please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Rifleman was closed for a while. But it has re-opened and now stocks a good range of Twickenham Brewery beers. Young's Ordinary & Butcombe Original are regulars, alongside Twickenham Naked Ladies. The other 3 ales were also from Twickenham - Redhead, Winter Star & American Nut Brown. We had to wait for the latter to be changed. But it wasn't too long a wait. There was no sign of a real cider. The interior of the pub is unchanged. It's a single, cosy room. Sport is still shown on the TV. Cricket was on yesterday. Still a fairly decent stop.
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This old, small back street pub has thankfully survived despite being tucked away down a side street. It’s limited choice of real ales are always good and it was nearly always busy. It never served food (apart from snacks and toasties) and this was fine. It had TV screens placed high up for major sports events but they were never intrusive.
Until quite recently the pub was run by a friendly land lord and land lady who were always a presence in the bar who remembered and welcomed you. It was always a pleasure to visit.
A couple of weeks ago my partner and I decided to go there for a pre Sunday lunch drink. We expected the pub to to busy and jolly.
We arrived at 1.30 to find there was just one customer at the bar. The young lady bar person served us and was very nice and friendly. I enquired why it was so unexpected quiet. She said it was because the football match hadn’t started yet and it would get busier.
There are several screens in the pub and they were all blaring out random sports events plus music playing.
Later maybe another six people came in and despite the match now being on I wasn’t aware anyone was watching.
We felt disappointed that this local had appeared to have lost its cozy, chatty and friendly (also extremely popular and busy) atmosphere. It would be sad for it to become another statistic.
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Nice, little pub down a residential back street. We came here to watch the football, whilst still looking for some decent ales. The Rifleman appeared to fit the bill. It is the current Richmond & Hounslow CAMRA pub of the year. But I was actually a little disappointed. 5 of the ales are on permanently and there is a 6th ale, which is a guest. The guest was Twickenham Naked Ladies. The 5 regulars were Timothy Taylor Landlord, Dark Star Hophead, Twickenham Redhead, Youngs Bitter & Butcombe Bitter. I had the Redhead which was ok. But I do prefer a real cider or a dark beer. So the drinks range felt a bit limited to me, especially after just coming from the Sussex Arms with its fabulous ale and cider selection. So overall a nice pub, that suited our needs. But not as good as I was hoping.
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Very traditional small pub with a lovely and aromatic garden out the back. Doesn't open until 2pm weekdays - I was nearly caught out by this. Several beers on pump, of which I had Ringwood Bitter. For whatever reason several reviewers have a down on this pub but I don't know why. Sat in the garden and had a pint which was nice.
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The woman that runs this pub sits at the bar each night getting pissed, whats the point of this woman's role here? This was once the best pub in Twickenham only now to be run by a tart
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Very friendly pub (everyone from manager to bar staff) and so welcoming that they had a fire already lit even though no-one was in there. It's wonderful to see that a traditional pub like this, in a quiet residential road, is still going strong and popular in the evenings. Twickenham beers (of course!) and others.
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Congratulations to The Rifleman winning R&H CAMRA Pub Of The Year. Worthy winners by far
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Message below should read "short listed"
There are 3 others on the list:- Masons Arms-Teddington, Red Lion-Isleworth and
Magpie & Crown-Brentford.
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Yes only two posts by RDEANT both to slag off this pub.
Absolute rubbish he is talking.
Now I ask you one question if this place is so bad why has it been shot listed by CAMRA for area pub of the year!!!
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RDEANT - are you sure that you're in the same pub as the rest of us who drink there? This is BITE, it's about beer, not food. But once again you're talking out of your botty because they don't serve, and as far as I am aware have never done so, pizza - microwaved or otherwise.
