Halfway House, Mill End, Rickmansworth

Old pub with a more modern extension featuring a matching low ceiling. Large bar area behind the front dining room. Rear beer garden reaching to the River Colne. Just Doom Bar (£4.50) available from the pair of handpumps, and a rather dull selection from the various keg taps on the L-shaped bar counter.

On yet another Friday evening when the completely pants traffic on the top section of the M25 warranted coming off at J17 for a beer and some scoff we headed to our usual destination of the Waterside Inn. But on finding it closed for a private party we detoured here The well-worn exterior is not this pub’s best feature and you would be forgiven for driving past and giving this one a swerve. But as the car park was full we thought it must have something and pulled in. On entering that something still eluded us. A large equally worn open plan space dominated by the central bar with its rows of fizzy lager and Keg taps, fruit machines, large flat screen teles and shouty locals in situ on the bar stools all along the bar. And although I did eventually find two ale pumps at one end of the bar, Doom Bar and something called On the Bar which was apparently brewed in Wolverhampton (Marstons ?) and tasted like it had taken its water from the Birmingham canal, clearly wasn’t the something either. The pub food is Thai only but when it turned up we realised we had found the something. It was bloody brilliant for the price , and the other redeeming pub feature, the large beer garden at the back by the River Colne, is a great spot on a fine evening. Won’t be returning here for the Ale, but will certainly do so again for the Thai food..

This roadside inn has a lightning-bolt shape internally with the bar occupying the right-angle. It's carpeted throughout with the exception of a stone-tiled bar apron. There is some semi-partitioned seating opposite the bar, with high tables between the two. A fireplace is in an odd position which probably suggests this was multi-roomed in a previous life - a dining area is set out behind the fireplace and which is accessed from either side. The ale selection was limited to Sheps' Spitfire Gold (£2 a half) and Sharp's Doom Bar with two further pumps unclipped. A couple of screens showed a football match, rather loudly and some sweary locals meant this probably isn't the cosy, friendly place it probably could be.