The Masons Arms will have you spluttering your drink into your neighbour’s face with laughter as the comedy capers become a way to keep you coming back for more.

The Venue
The Masons Arms is among London’s expensive designer stores on Maddox Street, a mere ‘it’ bag’s strap away from New Bond Street. To say the pub has anything in common with the stores around it would be a lie, but even an area like this needs a little grounding.

Upon entering, you’ll appreciate its tiny size and the large bar that runs down the right side. Bar stools nestle against the bar and around high tables spread across the floor. Despite some tacky touches in the decor, the building’s classic charm shines with the low beams and carpet increasing the intensity of the cosiness. Dark wooden panelling on one wall leads the eyes along its grain to an intimate cubby hole filled with a small table and two armchairs.

The Atmosphere
Unsurprisingly, the Masons Arms has an upmarket clientele that the cynical might accuse of slumming it while they’re here. So what if the plasma screens only show FA Cup football beamed out of terrestrial TV? Sure, those that thought football was invented with the emergence of satellite TV and the Premier League might feel like they’re sailing down a river without their Sky remotes, but the rest of us are happy to hark back to simpler times. Real tradition is a gift.

On the first floor, the bar hosts a comedy night every other Tuesday, firmly entrenching itself with one of the oldest public house pastimes. Admission is £6 and the calibre is high with acts like Richard Herring amongst the previous performers. In between these fortnights there is the occasional repetition of lame pop to contend with.

The Food
Hot and cold sandwiches, baguettes, salads, burgers and, of course, fish and chip style pub food is all you’ll get here. A refreshing change for an area more accustomed to the finer things in life.

The Drink
There is a good variety of beer at the Masons Arms, including Staropramen, Stella, Heineken, Kronenbourg and Fosters. Cask ale is also covered with London Pride, Spitfire and Greene King on the pumps.

The Last Word
The fortnightly comedy makes the Masons Arms an attractive proposition and the good choice of beer and relaxed ambiance go well with your biweekly laughs.

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