You've obviously got some beef with the people who run it which means that you have to come on here making vitriolic remarks that are totally unwarranted and unsubstantiated so why not take your own advice and AVOID? C**k
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The Rifleman was once the best pub in the area but due to lack of pub management it now lets in the foul mouthed Prince of Wales lot so now not a great local pub it once was. The food menu here is absolutely incredible too, microwaved slices of pizza and that's the only item on the board. How about using some enterprise initiative and doing something like a bowl of chilli if space is that prohibiting but then I guess that's too business challenging!, beers run out fast as the ordering system is a shambles and the manager simply stands there scratching his head wondering what to do or say! Avoid
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Great 'local' pub. 4 ales (Youngs, Tim Taylor Landlord, Ringwood Best, Butcombe Bitter) I love them all. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, not flashy, if TV is on, the sound is down. Worth finding - it is 150metres behind the Prince of Wales where the R70, 281. 267 and 290 pass. Dog friendly. Beautiful garden. My wife also likes the pub. The Rifleman of Loos. Give it a go.
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So first and only post on BITE about this pub is not a million miles away from the now deleted review by our 'friend', A Hunter. I think you've been rumbled.
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Went here recently to find a very scruffy pub, full of old codgers hogging the bar shouting obscenities at the TV screens. Totally manner-less when I/we attempt to get to the bar and the woman that runs the pub just sits amongst them doing the same whilst drinking herself to oblivion! .. Avoid !
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Listed in 2014 Good Beer Guide. Voted as current POTY Runner Up by local CAMRA branch. Looks like independent assessors vs an abusive idiot. You decide! PS: I live in SW14 and have no connection whatsoever with the pub or brewery.
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Delighted to read that "AHunter" will be avoiding this pub. Idiots like him are best avoided. Undoubtedly one of the best locals in SW London, run by a very friendly couple and always serving beer in tip top condition.
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The last reviewer must be a crack-head and is obviously upset that he/she can't get his/her next fix in The Rifleman. I have lived in Twickenham for 6 months and since the first time of visiting this pub we have received nothing but the warmest of welcomes, great beer and a real sense of 'belonging'.
To redress the balance this is a seriously good pub, run by a lovely couple, and should be on everyone's list of pubs to visit when next in Twickenham. Ignore the last post, they obviously have some 'agenda'.
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Despite having lived in and around the Twickenham area (for a somewhat generous definition of 'area'), I'd never visited the Rifleman. This has now been rectified.
To have two excellent pubs (this and the Sussex Arms) within a (say) two mile radius is indeed a treat. The Rifleman is a small pub with eclectic seating, a couple of benches in the front and a lovely rear garden (complete with a wildflower bed). There were four (I think) real ales on when I visited, including Twickenham Vanguard, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Buttcombe and one other (a session ale) whose name I can't remember. These ranged in price from £3.30ish - £3.55 (Landlord) - good prices for SW London. They focus on wet sales - unless you want crisps or a toastie, this is not the place to come for food.
The barman was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, both about the ales and about the pub itself. There are a couple of televisions which were on but on silent (one showing cricket the other Grand Prix) - this, ideally I could do without though I know many people welcome such things.
The loos were clean (and completely intact). In fact, the pub itself was clean and comfortable - a pub I would certainly be pleased to visit again.
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Great atmosphere and has a lovely welcoming feel to it. Staff were great and was nice to visit a rugby orientated pub. Will go again and would recommend anyone to go there.
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This pub has some exotic cocktails - especially the WKDS! The toilet seat was missing so I had to crap in a squatting position. I was constipated so my thighs were really sore. A good workout though. Great beers.
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Visited the pub on the 16th June. Bar was was buzzing with a number of locals calling in. Young manager but in the old style. It's a local which delivers and needs supporting. Shame on you Twickenimians (is there such a term?) if you let this one die
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Like the last poster I was the only customer when I visited this pub yesterday (Sunday) afternoon @ approx 1.30 pm. Shame as this is a cracking little pub.
Ok a bit off the beaten track - just walk down the side of The Prince of Wales for a few yards.
