Prince of Wales, Putney, SW15

This is a Victorian pub towards the eastern end of Upper Richmond Road, within spitting distance of East Putney tube. There are separate areas but the most pleasant is the front section with wood panelling probably dating from at least the 1950s, above which is a calming dark green paint scheme, with much of the upper walls adorned with – according to CAMRA – at least 100 pewter mugs, with a wall mounted yard of ale. There’s a tasteful bar back, bare brick further into the rooms, with paint now grey. Furniture is conventional with décor taking the form of some stuffed fish, to a decent ‘60s’ and ‘70s’ soundtrack, lapped up by a youngish professional crowd. A better choice of ale than most in these climes offered a House Best (Siren), ESB and Landlord at a steep £3.00 a half and very drinkable too. This is an above average pub and the best choice along this stretch, but it’s far from being the top pub in SW15 though.

Official site of Prince of Wales - princeofwalesputney.com

Official site of Prince of Wales - princeofwalesputney.com

This is a street corner pub/restaurant with around two thirds of the area from the middle to the rear set up for formal dining. The bar and drinking area are at the front, the floor is boarded, seating at small Britannia tables, walls half wood panelled and painted dark green above with scores of pewter tankards hanging on little hooks. Above there is a section of picture rail with a number of whisky branded water jugs on show. Other décor includes a stuffed fish in a glass case plus some sort of stuffed fowl. The randomly placed blue railway carriage seat numbers remain which add a bit of interest to me. Newspapers on a table, outdoor seating to the frontage, a new upstairs private dining room "coming soon", maybe this will open the pub up a bit more for drinkers, maybe not. Beers on were Doom Bar, Purity Mad Goose Pale Ale plus Addlestones cider. The Mad Goose was £2.10 a half, par for the course in a place like this. Neither here nor there really, if anything it felt a bit snooty, nothing much to attract me back.