The Forester, West Ealing

In short: was poor, now great.

This pub had the same landlord for many years, who seemed to think that customers were just an inconvenience, as you can see from the older reviews.

It has recently been taken over and everything has changed. The new owners have done a bit of restoration, replaced the dirty carpet with a wooden floor, and got some better beer. This, along with the more friendly bar staff, has made all the difference: from being a mostly-empty pub it now seems to be lively every day and was very busy at the weekend.

They have a number of ales, served well (of course the main thing for a pub), which have been different each time I've been in. Perhaps some of the selection has been a bit predictable, but then I'm probably being too picky, and it's early days for the new owners. On this front, it's certainly as good as anything in the area.

They have kept the Thai food, which was the only redeeming feature of the pub when it was in the previous owner's hands.

A good pint in a large, proper London pub with lots of character.

9 Nov 2011 15:15