorano, and perfect Guinnesses are served to those who are two pints away from doing their best “please, sir, I want some more” impression. The people behind The Devonshire understand that pubs should be warm places and the soundtrack in the dining room is all humming conversation and the crackling fire responsible for your fall-apart Iberico pork ribs.

Come and worship at the recently revamped Soho pub that’s said to do the best pint of Guinness outside of Dublin (something to do with the nitrogen ratio, apparently). Charismatic pub landlord Oisin Rogers, formerly of the much-loved Guinea Grill, has been plotting his vision for this freehouse and grill restaurant for ten years. Together with Flat Iron’s Charlie Carroll they’ve created what they call your classic London pub – warm, welcoming, open to all.

There was no shortage of buzz when The Devonshire opened its doors in late 2023. Both as a watering hole specialising in well-poured pints of Guinness and as a no-frills restaurant, it has proven to be an immensely popular spot from day one. Part of that is down to co-landlord Oisín Rogers, an experienced Irishman with all the gregariousness needed for the profession.

Why we love it: There are space for 40 covers on the third floor of Soho’s most hype-y gastropub and steakhouse-style restaurant. Bookings for this seasonal rooftop aren’t available, so you’ll just have to chance your luck when it comes to getting a table. Time Out tip: Entertain yourself with the bar snack menu on the ground floor pub while you wait for a table.

The Devonshire was opened by publican Oisín Rogers, the recognisable face and name behind Mayfair’s Guinea Grill until his departure in 2022, and Flat Iron founder Charlie Carroll at the end of 2023 and became an instant hit. It’s based out of a historic inn on Denman Street that dates back to 1793, with a top-quality pub downstairs and a restaurant upstairs (headed up by Ashley Palmer-Watts of The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston). The food’s all about the restaurant’s wood-ember grill – the menu includes beef chops and ribeyes, Iberico pork ribs, lamb hotpot, creel-caught langoustines, hand-dived scallops and prime day boat fish on offer – but there’s also a selection of bar food, like scotch eggs, bacon sarnies, sausage rolls and cheese & ham hock toasties.

Since the grand reimagining of this Soho landmark in 2023, The Devonshire has become one of the hottest tables in town. Practically fully booked for weeks in advance, it is a testament to the venue's new ownership: Charlie Carroll, the mastermind behind the Flat Iron restaurant business, Ashley Palmer-Watts (a Heston Blumenthal protégé) and one of London's most well regarded publicans, Oisín Rogers. They have shrewdly returned a sense of old-school grandeur to the place, as well as a revitalised menu of Great British classics (with a heavy emphasis on meat) done exceptionally well.

The famed back room where musicians and media luvvies mingle with glee; the attention to detail and consideration with which the Guinness is prepared; the small but perfectly formed dining terrace, the use of which feels only just over the horizon. The lunch menu has no options, but three courses, with ingredients as delicious and well-sourced as these, for just £29, is nigh on impossible to find in the provinces, let alone the centre of town. Downstairs, the pubs menu of bar snacks, starting at £2 for sausages and mustard, is a must.

An instant hit the minute it served its first pint of Guinness (which it's largely responsible for building the current craze around the stout), The Devonshire is like no other pub in London. Landlord Oisin Rogers (ex-Guinea Grill), business partner Charlie Carroll (Flat Iron founder) and chef Ashley Palmer-Watts (ex-Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston) have created the perfect mix of incredibly popular pub and fantastic upstairs grill room. And even if you can't get a seat at the restaurant, the pub food here is outstanding.

When Mayfair’s arch publican, Oisin Rogers, evacuated Bruton Place’s The Guinea Grill in order to open his own boozer, expectations were high – but no one could have anticipated the ecstatic fervour with which The Devonshire has been met. The pass is run by ex-Fat Duck man Ashley Palmer-Watts, and his unprepossessing offering is astounding, with faultless versions of pub classics (sausage and mash, lamb hotpot, white crab salad) alongside the already legendary grilled langoustines and house-butchered chops.

