Raynes Park, Raynes Park, SW20

This pub has just had a refurbishment, although the changes aren’t great, amounting to it being tarted up somewhat. There’s a horseshoe bar in the middle of the pub, and two rooms, interconnected by an archway. The room on the left has an vaulted ceiling, and a pool table in the area by the window. The room on the right has some chunky high tables and stools, some normal tables and chairs, and some cheap looking upholstered bench/banquette seating. There were a couple of standard ales on, plus something from Saltaire Brewery which tasted good, but was quite flat, even by London standards. It’s a John Barras chain, which makes it part of the Punch Pubco empire (there is a photograph of Colonel Barras tucked away somewhere), so of course it does food but I didn’t look at a menu during my weekday evening visit. This is not a bad pub, and the beer quality has in the past been better than my latest experience, but the Wetherspoons down the road (usually) has a superior ale selection. But the thing that spoiled this visit for me was the unnecessarily loud pop music blaring out, making normal conversation across a table not easy. But that’s just my opinion – maybe their normal customer base likes loud music. Even though this is one of my locals, I doubt whether I will make more than the occasional visit.

Fairly typical large suburban pub, opposite RP station. Now fully open plan although I suspect there were several rooms as originally built when the railway came through and the suburb was expanded. A Barras chain these days, beers on were Pride, Bombardier and Stonehenge Pigswill. Average and passable condition. There is a dartboard to the left of the bar, assuming entrance from Coombe Lane.

This large John Barras pub has plasma screens throughout for showing the football, a dartboard and a pool table. Being so close to the station there was a transient crowd, but the barman was friendly and my Guinness was good and I counted four ales along with the standard draught selection. Cheap food is churned out and there was a sickly sweet smell present which wasn’t very pleasant. I’d pop in again if I had time before my train arriving, but I wouldn’t make this my destination pub.