Prince of Wales, Putney, SW15

Went here for Sunday lunch on the 30th October 2011. I prefer their sister pub, The Bull and Last. Things here are just a bit cramped, the food is average and the beer selection was restricted. (Originall reviewed on BITE).

I wasn’t expecting much from this pub as it had the gastropub look to it. I was right on that score, but it did have on Black Sheep Bitter, Prince of Wales (by Tetley I think – a house beer perhaps?), and Purity Mad Goose. The Mad Goose was £2 for a half, which is expensive even by gastropub standards. I didn’t bother to look at the menu, but judging by the ale prices, I can’t believe it does any cheap pub grub. The bar area is at the front of the pub as you enter, containing a few banquettes, small round stools and some metal framed tables. The walls in here are wood panelled to two-thirds height, the tops of which have little numbers on small enamelled metal plates nailed on them. According to the barman they are re-cycled train seat numbers, and they attached them to the walls because they thought it a good idea at the time. Works for me, I suppose. There are also outsize playing cards on the ceiling in a fan shape, plus pewter mugs covering one of the walls. All a bit bizarre, but strangely not out of place. The main activity of this place is conducted in the two adjoining rooms reached through an entranceway to the left of the bar, where every one was dining except for one bloke sitting in an armchair by the fireplace. There were a few unoccupied tables in the farthest of these two rooms, all of which were laid for diners. The walls in the “restaurant” rooms also sported more pewter mugs on the walls, plus some antlers and horns.