The Tabard, W4

A first in here the other day and the westernmost pub in London that I’ve ever visited. This is much as described as below except that it’s now owned by Greene King – out of the frying pan, into the fire. As mentioned, the pub was designed in 1880 by esteemed Hampstead architect Richard Norman Shaw with interior polychromatic glazed tilework by William de Morgan; a fireplace surround is apparently by artist and illustrator Walter Crane. The bar is generally central with a couple of rooms running off and a recessed snug to the rear. The floor is bare boarded and there is some quite ornately carved wood panelling. Out back there’s an AstroTurf garden and steps leading up to the Tabard Theatre. There’s food too, but this isn’t a gastropub. Being a GK outlet, there’s the obligatory games machine; de Morgan and Crane must be spinning in their graves. It was a Saturday and the pub wasn’t that full but despite this, the service was glacially slow. Once again, staff devote themselves to mixing cocktails and trudging about opening bottles of wine for the ladies who won’t drink beer – this is a pub for God’s sake! Despite the Greene King stewardship, the beer choice was about the best I’ve experienced from this stable. Six ales: GK IPA and Abbot of course, but also Titanic Plums’ Porter, Plain Ales Sheep Dip and Intrigue as well as Landlord at £4.10, later £4.45 a pint and good. On balance, this is a good pub and certainly worth visiting. However, the ugly games machine and especially the slow service must result in a lower mark.

Official site of The Tabard - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of The Tabard - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Another nice Chiswick pub with at times 6 -8 beers on. Although its grade two listed I am not overly impressed by its style. Was impressed by my Clarence and Fredricks -apa

Update – December 2012 Now branded as a Taylor Walker pub, although the branding is more discreet than at The Packhorse and Talbot, several recent visits to this pub have found an interesting variety of beers served in good condition – Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted, East London Foundation Bitter, Bingham Doodle Stout amongst them. Friendly and knowledgeable staff contribute to what I consider to be a much improved all round pub, which has now gained a listing in CAMRA’s 2013 Good Beer Guide – well deserved in my view. The pub is just round the corner from Turnham Green Tube ( District Line ), which I pass through most days of the week. I feel that more stop offs en route here are definitely on the cards. Original review – January 2010 The pub was built in 1880 as the pub for the commuter garden suburb of Bedford Park and the building is Grade 2 listed. An unusual notable external frontage gives way to 2 interconnecting bars, with some fine original wall-tiles in the room on the right being of particular note. The pub features in CAMRA's Regional London Inventory. The bar on the left has an adjoining food orientated dining area and an unusual sunken wood pannelled snug type area. There's some memorabilia from the pub cricket team - The Tabard Pilgrims - who are evidently very active. Next door there's a 60 seater theatre attached to the pub. On the pavement outside, a sandwich board tells us "Best real ale choice or your money back" and, on my recent Saturday afternoon visit, 4 real ales were on - Butcombe, Batemans XB, Rev James plus one other which I've forgotten ( Spitfire?). A 5th pump had been serving Tribute, but it had run out. The Batemans XB - � 2.83p - was in good nick. I find it difficult to assess on a single visit where this pub is trying to position itself. On the one hand, the beer choice is welcomed in a Fullers dominated area and there's an active pub cricket team, but, on the other hand, there's no TV's for televised sport and no real pubby atmosphere or feel, which is discouraging. Food obviously plays a big part, but, unusually for the area, its of the pub grub variety and not gastro. The pub was virtually deserted on my visit and those few customers present were evidently not regulars. The jury's out on this one as far as I'm concerned but, given its convenient location by the station, plus beer range, I'm inclined to give it another go sometime.