The Castlebar, Teddington

Facebook page of The Castlebar - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Castlebar - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Castlebar - www.castlebarteddington.co.uk

Official site of The Castlebar - www.castlebarteddington.co.uk

Originally called the Kings Arms, this was renamed the Clockhouse to avoid confusion with the nearby Kings Head. Now it has been un-renamed so confusion is restored. the U-shaped bar is still there but the place has been facelifted with stripped-back floorboards and a bright turquoise colour scheme which di nothing for me. A patio garden is signed at the rear. Just London Pride and Doom Bar on the pumps and food is mainly pizza from the Barrel & Stone range. Overall fairly bland.

The main room wraps around a central semi-island bar, boarded flooring, minimal yet mixed seating styles, there are plenty of framed prints with a clock theme as well as an opaque glazed window featuring a partial clock face. By the front door there is an old factory clocking in machine. Décor is completed by a few rugby posters and also some prints with a Spanish theme in a small square side room. This room has a couple of wing back armchairs and a large high backed and elaborately carved settle. There is a large rug on the floor in here and a feature fireplace that had a couple of logs in it, I suspect for show as there was no signs of ash etc and it really would have been an appropriate day to have it lit yesterday, the weather was foul. A corridor leads to the facilities and also to a rear function room, set up for someone's engagement party; access from here also to a largish rear patio garden, unused at the time with the monsoon season continuing. Food is clearly served but no one was eating and I didn't spot any menus or specials boards at 3:30pm. Four handpumps, Landlord, Young's Bitter, Pride and Sharp's Cornish Coaster (£3.50). My Coaster was in good nick and was served in a branded glass which shows a bit of attention to detail. Not a bad spot, daily papers available, noticeably clean and tidy, perhaps worth another visit maybe to sit in the garden on a better day.

Smart tidy pub well described by the last reviewer. Good outside space to the rear.4 beers on Landlord,Pride,Youngs bitter and a nice pint of Sharps Cornish Coaster for me. A more adventurous beer range and I would revisit.

Formerly a rather rough and ready unwelcoming boozer called The Kings Arms as the previous review vividly confirms, this pub has reinvented itself as The Clock House, a more sophisticated “bar and eating house” that is clearly setting its stall out for the young urban professional thirty – somethings who seem to have moved into Teddington in recent years. Featuring the almost inevitable wooden floors and light pastel shades, the premises consists of a U shaped bar. The walls are mainly decorated with clock themed posters and prints ( eg – Big Ben ), but a small alcove on the right by the front windows has a few old reproduction rugby posters. Sadly, the refurbishment seems to have led to the loss of several etched old Isleworth Ales windows – it’s now all plain glass at the front with some frosted clock themed windows at the side. Menus and condiments on tables confirm the anticipated food emphasis. Two small silent TV’s were showing motor racing, mainly, it appeared, for the benefit of the staff. A separate room on the left acts as a more formal dining room. The main bar leads out to what, given the central location, is quite a large outside patio area. Leaning up against a wall here is an old Watney Combe Reid round “stag” sign, indicative of former ownership, as were the Isleworth Ales windows. It’s in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide and, perhaps surprisingly for this type of place, the GBG sticker is prominently displayed on the front door. On my recent Saturday lunchtime visit, beers on were Wadworths 6X, Harveys Best, Twickenham Naked Ladies and a fourth beer which, if my memory serves me correctly, was London Pride. The Twickenham beer was in really good form, but this is not a drinkers pub. It’s not my type of place and I don’t envisage a revisit