The Glasshouse Stores, pool in Soho

Photo: The Glasshouse Stores

The Glasshouse Stores: Pool & Snooker in Soho, London

FreeWalk-inBilliardsSam Smith'sSoho

55 Brewer Street, Soho, London · W1F 9UJ · Mo-Sa 12:00-23:30; Su 12:00-22:30

A traditional Sam Smith's pub on Brewer Street in the heart of Soho, the Glasshouse Stores is the rare central London boozer with a full-sized billiard table and an old bar billiards table downstairs. It suits anyone who wants a quiet game and a cheap pint away from the Soho crush, not a flashy pool hall. The single most useful thing to know: it is free to play and you just turn up, but the games live in the basement bar, which keeps its own evening hours.

Expect Victorian fittings, etched glass, dark wood and Samuel Smith's own beers, which run notably cheaper than most of the West End. There is proper pub food at lunch and dinner too.

The pool setup

This is billiards more than modern pub pool. The headline is a full-sized billiard table, said to be the only one in a Soho pub, plus a characterful old bar billiards table that regulars have played for years. Both sit in the large cellar bar downstairs, which opens in the evening, so the games are tucked away from the busy ground-floor crowd. There is also a dartboard. The kit is vintage and shows its age, so come for the atmosphere and a relaxed frame rather than tournament-perfect cushions.

Good to know

It is a Samuel Smith's pub, which means the beer is their own brewery range and the prices are well below the usual West End mark. No card machines on Sam Smith's policy in places, so carry cash. There is no music, screens or fruit machines, by design, which is part of why it stays calm. Food runs at lunch and dinner on weekdays, with traditional pub plates. The basement bar keeps its own evening hours, so if the tables are your reason to come, aim for the evening.

Where it sits

You are right in the middle of Soho on Brewer Street, a few minutes from Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square stations and an easy walk from Oxford Circus. That makes it a handy meeting point and a calmer alternative to the surrounding bars. The pub dates back centuries and wears its history openly, with etched glass and dark panelling, so it doubles as a quiet old-school stop before or after a night out nearby.

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Common questions

What is the Glasshouse Stores?
A traditional Samuel Smith's pub at 55 Brewer Street in Soho, known for a full-sized billiard table and an old bar billiards table in its basement bar, plus darts.
Is it free to play pool at the Glasshouse Stores?
Yes. There is no charge to use the billiard tables; you turn up and play, subject to the table being free.
Do you need to book a table?
No booking. It is a walk-in pub, so just come in and wait your turn. The games are in the cellar bar, which opens in the evening.
What games does it have?
A full-sized billiard table, an older bar billiards table and a dartboard. It is billiards-focused rather than a modern pool hall.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday 12:00 to 23:30 and Sunday 12:00 to 22:30. The basement bar where the tables sit keeps its own evening hours.
What is the nearest station?
Piccadilly Circus is closest, with Leicester Square and Oxford Circus also within an easy walk.

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