5 hand pulls on the bar I had a nice pint of Twickenham Vanguard for £3.45
A large plasma screen was showing the Sri Lanka v New Zealand cricket.
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I called one lunchtime last week and was the only customer. Nice, cosy and clean pub with interesting framed collection of bank notes from around the World. Friendly landlord, good Twickenham ale and toasty sandwich. I hope business is better in the evenings and weekends as pubs like this deserve our support.
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Top pub. Excellent selection of well kept real ales.
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In an area blessed with great pubs this one tends to be a bit overlooked. Very friendly, very cosy and usually an interesting selection of beers. We've recently moved to Srawberry Hill from Twickenham and this is likely to become our local....
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popped in recently
nice pub, twick autumn blaze on
very nice, nice n cosy for a quiet pint
decent service etc
will pop back in the future
wag
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Called in Sunday to watch the Spurs match, very enjoyable time & good ambiance. Fine pint or 4 of Twickenham Naked Ladies. good selection of beers including Butcombe an old fave of mine.
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Hadn't been in for years but popped in last week and had forgotten what a lovely little back street boozer it is. Had a really well kept pint of ale, cant remember what it was, I'd had a few. Friendly barman, nice atmosphere, will be back. 8/10
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I like it.
This reminds me of pubs I went to in my younger days. You can't buy weathered charm, something that most pub refurbishments get woefully wrong. It's small inside but very welcoming - when I last went in they asked me if wanted to buy a ticket for the meat raffle!
I hope the couple that run it manage to keep it going.
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i hope ivorbeer introduced himself to the landlord/lady when he returned, and discussed his reviews in an open and honest manner.
or maybe he cowardly went in 'undercover', hoping to write some more anon critical tripe.
if you're not brave enough to face those you criticise, stop posting on the website.
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ivor beer back in the area a couple of weeks ago
well much improvement
service 9/10
value for money 9/10
housekeeping 9/10
ambience 7/10
much improvement made lots of effort for christmas, even now a kitchen
well worth a visit
needs to be advertised more as in a back street where locals are spoilt for choice, if not it will not make it like many more pubs like this, with no fault of the management
2012 will be survival of the fitest
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Visited a couple of times over the past two years, both before and after the change in management.
Always felt very welcome, bar staff always very friendly and helpful. Local beer (Twickenham Fine Ales) on tap, very well looked after.
Good luck to the new landlord & -lady. Keep up the good work!
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Great little local run by young enthusiastic couple! Always very calm and polite! Kitchen now ready soon to do food after a mini refurb due in November! Looking forward to it!
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Very pleasing to see this place open up again. Backstreet locals are a dying breed and this place meets that bill very well. Good to see that Twickenham Ales are still on. Here's hoping that it's the success it deserves to be.
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Ivor beer,
I am Luke, the Landlord at The Rifleman Pub, just read your review, and i apologise you did not have a good experience at our lovely local pub.
It would seem by your other comments on other Pubs that you are not a fan of
Tranditional pubs and prefer a more modern drinking establishment. Id also like to add that at the time of your visit the dust levels in the pub may have been high as we have had builders in to fit the kitchen, and have plans for some more works to be carried out soon. If you would like to come back in and discuss your dislikes with Cloe and Myself we would be more than happy to listen to any constructive critisisms you may wish to voice.
Anybody else reading please do not let this last review put you off visiting this lovely gem of a pub. one of few backstreet locals left in the area.
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ivor beer back in the area
service 2/10
house keeping 4/10
value for money 5/10
hospitality 1/10
pub back open with young couple that do not have much iof a idea
of dealing with customers seem to shy for this trade
this pub in my view will not survive
not enougth local trade to the pub and no reason to travel to it
shame another one to bite the dust soon
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Like the other postings, I'm very pleased to see the Rifleman open again. A friendly pubby pub.
We had the Twickenham beer which was delicious (but too expensive at �3.50 a pint and the half pint meanly rounded up to �1.60). Will come again occasionally but not as often as we would do if the beer was the same price as the Prince of Wales round the corner.
