please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This place has an airs and graces attitude - thinks it's in some bohemian quarter of Greenwich village as opposed to the arse end of Acton. Think I preferred it when the ale wasn't much cop and it was fullof post office van drivers.
anonymous - 25 Jan 2014 12:49 |
The food is top notch with a good selection of vegetarian and meat dishes. Unfortunately though the service is poor and the bar staff very rude. If you just want to have a meal then this is a good place to go in Acton - but if you are after a drink at the bar, then I'd choose another pub.
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Currently visiting a pub for every station on the London Overground. Did this for Acton Central. Found it a bit too poncy and pretentious to be honest. Did have decent screen for watching sports though. Not great beer selection.
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Great atmosphere. Olly is the perfect barman. actually volunteered last week to go out in the rain and get us a cab. Best pub in Acton. We try to go to other pubs...and always regret it. Other pubs to not compare well to The Rocket for the all-round experience.
holby - 28 Feb 2010 07:38 |
This is my local and it's pretty good. In general I go to pubs for a pint rather than for food: the Rocket succeeds with both . Rarely have I had a bad pint and when that's happened, it's been changed without fuss. Beer choice is better than average pubco-standard, with Pride, Landlord and Harveys the offerings. Would be nice to see another guest ale from time to time, but maybe Acton punters aren't that fussed.
The jewel in the Rocket's crown is the food. Under previous ownership it was good but a bit pricey. But now the food is still really good and the prices have been cut. It must be one of the best value eateries in the south of England. The service is excellent: really friendly, efficient and definitely scores 10 out of 10.
If there's a down-side to this pub, it's the audio system in the main bar. The speakers are tiny and tinny, the sort you could buy for a tenner a pair. After a while this grates, which is a shame because the variety of music played is varied and interesting.
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Charming staff, good ambience, really good food and an upstairs room that hosts the local book club, two film clubs, stand up and sometimes gigs.
Selection of wines including prosecco as well as well-kept beers.
Even a kids menu
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I recently visited the Rocket with a few friends on a fine Saturday afternoon. The real ales were good (i.e. Sussex Best Bitter, London Pride etc) and the atmosphere was nice outside. The meals were good too (although the steak and garlic butter was nothing special).
An insect crashed into my half-drunk pint and I asked the bar staff for a spoon to help get it out. However, the thing disintegrated when we tried to get it out. At that point the barman went and got a strainer and tried to repeatedly strain the leftover beer. Finally, the owner/manager(?) saw what was happening and replaced my pint in full.
After the nonsense with the strainer, the owner/manager(?) had saved the day and I left a happy customer after an enjoyable day. That's the kind of service that keeps people coming back and I'll be one of those people.
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Really, really great pub. Go!
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Cracking pub in acton - although near the churchfields it's miles apart in terms of atmosphere and beers - many a friday night after work (where the choice is the kingsarms, churchfields or rocket) then the rocket is always the first and only choice. Good bar staff and nice outside area when the weather allows. Keep up the good work!
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A good selection of beers available but I'm surprised to read they often run out on a Friday as the last couple of times I went in there I was served short measures, and when I asked for the pint to be topped up it was done very grudgingly. Won't be going back.
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I think that the below review describes this place very well.
I would also like to add that the real ale on during my visit was Pride (which was good) and Harvey�s Best. There is also an unused ale pump and a selection of standard and premium lagers. There is also a projector screen on the back wall which was rolled up, not that I imagine any sport gets shown on it.
This is a good pub if you like the gastro side of things.
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The Rocket is in Churchfield Road near Acton Central Overground station (Richmond - Stratford line.) It changed hands in August or September 2008. The new owner has redecorated inside (red again in the bar) and outside (dark green) and changed the furniture. It still has one very large main room with a handsome bar counter running down most of one side and a separate dining room opening off the bar. The planned addition of curtains may help cut down the noise rebounding off the hard surfaces a bit. Outside, the paved terrace, overlooking the side road, gets sun in the early part of the day. The green awnings to protect the smokers from the rain, make the interior dark in the day time.
It is a pleasant environment apart from noisy extractor fans and fridges, which were a feature before. Alex manages the food side and Andor manages the bar. Some of the same friendly staff have been kept on.
The choice of real beer is good, although not as well kept as it could be my husband and son say. The choice of wine is good. So far I have eaten there once on a Saturday evening and twice at lunchtime. The food is as good as it was under the previous chef although we did have scallops served on cold plates and I was told a new plate warmer is planned.
