The Express Tavern, Brentford

This is a traditional pub that still retains two separate bar areas and there is also some more seating in a room towards the rear that leads to a half paved/half grassed beer garden that has a few large picnic tables. If memory serves me correctly there are usually four ales on and the Scottish governor seems to like bringing in Caledonian and Welsh ales which makes a change from the Fullers beers found in most surrounding pubs. Service can be a little slow at times and the pub opens for lunch and then closes for the afternoon, so be warned! Well worth missing a train for a couple of well kept pints.

I managed to get up early enough to get to this pub before it closed for the afternoon. And it was worth the effort. When I was in the other day they had the regular ales of Bass and Young’s Bitter on, plus Brain’s SA. I had the Brain’s which was on excellent form, and at a relatively wallet friendly price of £2.85 a pint. This is a clean, comfortable pub that has probably not changed much in the past 50 years. It’s rightly on the CAMRA inventory of historic pub interiors, because of the numerous original features still in place. I’m not going to describe them in detail – go and have a look for yourself. The menu features some pretty standard pub grub at pretty standard prices (e.g steak & ale pie at £6.95). I didn’t eat there so can’t comment on the quality. There are only normal tables and chairs in evidence I’m glad to say. The walls are adorned with all manner of artefacts – duelling pistols, hunting horns, bison’s horns(!), various prints as well what looks like an original Royal Warrant for something or other. The service was friendly enough and they even had London Drinker available (a very good sign in my book). This is an excellent pub that is definitely worth seeking out (it’s not hard to find!) if you’re ever in this neck of the woods.