The Mitre, W2

We must have hit the mid-afternoon quiet spot here, or perhaps it's normally this quiet on a Monday. (It was pretty busy half an hour later at the Victoria, half a mile away.) There were three Youngs beers on, and possibly St Austell Proper Job, though the pump clip was leaning on the bar in a my-work-for-the-day-is-done kind of way. My drinking companions are not beer scorers, so I can only speak for myself when I say the beer here is not as well kept as in our previous Youngs pub, the Lamb in Lambs Conduit Street. My half of Winter Warmer was NBSS 2.5 here, but an easy 3.5 there. This should be a lovely pub, with its heritage pub interior, but it seemed to me to be just ticking over, relying on busy periods when it's too crowded to notice what it's like. Maybe I'm reading too much into a very brief visit at a quiet time.

The Paddington, Bayswater area of West London is not blessed with good pubs but the exception is the Mitre. Tucked away in a quiet mews street a short distance from the busy Bayswater road, this grade lI listed building has a great CAMRA listed interior as described below and, although opened out from its once multi roomed layout, it still retains lots of distinct areas with traditional features, etched glass and period fireplaces. Five real ale hand pumps on the bar, but being owned by Youngs, no surprise that Youngs Original and Special dominate these. But fortunately for my recent visit St Austell Proper Job was also on the pumps and in fine form as well. Can’t comment on the food as I have never eaten here, but for a relaxing beer away from the madness of the Bayswater Road, you will be hard pushed to beat it.