The Lillie Langtry, West Brompton, SW6

Official site of The Lillie Langtry - www.thelillielangtry.co.uk

Official site of The Lillie Langtry - www.thelillielangtry.co.uk

This pub's been given one of those aggressive makeovers that's transformed it from a fairly nondescript, edgy boozer into an interior designer's dream. There's nothing traditional about it, although I have to admit that the bar back and bar counter front look unchanged. There's arty stuff everywhere, including a veritable art gallery on shelves on the left, sofas and cushions with modern art decoration; coloured pom poms all over the place, although that may be just a Christmas thing. There are tall tables/tall stools cluttering up the centre of the room, plus bucket armchairs as well. The overly loud pop music being played obviously forced customers to shout at each other, in turn raising the volume level. There was a sign to a cocktail bar upstairs but I didn't venture up there. I also saw a New Year's Eve party advertised, but I wasn't tempted to sign up for it. I'm undecided as to whether I dislike more the rubbish boozer it used to be or the totally ruined and raucus bar it is now. But I have to say that the beer is far superior now - they had on Black Sheep Blitzen (named after the reindeer presumably), Twickenham Naked Ladies, Sambrook's Wandle, and Truman Zephyr (£4.20 a pint). They had rolling pins for handpumps, and my pint was served in a dimpled mug. I didn't see a menu, but a blackboard on the wall advertised a couple of daily specials - the "whole pan fried bream, sprouts+bacon, caper+butter sauce" is £14.50, and the "turkey burger w/stuffing, braised red cabbage, broccoli+fries" is £12. No pub grub then. I don't expect to return. But it gets a 5 solely for the ale selection and quality.

The Lillie Langtry is a decent enough looking pub that is one of four pubs that are very close to West Brompton station. Once inside there is a decent side single L shaped room with the bar facing,the seating is comfy bench type which is in bays and small stools,there are a few normal tables and chairs to the front right,there was a TV to the rear left which was off,there is a darts board to the front right. No real ales on the bar,so it was a drink of John Smiths smooth crap,which was crap. This is a decent enough pub that is let down by the lack of one real ale. Pub visited 1/7/2015

Horseshoe shaped bar that still retains some original features. Standard draught selection.

On my previous (very brief) visit, the place appeared so run down that I turned around and walked straight back out again. However, the front is now a bit tidier, and the building may have received a lick of paint. The interior is surpringly large, opened out at some stage to form a 'J'-shaped bar with a pool table at one end and the main seating area and sports TV screen at the other. The bar counter is quite long, but looks rather empty as there are only a limited number of fonts and no handpumps. Dull beer selection typical of an Irish pub, but at least they had authentic Tayto crisps, so it was quick pint of John Smiths (£3.20) and I was off...