Stag & Huntsman, Henley-On-Thames

The death of hospitality is greatly exaggerated in this part of the world! I suppose it was New Years Day but seeing a barrier placed across the only access point with "please wait to be seated" was not what was expected for the casual drinker! I managed to negotiate my way into a tiny drinkers bar - which of course, was catering for the overspill of people who couldnt dine in the main restaurant. Or outside. Fortunate enough to get a seat in the narrowest corridor part of the bar and to get served relatively quickly after a pensioner who's entire family and friends all drank Guinness. A decent Rebellion Huntsman (anyone know what it is rebranded, as this is the only place its on sale?), as you would expect for a Good Beer Guide Pub. Too busy to be an enjoyable drinking experience, but fair play to them for having a destination pub/restaurant.

Quinno expertly sums up the decor of this three-roomed pub in the owned estate of Hambleden. The bar serves what was once two rooms, albeit knocked through: one a snug with two handpumps and the other narrower, with six handpumps but precious little room if barflies are congregated at the bar and the window seat opposite occupied. A further room with semi-bar counter is located up a small corridor at the right and back to the left, so behind the bar itself, as well as a standalone dining area to thr right off the end of the corridor. Rebellion IPA and Windsor & Eton Last Drop on the first two pumps, with just Brain's Rev James and a Rebellion yearly/monthly one-off called Afterburner on the six other pumps. Four pound-fifty seemed rather excessive for a pint of the W&E (although it was on good form) and a weeknight after work visit saw this a little "locally", albeit in more of a plummy-voiced way.