Royal Standard, Colliers Wood, SW19

This pub looks good from the outside with its well tended and attractive hanging baskets, and the depiction of the royal standard on the parapet to the right of the pub. But inside it’s nothing special. The furnishings are OK – it’s carpeted with normal tables and chairs and the obligatory tall stools at the bar. Wall decor consists of a few black and white prints and some modern art style prints. There was a radio playing some commercial radio station. I’m not sure which one but I did pick out an advert I recognised – something to do with meerkats. The tone of the place is set by the sign on the door saying that shirts must be worn in the bar. I guess it says something about the potential clientele that such a notice is considered necessary, but it least suggests that there are some standards here other than the royal one. There are a few picnic benches outside at the front. There’s a Greene King plaque on the wall, but no sign of any GK branded beers inside. There’s no real ale, just the keg version of Ruddles Bitter, which of course has that very distinctive GK taste. I saw no sign of food or menus during my weekday mid-afternoon visit. I can’t see any reason to return to this pub.

Nice enough place, the garden/car park catches the sun, so will probably get crowded at times. The one thing I noticed was that this is a Greene King pub, but there isn't any real ale on sale, not even their own ales, I don't remember seeing any hand pumps at all.