The Old Pack Horse, W4

Dating from the mid-18th century, this pub has had five Pack Horse-themed names, up to and including the current incarnation, built in 1910 (or 1905?) by esteemed architect Thomas Henry Nowell Parr, inhouse architect for Fuller’s; indeed, the eagle eyed will spot a trio of red stained-glass Fuller’s ‘griffin’ brewery motifs to the clerestory windows (see photo). Otherwise, it’s grade II-listed and features on CAMRA’s list of pubs with historic interiors, this being of Regional Importance. The interior can be seen on CAMRA’s and the pub’s websites, being well described below, though sadly there’s been the inevitable ingression of tedious smoky blue paint and worse still, there’s a horrible BrewDog-style glaringly bright illuminated beer board. Customers were a mixed local bunch, many enjoying the Wednesday quiz in the central room. As this is still a Fuller’s pub the ale range held few surprises, with the seasonal Red Fox, salvation in the form of Hophead at a reasonable £2.55 a half. This isn’t a half bad pub and probably one of the best in W4.; The predictable, tired paint scheme is a shame and the ugly beer board let the side down a bit, but it’s certainly a must-visit if in Chiswick.

Close to Chiswick Park station and with views out across Turnham Green, this is a fine old Grade II listed Fuller's pub dating back to 1903. The pub has a spectacular exterior, with tiling, pillars, balconies and fine decorative work all present and correct. Inside, a multiple room layout has been retained and the décor, which comprises plenty of smart wall panels and exposed beams helps the place capture a sense of its undoubted grandeur. The left side of the pub had a bit of a public bar feel to it, offering simple seating set-ups opposite a well proportioned servery that looks like it is potentially an original feature. A TV in this room was showing some live rugby and a crowd of men were stood in the room, engrossed in the match. The main bar area is to the front and offers some comfier looking seating under beautiful etched glass windows with another fine dark wood servery along the back wall. As with the rest of the pub, there are a number of fine partitioning walls embellished with stunning decorative glasswork here, with one such example leading you into the lounge area down the right hand side of the bar. Some more comfy seating options can be found in this cosy space which has an attractive tiled fireplace on one wall. Beyond is a sizeable Thai restaurant, which was actually the reason for our visit, where we were treated to some excellent and reasonably priced top-quality Thai food. The restaurant is a bit blander than the rest of the pub, with formal seating and a modern paint job, but it sits under a spectacular cupola, and is therefore worth a quick look nonetheless. The pub had three Fullers staples - London Pride, ESB and Oliver's Island - on handpull plus one guest ale which was a well kept Five Points Red. An interesting 'Suggest a Guest' scheme allows regulars to have a degree of say about what beers they get on and 5p from each pint of guest ale sold goes to a local charity. Some craft keg options were also spotted and there were some bottle options beyond the usual Fullers range. This is a fine old pub that seems to be in good hands and well looked after, offering good beer and a comfortable and interesting traditional environment in which to relax. The food certainly surpassed our expectations and we also found the service to be very good. This is a stand-out Fullers pub in an area saturated with them and I wouldn't hesitate to call in again.

Official site of The Old Pack Horse - www.oldpackhorsechiswick.co.uk