please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Staff are friendly enough but it has been as with many Youngs pubs gastrofied (not quite as badly as the Orange Tree perhaps) and is a de facto restaurant now as others have said.
But this is Richmond and times change so whilst I'm not happy about that it is largely inevitable I guess and at least it's still open.
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A pleasant stay here after a tiring walk round Kew gardens. At the back is a patio area where I had a welcome pint of Youngs London ale.
Inside the d�cor is smart wood panelling. I would agree with previous reviews about it being as much of a restaurant as a pub. Although I can imagine things get quite loud when the rugger boys from London Welsh are around.
There was a bit of a delay with the food, (menu printing problem), but it was well worth the wait. Haddock with chips the size of Snickers bars.
The staff were most friendly and made sure I was kept abreast of the menu situation.
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Has completely metamorphosised itself and its target audience since a substantial refurbishment. Good beer and very good Bloody Mary as well! Go for the excellent sausage rolls or scotch eggs - am yet to try the food.
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On a road where once there were three pubs to choose from, the Shaftsbury is the last one standing. Gone is the sticky carpet floor and the weathered looked replaced by something brand spanking new but lacking atmosphere. It seems to be more a restaurant with a bar in it than a pub. The guy who served me was enthusiastic about the place (I think he was the manager) and there was good selection of ales. It just left me a bit cold and out of pocket as the beers were a bit pricey. It is getting harder to find old fashioned boozers these days. Shame.
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Yet another classic auld pub, very popular with locals and rugby fans, has now been turned into a restaurant after a large refurbishment. Expect central London prices and indifferent management ( young and inexperienced I think)...Time will tell, but don't rate its chances on rugby day or a home game at London welsh....
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After three months closure for massive refurbishment the pub has recently reopened as a typical Young's faux Victorian gastropub. Time will tell whether the change is for the better.When we visited it was clearly still finding its feet as the service was rather slapdash and nobody quite knew what they were supposed to be doing.
The food was disappointing. My burger was very overdone and my companion's spatchcock chicken rather dry. And we couldn't make out whether the side salad had any dressing or not.
Still the beer (Sambrooks Wandle) was excellent and my companion's Special was also very good. This is a big improvement on the old Shaftesbury where beer quality could a bit slapdash.
The pub is now rather expensive - central London prices - where once it was one of the cheaper pubs in Richmond.
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Mainly frequented by locals but can get mobbed on Twickers rugby days especially on Wales RFU visits, as it is on the route back to the M4 and South Wales. In the past the management has employed bouncers to restrict the numbers of patrons to a safe limit on these occasions. Also, the proximity to the London Welsh club ground has made it popular with the Welsh contingent of Richmond. Always a warm, friendly atmosphere with decent clientele. As mentioned by several previous posters
there is the added benefit of the excellent barmaid Nina. Starts to get busy after 1700 hours during the week.
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Currently going to a pub at every London Overground station. Did this one for Richmond. Lovely traditional Youngs pub, agree about the friendly bar lady, my kind of pub would definitely visit when in Richmond again.
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Visited here early Friday evening for a swift half. It's a comfortable Youngs house that is a little larger than it first appears. The bar itself is at the front. But there are further drinking areas tucked behind the bar plus a side room to the left as you enter. There was also a popular outdoor drinking area at the back. Youngs Ordinary & Special, Wells Bombardier & St Austell Tribute were the 4 real ales available. Both the staff and the customers seemed friendly and the prices were good for the area.
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Nina is the best person behind a bar you will ever come across !!!
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Went to this pub on Sunday and it was a great little pub. The staff were friendly and the food was excellent and lovely outdoor setting.
We had both fish and chips and pork and both were cooked perfectly.
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The quality of the beer is excellent in this rather small very homely pub. Nina behind the bar has to be one of the best bar "persons" ever. She is amazing, although the males are very disinterested - see previous comments. This is still worth a visit for the old pub charm. The intimacy and of course the quality of the beer...shame about the male staff behind the bar but hooray for Nina ! I'll give it a high score but only because of (a) the quality of the beer (b) the ambience and (c) Nina with the glasses
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It's ok, but the landlord is a misery.
He once kept us waiting for 25 minutes after opening one Sunday lunchtime. He looked aggrieved that some people actually wanted to purchase drinks, when he was running late.
