The Viaduct, Hanwell

I went there this weekend for the first time. The pub was much smarter inside than I expected, the staff were friendly, the service was good, the London Pride was kept well, and the food was good.

25 Aug 2013 11:22

The Magpie and Crown, Brentford

I'm a fussy real ale head, and I love this pub for the care and attention they give their beers (and cider and perry). Make no mistake. This pub is all about the beer. They do food, and the food is pretty good, but if you don't like ale, cider or perry, this isn't a pub for you.

They chalk up on a board, the name of each beer on tap, a description of it and its ABV.

They also have a second board which tells you which beer is next going to be on which tap. They change the taps around so much, it's hard to know if this is for the benefit of staff or patrons.

The only downside of changing all the taps around is that you never know what's going to be on (there are a few usual suspects though), such as Twickenham Grandstand and Chocolate Marble (there are more, but those are the two that spring to mind). The Grandstand, incidentally, is a reasonably weak-tasting session ale. Personally, I think there are many better alternatives.

Nearly forgot to say, they also have a pool table and a little bit of outdoor space.

5 Jan 2012 14:22

The Express Tavern, Kew Bridge

I'm another one in the camp of having often driven or walked past this pub and had never been in... but I finally got around to it the other day, for a mid-week pint...

As some of the other reviews have said, it's a traditional old boozer which sadly suffers the traditional range in quality of ales. The bar staff were pleasant and the locals seemed fine. We didn't talk to them, mind.

The Bass, which is presumably the house ale was in good condition. I foolishly opted for the Rudolph's Whatsit - the festive ale. In fairness, I should have known better - it was bound to be past its best.

There was no background music or noise when we were there, and patrons were in small numbers, seemingly not talking much, which meant that everyone ended up listening to our conversation whether they wanted to or not. The silence from the surrounding tables was punctured twice. The first comment was something like, "I did my tax return". Obviously this was barely gruntworthy, and that's about the extent of the response it achieved.

The second was a gentleman enquiring of his mate as to whether he had told him the joke about the Reindeer. His mate affirmed that he had indeed, and the pub around us returned to silence.

If they didn't keep old beer on tap and played a bit of background music when it's quiet, it could be a lovely little pub.

I can imagine it being busy when Brentford FC are playing, for example, and it would presumably be a very different atmosphere to the one we experienced.

Would I go back? Maybe, but not in a hurry.

5 Jan 2012 14:09