The Railway, Putney, SW15

Not much to add to the below recent descriptions. Perfectly pleasant large and modern pub as noted you see immediately on opposite side of busy road from Putney station. Bar is along right hand wall in middle of pub and was certainly well illuminated, so much so even my Guinness looked like a pale ale! The pub was reasonably busy, which is always nice to see early evening early week. There is a room at the back on the right that seemed to be popular with diners on my visit and most in the large front part as described below seemed to be here to just drink. The sight beyond the bar pointing upstairs initially caused some puzzlement in that from my vantage point at one of the high tables in front of the bar it appeared to be pointing towards the Gents Lounge Bar, which I thought somewhat testing in this day and age until I moved my head to the left to see the ampersand I was previously not seeing. Sadly on my visit there was no offering from the two hand pumps. Not even clipped and turned around so hard to know if cask has been discontinued here. The printed menu states ask for today’s selection, but when I enquired I got the sort of response I would expect from enquiring what became of Lord Lucan or what is the ultimate fate of the universe. Of course it could be no clips were required because Nothing Bitter and Invisible Mild were there for the taking. Plenty of keg options from three sets of six taps, albeit some beers were duplicated. Lagers on offer were Madri, Camden Hells, Asahi, Moretti, Amstel and Jubel peach. Guinness and Orchard Thieves were accompanied by Neck Oil, Stone & Wood Pacific Ale, Brixton Low Voltage session pale, Two Tribes Campfire and Deya Steady Rolling Man pale ale. Think there were some good points about the place (I like visible on exit from a train or tube station) and probably ended up with average because the reasonable craft offering saved it from being a clear 4 for the promise / expectation of cask but none provided. Likely to be used only as a convenience on exit from Putney station in the future unless in passing I see clipped hand pumps from the door (given the bar illumination they should be visible even before I leave Waterloo).

Dating from 1889, the current interior metamorphosis the result of a makeover from September 2023, so unchanged and well described by BF below. Arriving at around 10.10pm last Friday, I entered a large place with modern pale boarded floor, slate grey paint or bare brick with white ceiling, modern mirror and steel bar back with white ceramic tiles. Furniture is conventional, décor in the form of eclectic prints; upstairs is a very swanky cocktail bar. Customers were young, trendy professional types, but the acoustics are appalling making conversation all but impossible. A lacklustre cask choice arose from one unused pump then just Gun Extra Pale, £2.75 a half and somewhat warm and diacetyl. This isn’t a great place but it’s like the Southampton meets the Audley compared to the Fox & Hounds next door; the Prince of Wales is still the place to beat along Upper Richmond Road.

Official site of The Railway - www.urbanpubsandbars.com

Official site of The Railway - www.urbanpubsandbars.com

Over the road from Putney station ,recently refurbed and reopened this is a large open plan pub with high tables all around the front section,with a long bench seat to the left side,a large sports flatscreen ahead and the wall to the right full of paintings and prints.The floor throughout is light pine,the wall coverings in dark Farrow & Ball,the bar to the right then some seating booths infront of a raised section which looked more like a dining area. Upstairs there is an area decribed as The Lounge,empty on a Friday evening trip but looking like a cocktail bar with lots of small circular high tables and stools. The lack of carpets creates a general din and the muzak was playing much too loud.It was popular with youngish office workers and a few old soak regulars but just one real ale ,Sambrooks Wandle (ever dull,NBSS 2.5) while the keg selection was mundane apart from a Siren and Deya tap.The short food menu with a median main at £16.50 and pizze around £13 didn't inspire confidence and few punters were eating. Unremarkable and a not very comfortable place,I will drift pass quickly when I'm next in the area.