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Very good pub. Good beer, lots of seats, relaxed atmosphere and drinkers. Decent screens for the football, but not too obtrusive. Probably the best pub in the area.
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Very impressed with my recent visit - the staff were great and the screen for the football was good. As a youngs pub I couldnt go past the ram and special. Ohhh and the open fireplace is a cracker!
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My sort of pub. Youngs beers (Winter Warmer in September?!), cosy layout, friendly atmosphere and a convenient location.
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Fine pub near Richmond Station. Quality of the handpulled beers (Young's) is variable. The Thai food is both excellent and very good value for money. There is a small sun-trap garden at the back.
Nina the barmaid is one of the hardest working people I have ever met and seems to have a photographic memory for what her customers are drinking.
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Great venue for watching rugby with the lads or having a quiet one with the missus.Good beers.We've only been in a few times and young girl behind the bar remembers what we drink. Please don't change ever.
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A very nice youngs pub. That used to belong to my Grandfather George Walker many years ago.
And the shop next door was a Fish & Chip shop called Sturgeons which belonged to my Father Stan Walker.
And Molly Malones was called the Hope.
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Feels like a real pub, Good drinks as well for you 2 try. Also nice big screen. Good
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Nice cosy place to have a drink when you're fed up with the other pubs. Has the quality of selling their Pilsner which you don't get everywhere. Bar staff are also patient if you take your time over a decision
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Totally agree with chazzles - great little pub just off the Richmond Chav drag - please keep it quiet !!!!
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I go in here from time to time and I love it. I always find a seat, even on a Friday night. This place is a breath of fresh air, compared to most the crappy pubs that populate Richmond town centre. Good atmosphere and decent Thai food.
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The Youngs Bitter is very well kept here, leaving some other nearby establishments to wallow in their shame. Chilled out, comfortable and thankfully tucked away from the main high street. A locals pub, that is doing the job just right.
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Lovely friendly pub that serves a FANTASTIC pint of Youngs. Quaint little beer garden out the back. Strange choice of decor for the food section - what were Youngs thinking of when kitting this out? Rugby days at HQ make this a buzzing place to be pre-match and afterwards its singing all night with the 'locals' (welsh!)
anonymous - 10 Nov 2005 00:29 |
Love it here, never noticed any hostility either, always been friendly to me at least.
Only gripe has to be about the size of the Thai meals. Really nice but there's just not enough of it.
issas - 25 Aug 2005 23:27 |
Half old pub, half brightly lit Thai restaurant - not a great pub, but adequate if you ignore the restaurant.
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Looks a decent pub, but is full of old geezers and fleas
TheGP - 18 Mar 2005 21:50 |
Very fine little Youngs pub.Great pre-rugby as is slightly off the beaten track.Have never noticed any rudeness from the barstaff.
anonymous - 10 Jan 2005 11:13 |
Please dont let the earlier comments about the rude barmaid put you off. I suspect she must have left the pub - there's certainly nobody fitting that description serving there now.
This is a fine smallish reasonably traditional Youngs local which, being slightly outside Richmond town centre, ( its the other side of the big roundabout )doesnt get the weekend circuit crowd. It has a slightly upmarket feel to it - definitely more Surrey than Lahndahn - but that's no bad thing nowadays. You always get served by someone you recognise -the pub seems to have an unwritten policy of not employing itinerant Antipodeans who wouldnt stay long - and Tim the landlord is a nice chap.
There is a seperate restaurant attached that always seems underused - perhaps because it lacks the pubby atmosphere of the rest of the place, but it seems to have acquired a good reputation locally.
It is a one bar pub - Youngs removed the partition in 1989.
No large TV screen or juke box etc and background music is unobtrusive.
Those who remember the pub in the early/mid nineties will be impressed by the place now
John - 29 Oct 2004 10:10 |
I used to go to this pub regularly. I like it a lot, but I agree, that barmaid has put me off now.
JohnnyOG - 20 May 2004 06:04 |
Very local & quiet pub, with welcoming staff & atmosphere. Youngs Ales OK, but on the couple of occasions my beer has been off have been met with extremely hostile response from barmaid.
anonymous - 12 Mar 2004 16:31 |
