The Exmouth Arms, Exmouth Market

Do not be fooled by the previous comments. Newly reopened as a craft beer pub, this is an absolute gem. A great range of beer and the Friday night atmosphere was great. A few too many trendies and hipsters for my liking and who knew the beard had made a non-ironic comeback?

19 Nov 2011 21:28

The Swan, South Acton

The Swan was my local when I lived in Chiswick.

For ambiance, it's difficult to find a better pub in the area. The lighting is possibly a little dark and the furniture somewhat crammed in, but this only serves to add to the atmosphere. When a pub has music it should be at a volume that allows conversation and a style that is inoffensive to the clientele. Generally at The Swan there is some kind of Motown soundtrack playing in the background, which is great. The staff are always friendly and receptive. The slightly upmarket clientele might not be everyone's cup of tea, but you are in Chiswick, so what do you expect?

The beer range is fine, but not outstanding, with three rotating handpumps: Usually London Pride and two guests. The bar staff are generally happy for you to have a taster if you are not sure what to choose. I think it would benefit from having a more interesting bottled beer / cider range as I think there is a market for it. That said, they don't have much fridge space. There are the normal mass-produced lagers one would expect in a more upmarket establishment.

Location is 5 minutes walk from Chiswick Park station on the District Line (Ealing Broadway branch) and probably nearer to 10-15 minutes walk from Turnham Green or Gunnersbury.

As a bonus, this pub does brilliant (and reasonable value for the area) food and has a spacious beer garden, which gets the sun in the afternoon. Only open at 5pm on weekdays.

My rating 8/10 (Ambience 9/10, Beer 6/10, Location 7/10)

22 Dec 2010 10:39