White Swan, Pimlico, SW1

Typical Taylor Walker pub with the usual range of beers.Busy Doombar, Ghost Ship and GK -IPA.

This is a Taylor Walker branded pub situated in a corner location, so I didn't expect too much but the beer range was actually pretty good. There are two banks of handpumps on the side wall bar, across them were Sambrooks Wandle, Hogs Back Summer Lightning, GK Abbot, Youngs London Gold, Adnams Broadside, Tim Taylor's Landlord, Pride plus Tribute and Bombardier "conditioning". Two ciders from Westons too plus Meantime IPA on a font. Ok nothing to set the pulse racing but a decent choice nonetheless. The pub itself is a long open space and has been fitted out in a modern typical London style with pseudo dark wood but recent characterless fittings, semi-raised areas front and back and with a few screens dotted about showing motorsports on Saturday afternoon. Wooden flooring but with a tiled splash area along the length of the bar. Outdoor pavement seating to the front. The usual large menus were on the tables and food was clearly popular with the tourists who seem to be the main visitors, presumably due to the proximity to the Tate Gallery. Nice to see that the staff routinely explained the etiquette and procedure for ordering food and drink to them as they entered instead of allowing them to sit and wait expectantly. Not bad for a TW outlet.

This spacious Taylor Walker pub has a decent location on the busy Vauxhall Bridge Road, close to Pimlico tube station and Tate Britain. The pub is seemingly looking for a balance between traditional look and modern comfort but the overall effect somehow misses both and ends up feeling quite contrived. The layout is a little odd, with a front and back area which mirror each other in many ways, making the whole place feel like a pub-by-numbers. You enter through a corner door with a raised carpeted seating area to your left and some button backed banquettes to the right. The front windows give you a chance to people watch and if you can’t get a seat by them, there is a TV above the fireplace for your visual distraction – Dad’s Army was being shown in muted form during my stay. The bar is sited along the left hand side of the pub about halfway into the room and there are some high tables and stools opposite. Beyond this, the pub widens and a similar set up to the front is presented, complete with raised seating area, fireplace and TV. A few pictures have been dotted around the walls, but on the whole, there’s not much in the way of decor. Music was being played at quite a loud volume, although not so loud as to impair conversation. For me, the revelation of the visit was the extensive ale selection. There are two banks of hand pumps, one of which is at the far end of the counter. The offerings, although somewhat mainstream, were plentiful, with Sambrook’s Junction, Black Sheep Bitter, Greene King Abbot Ale, Young’s London Gold, Well’s Bombardier, Taylor Landlord, Purity Mad Goose (£3.76), Fullers London Pride and St Austell Tribute to pick from, with Adnams Broadside coming soon and Weston’s Scrumpy tying up the final hand pump. My pint of Mad Goose was in good shape and served to me by a jovial barman. The close proximity of the Cask Pub and Kitchen means that I’m unlikely to pay this place another visit, but it’s certainly not without its redeeming features and puts plenty of other Taylor Walker outlets to shame.