Andor tells me that will have music in the bar, probably on Wednesdays, and that they will also develop the large room upstairs as a function room.
The Rocket is a very good pub for Acton: others, in the High Street, are The George & Dragon, good for food, The Kings Head which is Fullers, and The Red Lion & Pineapple, a Weatherspoons pub, all well thought of; the Goldsmith's Arms in East Acton Lane has a huge garden so is good if you have children. Many of the others cater mostly for Australians & South Africans or Poles or football fans so I cannot comment on them.
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The food is good and atmosphere not too bad compared to some of the other Acton pubs. Unfortunately this pub NEVER has beer or cider on tap on a Friday.
We have lunch at the pub every Friday and for the last 6 weeks in a row, they have run out of Addelstone's cider. Then last week, they completely ran out of all beers, ciders and ale's.
I'd recommend you call the pub first before arriving just to check if they have beers, ciders and ale's on tap!
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This place is a small gem in the horror show of pubs in Acton. The food has seen better days but is still very good. The beer & wine selection is also good.
Does what it says on the tin.
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Food has realy gone down hill.I Will never go back there agian.
anonymous - 12 Nov 2007 19:59 |
Went to The Rocket last Saturday for a long and boozy lunch and it was lovely. The food was great, the service was quick and friendly.
The dining room is simply stunning yet with a cosy and homely feel. Food was clearly fresh and very tasty.
It wasn't very busy but I really enjoyed my experience there and will definitely be going back again very soon!
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i found the rocket to be a friendly, relaxed pub with a great atmosphere. not sure how anyone could consider it "boisterous and smoky" as per pete35's comments - well ventilated and hugely spacious in my opinion.
food and dining room was great, staff were young and chatty, clientele seemed pleasant and the landlord was very knowledgeable about the three or four unusual requests i put his way.
recommended - by far the nicest pub in the area.
richa - 11 Jan 2007 14:25 |
great pub anad great food, i dont think there is a problem of an abundance of middle class people in acton, to be honest, you can go there and have a good chat with one mate, or have a bit of a party. beer is standard london price but worth it for the nice atmosphere in the place. much better than the clostrophobic smokehouse next door called the Churchfield
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Not a bad place - a bit gastro for my tastes, but they still serve a good collection of fine ales and have managed to stop the hordes of middle-class toerags who are busy destroying the rest of Acton's pubs from ruining this place.
Nice place for a pint and a sit down. Haven't tried the food.
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Really noisy, boisterous and smoky. Staff are a friendly but a bit clueless and slow. Food is good but woefully overpriced.... Harsh tasting house wine sealed the deal, I won't be back in a hurry.
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Nice large airy pub, very relaxed and close the Park, an Art gallery and Acton Central Station.
It has a decent outside seating area, good choice of wines, lagers and real ales. DJ on Sunday afternoon playing some nice tunes.
Food is tasty but expensive. Service is very friendly if a little slow.
The wine choice is good, but if the rather expensive, and poor quality, house wine is really the preferred choice of the house...mmmm?!?
anonymous - 29 May 2006 17:33 |
Food is excellent but this pub is let down by it's staff. Waitresses do not know specials or ingredients of their food, and bar staff have no idea how to pour a pint. The Rocket also remains woefully overpriced for the area.
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Love this place. Laid back bo-ho feel and nicely laid out bar area. Mixed crowd and friendly atmosphere. The restaurant is excellent plus weekday lunchtimes they offer a �6 lunch which has some nice items on it. Currently this must be Acton's best pub (also lacking in antipodeans ! only joking .....)
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I love pubs, this one lay dormant for quite a while, then it turned into a gastro... but you know what, they serve real beer (pride and adnams - both kept well), have some good wines and even prosecco (italian champagne) there are still some good characters in there and there's some social benches to sit on outside. As for the food - its creative italian... which has the potential to be bad in london but my girlfriend is Italian and she is excited everytime she goes - the food is lovely. I am confused by some of the other reviews - eaten here a few times and its always been amazing (as with any restaurant, pick carefully). I am impressed that such a nice places exist and people put in the effort to make something rewarding. GO!
anonymous - 25 Jun 2005 16:46 |
Went here a couple of weeks ago with a friend, thought the food was excellent and very good value for money. Also found the staff to be very pleasant and helpful.
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In a nutshell, it's a good pub. It's cool without being painfully trendy, and the dining room is tasteful and relaxing. In the past, the staff have been distracted and a bit 'whatever', but recently this seems to have changed for the better. There are some genuinely nice people working there.
