Aeronaut, Acton, W3

Originally the White Hart, this is a former Truman’s pub, with fine faience tiling to the ground floor and the brewer’s name in gold lettering to the first floor, further mentioned to the side gables, meaning that it was probably rebuilt in the 1930s and in all probability to the designs of their inhouse architect, A. E. Sewell. The left-hand side of the pub features a modern dark boarded floor, then a stripped-out grey interior, featureless bar back, industrial lighting with furniture of scrubbed tables, then plywood and tubular steel chairs, the whole looking a bit like a student union bar; what you won’t find in a student union bar though, is a balloonist’s basket and also an aeroplane’s propellor bolted to a wall; what you definitely won’t see anywhere else is a functioning photo booth. The right-hand side is the more unusual, done up like a circus big top, with some tiered seating. It’s here that a cornucopia of entertainment take place, such as disco, drag cabaret and even circus acts, which can be seen on their website. The place was fairly well attended for a Friday night, with most customers being young and studenty, perhaps attracted by the chairs. Sadly, there’s no cask here anymore, with four forlorn unused pumps, a half of Gamma Ray at a stiff £3.60, served by a friendly barman. There’s certainly something different here and hats off to that, but it offers neither a traditional pub experience nor cask beer, so now I’ve seen it, there’s no need to return to the Aeronaut, but it gets a ‘5’ for daring to be different; perhaps this sort of thing will take off?

Official site of Aeronaut - www.aeronaut.pub

Official site of Aeronaut - www.aeronaut.pub

Interesting pub with unusual curved entrances on either side of the main building, repaired after a bad fire early on New Years Day 2017 and now back in full operation. Features a largish bar (with a mixed circus / early aviation theme) and a similar-sized single-storey side Circus Room extension (with people getting ready for a 'Hot Salsa' session when I visited on a Sunday evening). The counter has two hooped keg founts but initially appears to be devoid of handpumps, but looking around the side return I found Take the Red Pill from Portobello Brewing and the Laine's Bestest Bitter (£4.45, which didn't quite live up to the name...).