West London Pub Guide A comprehensive guide to over 1300 pubs in the London WC, W and Middlesex areas Copyright CAMRA 2005 0 1 CONTENTS FOREWORD Foreword ............................................................................................................... 3 What you seek when you travel… Introduction ........................................................................................................... 4 …don’t you want it at home, too? How to use this guide ........................................................................................... 5 By Michael Jackson What is real ale? ................................................................................................... 8 My job is to travel the world in search of good beer. I can strongly recommend What is CAMRA? .................................................................................................. 8 the smoked beer at Ceveceria Artesanal, a brewpub in El Bolsón, Patagonia, for example. Or the spicy-tasting Okhotsk Ale from one in Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. West London’s pub heritage ............................................................................... 10 It is, as the song says, so nice to go travelling, but oh, so nice to come home. My first stop when I do return is my local, The Andover Arms, in Hammer- Pubs ain’t what they used to be .......................................................................... 11 smith, London. I may have flown into London sleepless from some distant bar, but I can’t wait to get my tasting gear round a pint or three of Fuller’s Chiswick Bitter. Licensing ............................................................................................................. 12 This dry, refreshing ale, bursting with the herbal, flowery, aroma of the hop blossom, is one of the world’s great beers. So are its companions at the bar, the The dark side - Milds, Souts and Porters ........................................................... 13 appetising London Pride and the soothing Extra Special Bitter. Fuller’s brewery is less than a mile from my home. In consequence, its Cider ................................................................................................................... 13 products are very fresh indeed at the pubs in my area. Freshness is very important in beers (except for the few that are designed to be laid-down). This is The pubs of West London ................................................................................... 14 especially true of brews that are modest in alcohol, such as Chiswick Bitter. This is a delicate beer, and it requires nurturing. It is tended with loving care Pub listings ......................................................................................................... 16 at the Andover, by landlord Tom Mahedy. He and his wife Maura are both from Ireland. On a busy night, they are assisted by an excellent barmaid from Poland. Beers and Breweries ........................................................................................ 228 I don’t know which I enjoy most, the egg and chips at lunchtime or the Thai food in the evening. The latter is prepared by a Thai kitchen crew. Lost locals ......................................................................................................... 233 This Irish, Polish, Thai combination sustains an unmistakably English local, one of the best I have ever known. Without it, our neighbourhood would need a Where di all the breweries go? ......................................................................... 238 heart transplant. The lifeblood of the Andover is Fuller’s beer. There are other brews on tap, of course, but they are the international names available anywhere Local Authority contacts .................................................................................... 244 and everywhere. When I travel, I want to enjoy what is distinctive and local. That is also what I Place name index ............................................................................................. 252 want when I come home. When I travel in West London, this volume will guide me. Researching pubs Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 253 and beer sounds like one long holiday. It is not. It is hard work. The four CAMRA branches that compiled this guide know that. So do I. I thank them. So should you. Without CAMRA, Britain would no longer be a great brewing nation. Without its local activists, I wonder how many neighbour- hood pubs would still have blood in their veins. *Michael Jackson is author of The Great Beer Guide and The Malt Whisky Companion (both published by Dorling Kindersley). He devised, wrote and presented on screen the Channel 4 series The Beer Hunter 2 3 INTRODUCTION HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Welcome to the West London Pub Guide, CAMRA’s comprehensive guide The pubs in this guide are arranged by the area in which they stand. For to over 1300 pubs and bars in the western part of Greater London. example, you can find all of the pubs in Ealing together in the section headed “W5 The area covered by this guide includes all of the “WC” and “W” postal - Ealing”. The areas themselves are arranged in three sections which are: districts. In addition it also extends to outer districts of west and north west London, taking in the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow • Central London - Those pubs with a WC1 or WC2 postcode. plus the part of Richmond north of the Thames. Many of the tourist areas of the capital are included, such as the West End, Covent Garden and Hampton Court, • Inner London - Those pubs with a “W” postcode, ie W1 to W14. W1 is so it will be useful to residents and visitors alike. split into four subsections as the number of pubs in this area would All pubs are listed, whether or not they serve real ale. Increasingly, there are otherwise be unmanageable. many bars where it is debatable whether or not they can be termed a pub. This is particularly the case with the increasing emphasis on food. For the purposes of • Outer London - Those pubs within the boundaries of Greater London this guide, the criterion used was that if it is possible for a member of the public outside of the areas described above. to walk in free of charge and be served draught beer without having to order any food then it is included. The entries for pubs appear in a format similar to the example shown below: The pubs are grouped together by area, with inner postal districts followed by Pub name. more outlying areas. Within each area, pubs are listed alphabetically. All have been visited by unpaid volunteers. Whilst all reasonable efforts have Map reference. been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate and up-to-date ENGLISH INN 12-15 as possible it is inevitable that errors and omissions will have been made, for 1234 Short St, W1A 2BC Address. which we apologise. The descriptions are all the products of individual research (020) 1234 5678 and therefore to some extent subjective. Additionally, a major refurbishment or Free Phone number. change of landlord can often transform a pub almost overnight. 11-11; 12-10:30 Sun Adnams: Bitter Owner or operator. Changes to pubs and the beers they sell are reported regularly in the local Fuller’s: London Pride, ESB CAMRA magazine London Drinker, which is available bi-monthly from many pubs Grand Union: Bitter Opening hours. in London and the surrounding area. If you come across any changes which you Young’s: Bitter, Special wish to report then please e-mail details to [email protected] or Guest Beers Real ales served, listed alphabetically by post them to Capital Pubcheck, 2 Sandtoft Road, London, SE7 7LR. A traditional local pub which has stood on brewery. the site for several hundred years and remains largely unchanged, having resisted Description. numerous attempts to “modernise” over the This guide is dedicated to the memory of Jim Lenahan, West London CAMRA years. There are two bars, a small and basic activist, WLPG committee member and dedicated researcher, who sadly died public and a larger and more comfortable shortly before the final production of this guide. saloon. Clientele is extremely varied as this popular pub attracts all sorts. Currently under threat of being sold to a large chain, the results of which would be unpredictable to say the least. R L C J IChigley NShort St P CM * Facilities. See below for a key to the symbols used. KEY TO SYMBOLS R Real fire - fuelled by coal, logs or smokeless fuel. L Quiet pub - free from jukeboxes, piped music or other electronic racket. Q An area which can be used by families with children. E Outdoor drinking area such as a beer garden or pavement tables. B Accommodation available. C Lunchtime meals (not just snacks) available in the pub. H Evening meals (not just snacks) available in the pub. J A separate public bar. D Easy wheelchair access to the pub. I Near railway station (within a half mile). N Near underground station (within a half mile). O Traditional pub games. P Traditional draught cider available. K Pub has its own car park. F No smoking room or area. M Oversized lined pint glasses used. CM Cask Marque accredited. FR Function or meeting room available for hire. * Included in the London Regional Inventory of pub interiors of interest. 4 5 The full extent of the area covered by the guide is shown on this key map. This also shows those parts of the area where detailed maps are provided. The 48 detailed