The Flower Pot, Lower Sunbury, Sunbury-On-Thames

They had on three ales – Hobgoblin, Brakspear’s Bitter and Ringwood Best, with three further handpump apparently unused. I didn’t any menus but they clearly do food (I was in on Monday lunchtime) as I could smell something cooking, and there was an area to the right and rear of the servery with all tables laid for diners. There was no-one eating when I was in, but maybe this is more of an evening venue. Mrs R commented on the quality of the coffee – the Brakspear’s was pretty good as well – and the nice touch of having a few daffodils on all the tables. This has the look of an old pub that has been given a serious makeover in order to give it a more light and airy look, with pastel painted walls and a number of solid pine coloured tables. I also spotted a couple of aspadistras in large pots in a couple of the corners. The majority of the floor in the bar area is carpeted, but the area on the right with the light coloured furnishings also has a light bare-boarded floor. There were a couple or so armchairs on the left. There was a bit of wall decor – some photographs on the wall near the sofas, a few more modern photographs or prints elsewhere (New York skyline perhaps), and a nice clock suspended from a bracket on one of the walls. There’s a bit too much of the hotel lounge about this pub for my liking (I believe it does still do accommodation so can’t really argue about that), but the Brakspear’s was good, and it’s really a decent enough place to stop off for a pint, even if it doesn’t really have much of the traditional pub about it anymore.

Revamped and now like a posh hotel bar. Staffed by classic Eastern European bar staff, our Olga from the Volga looked like her face would crack if she smiled. I quite enjoyed my pint of Brakspear in here, it was a fairly good atmosphere. However, I couldn't settle in for a session as there wasn't much choice beer-wise and the piped music was ridiculously loud.