The Gallery, Pimlico, SW1

Situated on a corner plot as most Victorian pubs were, there is nowadays a single carpeted room downstairs with a slightly raised area opposite the bar. A slighly recessed area to the rear offers more intimate seating and there is more upstairs but this was roped off on Saturday afternoon. The entrance lobby has some decent leaded stained glass and a shelf containing empty Champagne Magnum bottles above, decor includes an interesting history of the layout of the Pimlico area. The TV had the rugby on with volume. A decent enough beer range, Landlord, GK London Glory, Jenning's Cumberland Ale(£4.45) Cottage Iron Duke and C. Wells Poppy. Food includes breakfast options from 10.30 including a champagne version for £14.50. Not a bad spot overall but I did not appreciate being blasted with hot air from the beam mounted fan convector heater directly over the service area. What numpty decided to locate it there is a question to ponder.

This was a better pub than I expected it to be. It is as described previously, although there is a trio of tall tables/stools on the left, and the windows are all surrounded by big heavy duty drapes. The beer selection was a bit better though, with two from Cottage Brewery on (Somerset & Dorset and St George's Ale); two from Thwaites (Wainwright and Lancaster Bomber); and Marston's Pedigree. My chum and had pints of the Cottage Brewery offerings (£3.90 a pint) which were in fine nick. I didn't get the opportunity to explore the upstairs "gallery" room, as it was roped off on Wednesday evening. There is nothing very special about this pub - it has the feel of a standard pubco pub, but the ale selection was good on my visit and it's certainly a decent enough place to stop off for a pint or two. I reckon it makes a good pairing with the nearby Cask.

Situated almost opposite Pimlico tube station, The Gallery is a simple street corner pub offering a pleasant and comfortable environment for drinkers and diners. The ground floor area sees a carpeted main bar with a raised seating section opposite. Comfy banquettes and standard chairs make up the majority of seating options in this front half and the décor is somewhat restrained, with a few old pictures on the walls and some old bits and bobs lining several shelves, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary. Past the bar there is a similarly styled rear section which seemed to be favoured by diners during my visit. Stairs at the front of the pub lead up to a further seating area which affords views back down to the bar below, although it appeared to be closed on my Sunday evening visit, so I was unable to explore fully. Bland pop music was playing throughout my stay which was a bit off-putting. Although I didn’t eat, the straightforward pub-grub menu looked quite appealing with mains around the ten pound mark. On the bar there was Greene King IPA and Sharp’s Cornish Coaster (£3.90), as well as clips showing that Jennings Cumberland and Cottage Wellington were not yet ready to be served. A fifth pump had a turned clip. My pint of the Cornish Coaster was in reasonable condition and I quite enjoyed my stay although the lure of other nearby beer emporiums couldn’t be resisted for very long. This place seems to offer a decent number of guest beers which certainly makes it worth popping your head in for. The pub is comfortable enough, feeling more like a drink led establishment than a gastro place and I would recommend giving it a punt if you’re in the area.

Occupying a street corner position close to Pimlico Tube Station is The Gallery, a comfortably furnished split level single room decorated in a pleasant but unremarkable style with framed prints, floral wallpaper and drape curtains. Large plain glass windows give the establishment a bit of a drawing room feel. We learn that the pub dates back to the 1840’s and was previously known as The Perseverance. The traditional looking mahogany bar counter services a room with a number of nooks and crannies and an upstairs balcony ( not always open ) with additional seating and a view of the throng of drinkers below. Based on my visit, there’s a slightly upmarket feel to the place , enhanced by the absence of obtrusively loud TV’s and distracting games machines. Compared to The Constitution, from where I had just come, this pub is aiming to appeal more to the after work office crowd as opposed to locals/regulars and there wasn’t the friendly banter between punters and staff that was a notable feature of The Constitution. On the real ale front, 5 pumps were serving Betty Stoggs, Harveys Best, Doom Bar, Broadside and Greene King London Glory. These appear to be the regular offerings. The Betty Stoggs – a beer I’d like to see more often in London pubs – was in excellent condition and my companions were impressed with the Harveys and the Broadside. Staff unfortunately need to be trained not to serve short measures, a fairly usual problem in the capital’s pubs, I’m sorry to say. Perhaps surprisingly – as it doesn’t seem like an establishment that is specifically looking to appeal to largish groups of drinkers – 4 pint jugs ( or would that be 3 ½ ?) are available for £ 12. So assuming you’re all wanting to drink the same beer, it’s not overly expensive. I wouldn’t be averse to popping in again if I was passing by, but it’s not worth a detour.