The Windmill, Acton, W3

This is probably a late 19th century corner pub, with cupola and name in mosaic to an entrance. The interior is large, opened-out and substantially modernised: the floor is modern boarded, walls are painted duck egg blue or patterned wallpaper, décor in the form of plenty of framed old Guinness ‘Toucan’ prints. There’s a raised area to the right-hand front, then a small stage to the right rear, a band playing old ‘50s’ numbers and good they were too. The pub was well attended, probably due to the music, with most patrons from an older generation, a few younger drinkers seemingly in the garden in the main. There’s no cask and not noticing the two plaques indicating that the pub has twice won the Guinness Quality Award, I plumped for a Camden Hells at £3.50 a half, served by a perfunctory barmaid; there’s no standing at the bar here either. This place isn’t really any good, but the live music gets it up a point for adding something to what is a dispiriting postcode for pubs.

Facebook page of The Windmill - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Windmill - www.facebook.com

Old style pub looking at it from outside but a modern bar to the front and a more traditional bar to the rear through a separate street door.Deviod of customers so a quick half of Chieftan in the front bar was sufficient.

Traditional-looking corner pub, albeit repurposed for pool and darts in the smaller but quite modern-looking front bar but retaining the general seating in the much larger but plainer rear room (which also has small raised areas on three sides and a number of sports TVs). Hogs Back TEA (£3.50) available from one of the pair of handpumps on each counter.

Like the previous reviewer, we too walked through the corner door on the main road which seemed like the main entrance. Like him, this took us into what is obviously the old public bar. This room contained a couple of pool tables, a couple of dartboards, and a handful of pine effect tables. This pub was obviously fitted out in a 70s style brewer's rustic, with false posts on the walls, but all now painted a dull green. It looks a bit tatty to be honest, but there again it is the public bar. After a while we chatted to the landlord who kindly took us through the servery to the main saloon/lounge at the back. This room can't usually be accessed from the public bar - it has its own entrance in Grove Road. The saloon/lounge is obviously the more comfortable, and not just because it was warmer! It's carpetted, furnished with normal tables and chairs and just felt a more relaxing place to have a drink. We had halves of Sharp's Atlantic (£2 a half), and the other ales on were Hogsback TEA and something else less interesting - GKIPA. We had a lengthy chat with the landlord who kindly gave us generous tasters of the TEA, and a "craft beer" he recommended called Franciscan Well Chieftan IPA, which is brewed in Cork but is either owned or perhaps distributed by Molson/Coors. I don't normally bother with the two-foot high shiny fonts you see blighting most bar counters, but this hoppy beer was actually quite good. I guess with Molson/Coors behind it we'll be seeing it more often. We found this to be a friendly and welcoming pub, although it has to be said that there are other pubs in Acton with better ale selections.