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Went to Rifleman to watch the rugby..great atmosphere..although not doing food as yet..they supplied us all with free..yes free roast potatoes and little sausages on the bar..fantastic.! Had a great time and will go back on Saturday to watch the rugby ...obviously hoping for the snacks again.!
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A very friendly place to have a relaxing drink. No gimmicks. It looks promising and cosy with a lovely young couple running the place. Looking forward to food in the future.
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Hey..just walked past The Rifleman to see it's opened again..yay.! So obviously couldn't just carry on walking past....went in to find it's the new owners opening day..the couple seemed very nice and eager to please. Hadn't been into the pub for some time but it definitely seems to have had a little makeover..very cosy. Had a great pint of Courage Best..few problems with the till it would seem..but hey, first days always have hic cups...nothing pen and paper can't solve.! I really hope it works for this young couple, they have some great plans for the future. It's so good to see this little pub survive the hard times....i for one will be supporting it, it would be such a shame for it to close again. The landlord says they hope to start doing some great homemade food soon.....lets watch this space..!!
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Pub has now closed! Bit of a shame! Thankfully the one round the corner is surviving and is not bad at all!!!
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Probably one of the brst pubs in Greater London. Don't be put off by the previous review. It can be a very busy pub at times. I have been using the place on and off for forty odd years now and stil go back for more. The licensee and his team run an excellent pub and keep the beer very well. So if you like a good pint in a traditional pub then try "The Gun" as it is affectionately known by most of the TRUE local residents.
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Fantastic back street pub with a good choice of beers and helpful, friendly staff. EXCELLENT
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Smallish pub situated in a quiet residential side street just off the Hampton Road.
It's a former Courage pub - as evidenced by the trademark cockerel sign - which now seems to be privately owned. A white washed exterior, seemingly recently painted, with frosted leaded windows, leads into a pleasant, but rather unremarkable and featureless small L shaped bar. On one wall is an old Courage Best mirror.
On my recent Sunday afternoon visit, the pub was desperately quiet, with never more than half a dozen customers in total whilst I was there. Those that were there were evidently not regulars and, tellingly, as a group of three left, I overheard one say "we must have doubled their trade today". I might have reasonably expected this to be a community orientated local, but, on the basis of my visit, this does not seem to be the case. One wonders what its customer base is, if indeed it has one. It's a bit worrying if you can't get people through the doors at 3 pm on a Sunday afternoon
The pub displays Cask Marque accreditation. Beers on were Twickenham Original, Courage Best and Youngs Ordinary. The Twickenham Original - � 3 .00p - was in good form. A fourth pump was not in use.
I find this a difficult pub to sum up. On the one hand, the landlord seemed a genuinely friendly fellow, notably asking me if I was enjoying my pint, and the pub seemed reasonably clean and well run, but, on the other hand, the pub does not look desperately inviting from the outside. Curiously, there were no advertising or sandwich boards outside to indicate what one might find inside ( eg - do they do food, do they show sport ?) - and there's nothing at all that would encourage the casual passer by to drop in. I called in on the recommendation of a local that I had ended up in conversation with in the nearby Prince Albert and, even then, I very nearly carried on walking past as I approached the pub.
We keep hearing that 30 plus pubs are closing every week. I didn't dislike this pub at all , but, on the basis of my visit, it wouldn't surprise me if this pub joined those ranks
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Re the last post - any pub that puts off lager drinkers and people living off credit get's my vote. And on my last visit I had an excellent pint of Twickenham Spring Ale served efficiently and obligingly straight from a new barrel after the old one ran out.
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Tatty boozer, poor choice of lager and I was charged 50p for paying with a card. Won't be rushing back....
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Everything a backstreet pub should be.
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Great little pub - been going here on and off for years. Changed hands a few years back and the new landlord seems to be really friendly.
