The Rocket, Acton Central, W3

Lovely entrance to this attractive pub.Bright open bar area with a good external area to the side.Only Pride on cask so had Opengate -Citra on keg which was surprisingly good.Sport on tv.

Close by Acton Central station, this corner building has been given something of a gastro-pub makeover inside the rectangular bar and side dining room. There is also a little external seating on the narrow side terrace. Two of the three handpumps were in operation, dispensing London Pride (£4.60) and Gales HSB when I stopped by on a Sunday evening. Overall, the above-background jazz seemed appropriate to the place.

This place still brands itself as a gastropub, but when we were in early evening last week it looked a bit like a foreign bar. But three handpumps were clipped - one was Old Peculiar but the barman told me it wasn't on. English clearly wasn't his first language and didn't understand the question when I asked if it was ever on. But a manager type heard and came over to explain that it had been on the previous day. Not much use to me, but after half an hour or so he did reverse the clip. The other ales were London Pride and Sharp's Atlantic (£1.90 a half). The main bar area as you enter has mainly normal tables and chairs, but with a few sofas at the back. An archway at the back on the right had large red curtains each side of it, and led to another room where all the tables were laid for diners. But menus were on the tables in the bar area where we sat, and featured stuff like lamb shank, and fish & chips, both at £12. There were chandeliers over the bar counter, as well as ceiling fans down the centre of the room (not operating, nor needed, on a cold and miserable December evening. This struck me as a glitzy bar with little pub character.

Official site of The Rocket - therocketw3.co.uk