The Red Lion, Bushey

Brewer’s Tudor frontage. Large staple shaped interior with the three rooms of old still demarcated with a modern interior done quite well, looks like an expensive late 90s refit. Curtains on the windows, always a fan of those. Three cask at the main bar with another hidden off right, plus two ciders. My half of W&E Last Drop was par (NBSS 3) and I passed the time propping up the bar watching a few minutes of the 6 Nations and enjoying the atmosphere. A fair shout, worth taking-in if you’re out this way for the Swan.

A large late Victorian mock-Tudor town pub on a busy through-route, thought to have been built on the site of a 17th Century pub of the same name. It has been modernised and knocked through to form a single large L-shaped bar. One side is more of a public bar in style, with a pool table, dart board and gaming machines. The remainder is a mix of dining table and comfy chairs, all of which creates quite a pleasant atmosphere. The staff were a bit unfriendly, but the locals were fine. The food was a let-down, re-heated slop which the microwave technician managed to make worse by burning bits if it. When this was pointed out to the barman, he didn't seem very happy – but he did ask the usual 'was everything alright?' so shouldn't have been too surprised at the truth. The beer saved the day though – four ales on draft were Thwaite's Magic Sponge, Pride, Proper Job and Old Golden Hen, all well kept and in excellent condition. I would be very happy to come back for the beer, but I'll eat somewhere else.