The Temperance, SW6

Formerly The Temperance Billiards Hall, then at one time an O'Neill's, this is a rather unusual pub. The exterior is quite attractive with original tiling and a low domed area of roof, internally there is a high vaulted ceiling with exposed metal trusses, almost like a scaled down Victorian railway station. The bar is central in the main area, with plenty of room all around, flooring is wooden with an area of tiled inserts, a bit like samples you'd see in a tile shop. Modern Art hangs on the walls. A few TVs were showing 20-20 cricket muted. The back of the pub has a mezzanine area up an open staircase where there are a couple of pool tables and mainly sofa seating. Lighting is subdued, with twinkly fairy lights entwined around foliage. Seating is more traditional in the main area, distributed around the perimeter. There were a few board games available to borrow on a table but you'd most likely need to bring a torch to play. Four handpumps, two on at the time serving Pride and GKIPA. There is a food servery in the rear corner, but I didn't spot any menus. An unusual but inoffensive place, a better ale choice could entice me back, and my information is that it does get better than the pair we encountered on the night.

A big play is made of the ales available on a board by the door, which displays numerous pump clips of the ales they have presumably had on at one time or another. However on our visit only London Pride and GKIPA were available, with clips for Young’s Bitter and Doom Bar reversed. The Pride was OK, but not as good as the pint I had had earlier in the Golden Lion. At £3 a pint it was reasonably priced, and served in a dimpled jug. I think they must have just stopped doing food when we arrived at around 9.45 PM as the menus were soon removed from the tables. But a cursory glance revealed that main courses were about £9 - £10, and sandwiches about £5+. Inside it’s not much like any pub I’ve been in. The ceiling is very high and curved and the room itself is enormous – I’ve been in smaller aircraft hangars. There is foliage all over the place – large vases of lilies on the bar counter, massive pots containing ficus benjaminii adorned with fairy lights giving the place a surreal effect – making it a bit reminiscent of the hot house at Kew Gardens. I didn’t mind this pub, although I thought it was very unusual. I can’t see me rushing back, although I certainly wouldn’t object to returning for another pint sometime in the hope of finding a more exciting ale selection.

Situated near Putney Bridge, this has always been a place that I have walked past on my occasional trek from the station to Craven Cottage without feeling the need to pay it a visit. Before being completely revamped 5 or 6 years ago and renamed the Temperance (to reflect the building’s initial useage as a Temperance Billiards Hall) the place had a poor reputation and underwent several image and name changes, most recently as an O’Neills. Armed with some more recent reports of a much improved venue, I decided to give the place a fresh chance and was quite pleasantly surprised to find an interesting and tastefully refurbished building, good selection of beers and surprisingly reasonable prices. The main body of the pub is open plan with an island bar, bare floors with some tiled areas and a couple of side sections A few large potted plants bear coloured fairy lights and the modern artwork on the wall jockeys for position with a few well placed flat screens that cater for the sporting events. There is also a selection of board games on a sieboard near the bar and a mezzanine with a brace of pool tables and some additional mixed seating. Everything is housed under a high vaulted roof with metal framework and some attractive glazing. The lkitchen area can be seen from the main bar and the food menu was quite basic but reasonably priced with courses ranguing from burgers around £7.50 to steaks at £11. The 4 ales for my visit were Doom Bar, Pride, Bombardier and Sambrook Wandle, the last being decent enough and at £3 a pint, more than reasonable for the area. There was also a good range of top end continental lagers as wellas a few of the usual suspects. Service was a little on the slow side although to be fair, this was prior to a Fulham match. They are cask marquee accredited and certficates for their wines were also on display near a blackboard listing and display of pump clips. Overall, a pleasant and unexpected surprise and certainly a place I would be happy to make use of when passing by in the future.