Buckingham Arms, London Pub Review

Buckingham Arms, London

Posted on 03. Nov, 2010 by Robert Gale in Pubs

Buckingham Arms, London

The Buckingham Arms is a traditional Victorian pub hidden in the backstreets of Victoria, London.

Brief History

According to Wells and Young’s, the pubs owners, the building can trace its history back to around 1804 and according to CAMRA it was once a hat shop. The Grade II listed building became a pub in 1840.

The pub is named after George Villiers, the first Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), a royal statesman during the reign of James I and Charles I. The Duke was one of the richest men in England at the time and was notorious for his arrogant behaviour. The duke was assassinated in 1628 at the age of 36.

Location and Interior

The pub is located on the oddly named street – Petty France – and is opposite the Ministry of Justice and Wellington Barracks. It’s also just a short walk from St James’s underground station where the headquarters of London Underground are located.

The interior has been refurbished in recent years but still maintains a Victorian look and feel. There is a mixture of seating throughout from more comfortable armchairs at the front, stools along the right side and more traditional tables and chairs at the rear. Along the left side is a curved mirrored bar.

The Beer

The beer is from Wells and Young’s and up to four ales are available at a time. You can expect to see beers such as Wells Bombardier, Young’s Special, Bitter and a seasonal. The beer is well served which is evidenced by their entry in all 38 editions of the Good Beer Guide, an achievement equalled by just eight other pubs nationwide and just two in the London area.

Visiting the Pub

I’ve only visited the pub on weekend afternoons so I’m not sure how busy the pub gets. It’s open Monday – Friday 1100 – 1100, Saturday 1200 – 1800 and Sundays between Spring and Autumn. It is easily reached St James’s Station which is served by the Circle and District lines. There are also a number of other good pubs in the area operated by Fullers, Nicholsons and Greene King.

More Photos of the Buckingham Arms

Venue Location

Buckingham Arms

62 Petty France

London

SW1H 9EU

Tel: 020 7222 3386

twb.im/buckinghamarms

View on Google Street View

Robert Gale (Twitter: @awv)

Beer Taster, Pub Attendee, Photo Taker

Robert Gale likes beer, pubs and beer festivals. He also likes to take photos of beer, pubs and beer festivals. Most weekends of the year you can find him travelling around the UK (and sometimes beyond) photographing and reviewing good quality pubs and beer festivals. He also has a day job in the form of a web developer for Ozum.