The Queen's Arms, Hounslow

It’s just under 13 years since I last visited here, back when it was just a plain old Wetherspoons that they couldn’t even bother to give a proper name. Under the moniker of The Queen’s Arms this is now a Fuller’s pub with a long bar counter that faces the Terminal 2 check in machines. To the right is a small seating area next to stairs that climb to mezzanine seating above. This area was closed when I visited last week. To the left is a large open plan seating area with views of the airport out of the windows. This was more of a dining area. The bar supports standard and premium keg and there are six hand pumps. Four of the pumps had ‘coming soon’ tags around them and the other two were drawing London Pride, which was very good. Food is available, the burger is priced at £17.75. The service was polite and I left thinking that this is still a good airport bar.

Official site of The Queen's Arms - www.queensarmsheathrow.co.uk

Official site of The Queen's Arms - www.queensarmsheathrow.co.uk

Built into a corner of the Terminal 2 departures building, there are seating areas either side of the long white topped bar which has nothing in front of it, just a view facing the check-in desks. There is more seating in a mezzanine level above, which apparently has runway views but me and my suitcase weren’t prepared to venture up there to look. There's been half an effort with the décor in the form of some laminate wood effect panelling but basically it's little more than a pub of convenience. Six pumps with three ales and - oddly - three ciders. The ciders were skywards of a fiver bit the ales were between £3.50 - £4. Choices were GK Abbot, W&E Guardsman (which turned out to be unavailable, classic Spoonerism) plus a fair (as fair as the mass-produced sweet water can ever be) Doom Bar. Serves its purpose, I’d much rather be here than some of the over-priced outlets nearby.