Fox & Hounds, SW1

A very thorough PSM review requires little extra from me,I too enjoyed the vibe in this small,narrow street corner pub.There is a chatty atmosphere with no muzak.The ale options on my trip were Laine's Factor 50 (NBSS 4),Youngs Original and Butcombe Rare Breeds with a further clip reversed. I would certainly pop in again if in the area,charming pub.

This is a quality little traditional pub, tucked away down a backstreet near Sloane Square station. The pub has a very simple, bare boarded interior which sees a single room divided into three notional areas. You enter into the front bar space, with the servery along the right-hand wall and plenty of good seating opposite. Some great button backed banquettes run along the front wall with a padded pew opposite. The bar has a nice, dark wood counter with a rather cluttered, mirrored bar back and a plain gantry lined with blackboards detailing the pub's quiz night and various craft beer options. Beyond is a simple space with short bench seating alongside a lit fireplace, which in turn gives way to the rear space, where high tables and stools stand under a large skylight, with a fake bookcase door to one side. The walls throughout have tongue and groove panelling at half height, with some excellent red lincrusta decoration above. Mirrors are in abundance, perhaps to make this narrow premises feel a little larger, and lots of old fashioned paintings depicting busy city scenes line the walls, along with a few old maps. I spotted a couple of TV screens but they remained switched off and there was no piped music either, so there was a proper, traditional pub atmosphere within. Four cask ales were available on this visit - Laine Fox & Hounds and Give It A Try (£6.50 a pint), Harveys Sussex Best and St Austell Proper Job - whilst the keg range included a couple more Laine beers. I was greeted by a friendly barmaid who seemed to have a good rapport with her locals, and my pint was in pretty good condition. I liked this little pub and thought it had a good, laid-back feel to it, with no pretentions, which isn't always a given in this part of town. The traditional interior and decent ale range were a winning combination for me and it felt encouraging to find a pub like this doing a decent trade on a cold Monday evening. Maybe not quite a destination pub, but well worth a look if you're in the area. Date of visit - 12th February 2024