The food is great. Yes it's on the pricy side - three of us had an albeit unrestrained meal which, with wine clocked in at about �130, but it knocked spots of many restaurant meals I've eaten for more money. It suits languid sunday lunches and informal evening - especially in the winter. The Wild Venison Ravioli Rocks, as do the Sunday Roasts. There is a nice terrace with big, chunky benches, but the area is in the shade most of the time; great for summer dining, but not so attractive on those long summer afternoon/evening sessions...
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I used to go in quite a bit, now I just think they jumped on the gastro-pub bandwagon and don't deliver the goods... I recently had a seafood platter - costing nearly �40 for two - small and pointless half lobster, no mussels and not very fresh....the place was almost empty but still service was poor. I am giving up dining there but may still continue to pop in for the odd glass or two.
Stephen Bailey - 9 Sep 2004 12:21 |
Well, I just stumbled across this website, and actually I used to work at the Rocket when it first opened bizarrely enough... Personally, looking from both sides, I think the Rocket is a fantastic bar/rest. The food is amazing...(esp the steak - it's hard to find a good steak in London), and the kitchen staff take alot of pride in their work and make sure that everything is sent out to the highest standard. The wine is devine and the service is unparallel! (not being bias of course). I have recommended the Rocket to ALL of my friends and none of them have come back disappointed, infact most of them have been back a second time. Good on ya guys...keep up the good work ;o)
ALP - 9 Sep 2004 11:10 |
I'm really dissapointed to hear so many bad reviews. I live near The Rocket and go in quite often. Going for food is a treat, because although expensive, it has always been awesome, and in my book worth every penny. I love the atmosphere and think the music is fantastic.
Milo - 23 Aug 2004 13:06 |
Decor is smart and food reasonable but falls down on service, which is slow. It seems the enjoyment of a meal there is entirely dependent on who serves your table. Also cost is rather high considering the location. This may be West London but Acton is definitely not Soho!
Peter Alliss - 6 Aug 2004 14:42 |
I must say I had a wonderful meal here. The prices are quite high but you are not eating standard pub food. The decor is very attractive, there is a separate dining room from the main pub, and it's also a very nice pub for a sunday drink. They have a backgammon table and supplied counters when I asked for them.
I would recommend and agree that it's a very nice change from most pubs in Acton.
Dominique - 23 Jul 2004 19:24 |
Wants to be a gastropub but the food is simply not up to scratch, and it's vastly overpriced. A small glass of italian wine came to four pounds, and main courses were around twelve pounds. Medium rare steak arrived burnt, and drinks glasses came complete with lipstick marks. Portions were not generous, and service at 12.5% was outrageous considering our waitress knew neither the specials, nor the ingredients in the dishes. Avoid.
Chris - 9 Jul 2004 14:05 |
Looking at some of the comments here I must say I am bewildered by what I have read. The Rocket has been a genuine breath of fresh air in Acton; its a very friendly pub indeed with delicious food and a great atmosphere. As a mother of two who expected to find this gastropub a little too 'trendy' for me at first, I have in fact always found the young staff there extremely welcoming and good fun to talk to. Perhaps occasionally this friendliness may interefere with the speed of the service but I know I would far rather drink in a place where I was always warmly received than to be served by some charmless Antipodean.I don't know if some of the comments here have a hidden agenda of some kind, because everyone I know in the area agrees its a wonderful pub, with real spirit and character. So on behalf of the grateful residents of central Acton, keep up the good work guys!
Angela - 10 Jun 2004 15:54 |
Go there bearing in mind it's a pub and you won't be disappointed.
BB - 24 Mar 2004 22:59 |
It was with real excitement that I first visited The Rocket, after good reviews from friends. The pub exterior looks impressive, as does the beautifully decorated interior. As opposed to some reviews below I found the staff smiley and helpful when asked about the menu. However, the food was really not up to much. I consider a gastro pub should be all about warm hearty wholesome recipes, not wan options such as these. The Sunday roast was very average and the risotto a bizarre mixture of flavours that just didn't work together. left feeling slightly disappointed, and would love to see them sort their kitchen out, and take a leaf out of The Havelock Tavern's book.
Olenka - 23 Mar 2004 17:03 |
Mmmmm wish I could say I enjoyed my first evening here. I went based on a friend's recommendation. Service was surly, ill-informed and to surmise incompetant. Average food, smoke ridden dining area and loud music....unpleasant evening, sorry.