What: If you’re lucky enough to snag a booking (seriously, tell us how?), The Devonshire’s set lunch menu is nothing short of perfect. It starts with a prawn and langoustine cocktail served in a retro glass, followed by skirt steak, chips and bearnaise sauce, and then rounded off with sticky toffee pudding. The Devonshire is best known for brilliant Guinness and its competitive waiting list, so it's pretty remarkable that this is where you can find one of the best lunch deals in London.

You might know The Devonshire for its perfect pints of Guinness but it also happens to offer some of the best gastro pub food this city has to offer. Standing tall just off of Piccadilly Circus with its glossy green tiles and clusters of thirsty punters surrounding its outsides, this hot pub is the brainchild of a group of famous publicans and restauranteurs. Oisin Rogers, Charlie Carroll and Shaley Palmer-Watts came together to create two floors of elegance and fine nosh.

With its snug interiors, fireplaces, and Guinness, The Devonshire feels like a classic English pub in every way (and claims to sell the best pint of Guinness in the UK). One of the co-founders is Ashley Palmer-Watts (formerly of the Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston) so it’s a gross understatement to call the restaurant upstairs “elevated” pub dining; it’s three Michelin-level food in pub format. A Bar with Shapes for a Name in London

We’ve seen a flurry of London boozers reopening recently that have kept all the atmosphere intact but woven in excellent restaurants, such as Ben Tish at The Barley Mow, Hauser & Wirth’s The Audley and, best of all, Henry Harris’s Racine 2.0 at Clerkenwell’s The Three Compasses. A pint and packet of crisps downstairs, three courses, and good wine upstairs. Now we have The Devonshire, just off Piccadilly Circus.

Given the stratospheric popularity of this relatively new grill room from a trio of hospitality legends, you’ll be happy to get pretty much any table at The Devonshire. But if you can blag one of the tables up on their newly unveiled rooftop, you’ll be positively euphoric. Details: 17 Denman Street, London, W1D 7HW | Walk-ins only, or make a request when you book on The Devonshire website–

London’s hottest place for a pint of Guinness also does a reasonably priced set menu for Central. The Devonshire’s set menu is, well, set – sorry if you have any dietaries. You’ve got a prawn and langoustine cocktail for starter, skirt steak, chips, and béarnaise sauce for main, and a sticky toffee pud to finish it off for the lovely price of £25 for two courses or £29 for all three.

The Devonshire in Balham, where every vaguely south London-based friend of yours will be hosting their birthday this summer. Their beer garden is massive, packed with tables, and even has hireable huts for bigger groups, each decked out with colourful themes. They’ve also got a menu of spritz specials and a pop-up outdoor burger shack for the summer.

The Devonshire, 17 Denman St, London W1D 7HW, United Kingdom. Photo by Bobby Beasley. London is full of beautiful old pubs, and lately also full of beautiful old pubs that have come under new management determined to restore them to their former glory—or, even better, some idealized version thereof.

This has got to be London's hottest pub, helmed by an ex-The Fat Duck chef and often frequented by an A-list clientele. Elevated traditional pub fare, big sharing grills, gutsy sauces and proper puddings take centre stage. It's also known for pulling a decent pint of Guinness.

Large, cavernous Victorian corner house retaining high ceilings and some original mirrors. Refurbished as more of a gastropub and renamed from Duke of Devonshire early in 2008. Split level seating areas behind the central bar with a large garden open in the summer.

Seldom has there been so much hype around a pub as The Devonshire. Which is down to one man, Oisin Rogers. The Irish publican who made The Guinea Grill what it is, along with Flat Iron founder Charlie Carroll, have created in The Devonshire a great destination pub.

Amazing modern British cuisine among central London’s party neighbourhood. Great atmosphere means it’s always busy and the pub and the restaurant are both rightly very popular.