Good range of ales (Twickenham, Pride & guest ales) and a decent range of lagers also. solid wine list too. Interested to see that they are Cask Marqued now so the beers must be good.
They have a pub dog, too, which is a nice touch!!
Locals are welcoming and the staff friendly - often pop in to watch the rugby here - great atmosphere.
Recommended
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Only just discovered this pub and it's now my favourite in the area. Great little traditional one-bar local's pub off the beaten track in a quiet, mainly residential side street. Friendly, welcoming young staff, excellent range of beers with Twickenham's ales in top condition (this is the brewery owner's local). 2 flat screens showing Sky & ESPN (both at the same time, if necessary). Not tried the food - I'm sure it's very good ;-)
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Unspoilt, traditional back street pub. Regulars and occasional visitors all made to feel welcome. 4 well kept real ales - Youngs Ordinary, Courage Best, one from the Twickenham range and the fourth pump supplying beers requested by customers. Top marks to the landlord.
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Brilliant old school tiny pub with friendly staff, locals and resident dog. Good selection of ales and a great atmosphere similar to the Eel Pie pub. Definitely worth checking out.....
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I have revisted quite a few times and continue to be impressed. The landlord is, as a previous post says, a nice bloke and the beer range is decent, the quality excellent. This has all the makings of a cult pub - provided that people like me don't keep writing about it on BITE!
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Great locals pub, but also very welcoming for newcomers. The new landlord's been in place for over a year now and keeps a good cellar and reasonable prices. Always a Twickenham ale on, with other guest beers rotated on a regular basis. Does some good pasties as well!
A good place to watch rugby - relaxed and friendly.
Recommended.
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Excellent no-nonsense boozer. The young landlord is a nice bloke, had time for a chat and told us about his plans for the pub (nothing too drastic, don't worry!)
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I was very pleasantly surprised. The pub is currrently being repained and, although a bit spartan inside, is actually very clean and tidy. It is a locals pub and a drinkers pub - but a nice snd varied clientele and actually not unwelcoming.
Bar service was excellent on my visit - incredibly courteous with an enquiry as to the quality of the beer. As to which, the range was more than ok - two Twicks + Youngs Ordinaire and Courage Best. The beer I sampled was in very good condition.
All in all, this is definitely worth a look in, especially if you are taking in the Prince of Wales which is just round the corner. The two would do very well working hand in hand.
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A real local pub with a local loyal group of locals who accept strangers and engage you very quickly. Staff a good and responsive. Beer well kept but the endearing focus is it is a local and the locals support and maintain this homely atmosphere.
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an OK pub - not really the most welcome I have ever felt, but I guess this is a real locals pub
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I just moved to very near here although i lived not far away before. Decided to pop in and came straight back out again. Could be a gem but a totally wasted opportunity like the one on the main road 50 yards away. In locations like this they could do so well but are content with being rubbish little dives.
Nice things bout pubs that so few managers realise is - there's a lot of choice. So I'll be exercising mine.
anonymous - 14 Oct 2006 02:00 |
This is the 400th pub I have rated on BITE so I feel I should attempt to leave a decent review. There is not much to say about this pub, I found it by accident never even knowing about it's existence before. It was absolutely empty apart from one other customer. A very spartanly decorated place, I wonder if it gets busier during the evenings? Strikes me as a very local pub. Toilet is quite narrow, at least might catch out any fat Hounslow chavs wandering in here by mistake.
All in all, OK, but nothing out the ordinary.
TheGP - 26 Mar 2006 20:38 |
Change of ownership has lead to a much improved pub. Sells the local Twickenham Original ale regularly. Quiz on a Monday evening and some food available. No longer a frosty welcome as loads of new faces are now drinking here.
anonymous - 30 Jun 2005 13:01 |
Like the Fulwell Arms this is a place that gives you a frosty reception if you're not a local
Shame as nice beer garden in the summer
PJ - 1 Mar 2004 12:45 |
