The Pig & Whistle, Mortlake, SW14

This pub would seem to have been a wraparound plot as part of the Bull (1792), rebuilt in 1938 and demolished again in 1987; the pub was rebuilt in 1988, though what piqued my interest was the date to the sign of c. 1924, the whole looking suspiciously like a ‘stealth’ Greene King outlet; the mystery deepens. There’s clearly been a recent makeover here, so recent that the exterior paintwork displayed ‘Wet Paint’ notices. Internally it’s obviously modern: distressed bare boarded floor, woody modern ‘olden-style’ bar back with white ceramic tiles, similar bar front, trendy eclectic prints and matching trendy wallpaper, conventional furniture, silent televised sport, an unused log burning stove, swanky modern lavs and a mixed local crowd, in high spirits, most enjoying the Thursday quiz at nearing 10.00pm. Cask: one reversed clip, Abbot, Old Tripe and Hardy & Hanson’s Bitter, £2.90 a half and not bad. This place was better than expected given the previous reviews, but the neighbouring Hare & Hounds is by far the better bet and only pub worth visiting in SW14. Rated: 4.5.