John Snow

Nice classic London boozer. Nothing special really but a decent pint if that’s what you’re after. Clearly very popular. Took the obligatory GOT photo with the sign. If you plan on going to BAO next door, I recommend getting the plastic cups and queuing with your drink.

Is this the best pub in London? Nope. However, when I lived in London (way back in 2006 – 7), I would frequent it a when I was in the area. It has lots of seating, been around forever and always had a nice beer selection (Sam Smiths served here).
Prices are pretty good for the area too, which can be quite pricey. I stopped back into the pub in 2013 and was glad it appeared as nothing had changed.

This is a solid pub.
I have mixed feelings about this place but I can’t give it less than 4 stars! My soul won’t let me.
If you want a wheat beer or pure brewed you have to go upstairs. (22 of them the guy at the bar sarcastically informed me). You also have to duck under a weird stables like contraption (unless there’s another way that wasn’t immediately apparent).
That said, it’s a solid British boozer. Sam Smiths, so cheap and cheerful, old buildings next to where (I assume) John snow and the whole cholera epiphany pump used to be. Nothing to do with game of thrones. Sorry. Winter is coming though. It’s November.
Beer is good. Staff are friendly (and occasionally sarcastic). The wine list consists of white, or red. Which I massively respect. The food was actually pretty good. The Mac and cheese was exactly that and pretty good, the chicken burger was decent and the onion rings were also really good, almost as good as proper chippy ones.
I recommend popping in if you’re nearby and fancy a drink /​lunch. I’m using it as a man park for myself as my girlfriend gets her hair done…

After-​work HH spot where your experience completely depends on who you’re with. Expect cheap drinks, no space, lots of ciggies and a generally rambunctious vibe.

Pretty cool historical site with a decent pub on top of it.
I would give them 4 stars, but having to duck under half a door to go to the bathroom definitely knocks one off.

John Sow is a famous epidemiologist and I wanted to visit and sign the book. But it’s a small local pub in SOHO that doesn’t stand out. There are much more interesting places to go in this area. If you are nor in public health profession, take a pass on this one.

Sam Smiths, super cheap, great crowd. This is a good pub to hang out and socialize at. I made some friends and enjoyed some beers, which was good considering I was travelling solo at the time. The people spilled out all over the street and took over a block away which was fun. The bar was busy, but the wait was never too bad. Good spot.

This place is adorable and tiny. It’s a Sam Smiths pub so offers the usual in that assortment. Very little space to sit, but it’s really quite nice. Quirky divided areas and the feeling of a proper old pub.

You know nothing about Jon Snow? (Get it)
Nice charming location. They serve alcohol. Not much more to say about it given its a pub.

Simple, old man pub with good booze and good people. Very cheap considering it’s in the middle of Soho. Love coming here for a swift pint before dragging myself back into the tourist hell that Soho can be.

A very decent Sam smiths pub in central London. One of the better sam smiths chain in around central. I went on a Sat so was quite busy but got a table eventually.
For the price of a pint in any Sam Smith pubs in London you can’t really argue, most of them have a cool old school atmosphere so you can’t go wrong.

Cheap beers in the middle of soho — what more can you ask for ?! Not a great amount of choice behind the bar but it’s good for an afterwork catch up or an early weekend pint. Make sure you grab a table early or you’ll be standing for a while.

This is a Samuel Smiths house without any real ales at all and for some reason the organic lager is only available upstairs. Basically, if you like beer move along, there’s nothing for you here. In common with most Sam Smiths places, it’s architecturally wonderful with an interior that is much like it would have been centuries ago. It’s in a great location, on the edge of the Mayfair Soho border. The residents here are either millionaires or in social housing and the vibrancy of the location cannot be understated.
It’s not my pick of pubs round here but it’s not bad.

The John Snow is actually a fine pub. After the homophobic uproar a few years ago resulting in national news coverage for asking a gay couple not to show affection in there I didn’t think I’d be back. But in need of somewhere to meet near Oxford Circus I decided it would do the job.
It’s actually a very pleasant pub to meet for a pint in, the drinks are cheap for this neck of the woods and the place oozes character. The clientèle are a VERY mixed bunch so grab a seat by the bar and enjoy the people watching.
I don’t know if they do food, probably not. The most food I saw someone eating was a packet of peanuts. It’s a proper pub, you know, for drinking alcoholic drinks.

Named after the physician John Snow who identified the source of the cholera outbreak in out in Soho. There is a water pump outside that commemorates his achievements.
The pub itself is nice, full of history on the walls.
great drink selection — definitely worth checking out.

Great Location and interesting set up inside with a split bar. good prices too considering its tourist central here. Really have had some good times in and around the snow. Also the pub is named after the man who discovered how Cholera was transmitted on so some interesting history too!

Nice moody kind of pub. Dark wood, etched glass, good ale. Not crowded on a Sunday night. Good calm atmosphere.
Recommended.

I always end up taking my American visitors here. It’s a great location — especially if you get off at Oxford Circus and wander around the corner and through Carnarby Street’s cobblestones, street performers and cool shops to get there. Cheap pints of Samuel Smith’s and the epitome of a London pub atmosphere, right down to the heaving crowds spilling out into the streets.
Crowd is mostly made up of students and 20−30s professionals looking for a fun/​relaxing night out without the pretense (did I mention the booze is cheap here?). It’s been packed every time I’ve come, so don’t expect to get a seat right away … or at all at happy hour time on a Friday. Instead, get a pint and a pack of crisps and stand on the sidewalk to shoot the shit and have a smoke, for that full Londoner experience.
Downside is lack of food options. Ramen Seto (see review) is right around the corner but possibly closed (it appears to have disappeared off the street). Other pubs with food stop serving at 10p. We ended up wandering all the way down to Chinatown for an overpriced meal that made me ill the next day. You are warned … fill up on scampi fries at John Snow or sort out dinner beforehand.

Good cheap boozer in Soho, nice old pub, has a cool little hatch door you can climb though when walking through the pub. Upstairs has good seating too.
Laid back crowd, from students to tourists.
Bit grungy, beer is cheap for Central London — althought I always get a nasty hangover when I drink it. One of those ‘good at the time’ moments that I will no doubt repeat again & again & again…
Gets busy, especially weekend evenings.
Handy, cheap, laid back & central.

Adore this place. It’s to me what a true pub should be. Good, cheap beer with lots of livelihood.
No matter the night of the week, you can always count on the John Snow to be brimming with folks in for a pint.
Nestled in the heart of SoHo, John Snow isn’t your typical pub — as you can’t get a Guinness or a JD & Coke. All pints are Samuel Smith’s — so have a play around — try a few. You’ll find one you like. I’m partial to the Alpine Lager, so start there
The place can get very hot inside — in both the summer AND the winter — so feel free to take your drink out front, but don’t wander off! Stay nearby!