Jon Ronson - 28 Feb 2004 02:32 |
Sorry, this place didn't rock my world - thought the wine list overpriced and quite weak when you consider the sophisticated prices being charged - same for the food, considering the environment and service. Bar staff are indifferent - some might say rude.... just not very good in my view.
Joanna Ronson - 17 Jan 2004 19:08 |
Loved it, I personally found the bar staff very cool and easy going, they even recommended what we should eat after a discussion about our preferences, and I have to say the wine list was hugely impressive. No wonder theyu have been short listed by teh Evening Standard as one of the top 5 gatro pubs in London.
Rupert - 16 Jan 2004 08:50 |
This is a great place with excellent food and a fine atmosphere.
Check out the lunch specials...brilliant!
shel - 7 Jan 2004 17:37 |
have to agree about the service. the bar staff are too busy flirting with each other, talking to their friends or just trying to be cool. they served up olives which they knew were awful (they admitted it when i returned them) and don't do bowls of hot chips - or even some fancy version thereof. this pub could rock - has potential - but the bar staff need a big bloody in the bum.
tao - 6 Jan 2004 14:49 |
At last Acton has a stylish eatery. Excellent food and the service is great - not too in your face.The wine selection is above average, a bottle of house starting at �10, and dependent on the occassion, you can really splash put for a quality bottle. The sunday lamb roast is a must for the contempoary eater. A definate thumbs up for the Rocket.
Louise - 16 Nov 2003 11:45 |
Really sad to say I agree with the other comments here. The food was well below standard and way above the price I would have expected to pay for what I received!
What appears (on initially entering) to be quite a nice bar, rapidly turn to being a 'what do I have to do to be served' kind of bar. I felt as if I wasnt a member of the 'club' in the bar staffs eyes.
A real shame. The place was recommended to me by a friend who positively raved about the place. Have to say, I dont know why.
I don't think I'll be going back, which I suppose really sums the place up. Shame really. It has lots of potential.
Dan - 22 Oct 2003 14:18 |
my christ this place gets worse by the minute .was there recently on a couple of occasions and have had to wait ages to be served .actually i left after waiting five minutes and went to the Albion across the road(it may be shit ,but service is quick and the change is correct.
owners take note , employ more staff .
maz - 15 Oct 2003 11:20 |
Its ok and better than a lot of the surrounding pubs but it has a fake atmosphere, loud music and can feel like a rip off if you choose a measy portioned highly priced meal - worse if your paying for two!
James P Morgan - 2 Oct 2003 00:13 |
Food was terrible when I came to this pub, the salad hadn't been washed, it was full of mud! Most disapointed as I was recommended to go there by friends. hope they get their act together before my next visit to Acton.
kasha - 24 Sep 2003 22:10 |
Had a very expensive average meal and the real ale was virtually undrinkable.... really gone down hill recently which is a shame.
Peter Mathers - 15 Sep 2003 07:21 |
agree with Maz again see Churchfield comment, this place sometimes feels like a private members bar - if you can get the staffs attention then you'll be ok....
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I live next door to this place , its ok for a quick drink.but that's it . I suppose it the 30 something poseurs who inhabit the place that put me off.service can sometimes be a bit dodgy ,and some aircon in the dinning room wouldn't go a miss.
maz - 2 Sep 2003 13:22 |
I love this pub, fantastic decor without being up its own arse. It has a great atmosphere the staff are friendly and helpful and the food is out of this world, and puts any restaurant to shame.
rosalie forde - 29 Jul 2003 11:24 |
I love this pub, good beer, fantastic food and charming Landlords. ( I have to confess, I am their mum,and I am truly proud of the hard work they have put in to set up the Rocket. Worth a visit!
Jay - 9 Jul 2003 19:00 |
At last, pubs in Acton are worth going to!
Ben - 9 Jul 2003 17:16 |
Thank god for a decent well decorated and un-scary pub in Acton. The food is great, th erange of wine is impressive, the service is good, the customers are not hideously ugly. This is going to become a regular spot.
Ruth Chapman - 23 May 2003 14:16 |
For once, in Acton, a pleasant new pub. Fairly decent bitter (London Pride and 1744 (I think)). Decent wine and a fairly lively early-thirties suburban atmosphere. Not really exciting unless you live in London. If you can get the North London line round, it is about fifty yards West of the station and worth a try.
David Jollie - 1 May 2003 11:18 |
