The Cumberland Arms, West Kensington, W14

Visited 11/03/26. Visited previously 02/08/22. Cask here comprised TTLL and LPride with a single unused hand pump. The three pump array at the front side of the bar counter was doubled up on the rear side. Keg options were Pravha, Neck Oil, Guinness, Portobello Notting Helles, Meantime Prime Pale, Peroni, Asahi, Jubel peach lager, Guinness, Aspall. Corner venue that I haven't visited for a few years and, pre-pandemic, visited when it was an oft chosen meet-up point ahead of the GBBF at nearly Olympia. There is some seating at the side of the venue but inside it is a long rectangle from the front with the bar counter near the entrance a three-sided affair off the right-hand wall. There is some bench / banquette seating around the front right-hand corner serving regular tables and then regular tables and chairs down the left-hand wall. Beyond the far end of the bar counter there is more regular tables and chairs, and a slightly raised rear part also stuffed with regular tables and chairs. There was an event on during my visit so that the venue was rammed with diners and so I had to stand at the front part of the bar counter to consume my half of TT LL (I couldn't face a longer stay given how busy it was)!

This is a mid-19th century pub occupying a corner plot, which was once a Whitbread’s house. The interior is attractive and comfortable, ‘woody’ as mentioned. The interior is very traditional, but with filament bulbs in sconces and shallow fluted glass lamps hanging over the bar. One item of note, is the framed pictures of a sequence of 28 oversized pump clips from modern brewers such as Twickenham and St. Austell; even Sharp’s gets a look-in. Customers were mainly young, but there was an obnoxiously loud bunch of overseas drinkers to the rear, noisy to the point where I had to move seats; the barman didn’t look too pleased either, but didn’t intervene. Ales amounted to two pumps, dispensing Tribute and one for Landlord at £2.80 a half and pretty good. This isn’t a bad pub, considering the location and would make for a good double with the Albion.

There are three handpumps on the counter readily visible as you enter, and these were clipped for Twickenham Naked Ladies, St Austell Tribute, and Otter Ale (the 4.5% one - £2.05 a half). There are three more pumps around to the back end of the bar, but when I visited on Wednesday afternoon they had on the same three ales. There are chalkboards all over the place, most usefully listing the real ales on that day, plus wine lists and menus. This is a gastropub. The chaklboard menu on the wall listed gastropub stuff at gastropub prices. I also didn't pay too much attention to the wine list, but I guess it's good to know that they do a varied range of the stuff. Nonetheless I quite liked this pub. The furnishings are all normal tables and chairs, and although it's been completely opened up, it still retains much of its pub character. The bar counter looks original, with its unusual mix of matchboard and fielded panelling, as does the wood panelling on the walls up to dado level. The pub is a bit bigger than it looks from the front, stretching a fair way back on the left next to the footpath. There's also a fair bit of outside seating next to the park. The Otter Ale was in super nick, and although there were "only" three ales on they were all quite interesting. Although not one of that rare breed, the destination pub, it's certainly worth a punt if you're in the area.

Good gastropub with plenty of seating for diners and drinkers.Three real ales inc Tribute and Skinners- Betty Stogs.Lots of brown wood as per usual.