The Scarsdale Tavern, Kensington, W8

Possibly a typical London back street pub: Fullers sign (check), people spilling out onto the street (check), loving couple with hands intertwined sitting right in front of the four hand pumps (check), surprisingly good beer (oh, wasn't expecting that one!), beer more than £6 a pint (that's more like it). I went for halves of Hophead and Sussex Best, both were in the region of NBSS 3.5 to 4, with the Hophead perhaps shading it despite being only 3.4%.

No ESB on today, I'm afraid. And a standard point deduction for pouring a pint when I clearly asked for a half. The descriptions below cannot be added upon.

A pleasant Fullers pub well described by Tris below,beers on were Pride ,ESB,Seafarers and Harveys Sussex Best. Its a nice pub but the beer range doesn't excite.

Official site of The Scarsdale Tavern - www.scarsdaletavern.co.uk

Official site of The Scarsdale Tavern - www.scarsdaletavern.co.uk

The Scarsdale Arms, now Tavern, is a mid-Victorian pub situated in a very attractive location overlooking Edwardes Square. Out front it's quite simple, but there's a lovely verdant beer patio. You enter through an attractive cast/wrought iron porch with lantern at the centre of etched picture windows which inside, are topped with ruched curtains. The interior is quite eclectic with some walls resembling rather grand sitting rooms with paintings topped with brass picture lights, there's some dark wood panelling, bare brick painted white, charming screens with coloured stained glass and some original green banded Charrington's leaded lights. The rear is geared more towards dining, but up front you can eat where you want. To the rear there's also a tiny open kitchen; food here is more 'posh' pub grub than real gastro fayre. Furniture is a mixture of traditional styles with some settles to the windows and lighting comes courtesy of chandeliers and lanterns which illuminate a plethora of knick-knacks. Unfortunately, they allow you to see the ugly aircon vents which look more at home in an office. Friendly staff serving: Harvey's Sussex Best, Fuller's London Pride, Gayle's Seafarer and Oliver's Island Golden Ale at £4.40 a pint which is in keeping with the area and was fine. This was a first in here for us and we'd definitely return. Along with The Elephant & Castle, I think that this is W8's best pub but I've deducted points for the two TVs churning out the footie.

A small tidy gastropub in Kensington’s residential backstreets, which has the feel of a village pub in some respects despite its location. There is an attractive terrace at the front adorned with foliage, and a single u-shaped bar inside on the ground floor. It is predominantly laid to table for diners, though there is a little standing room in the centre. There is a small dining room at the back adjacent to the Lilliputian kitchenette. The pub clock is branded Moet et Chandon, and there is a selection of Champagne bottles (still full, I noted) as decoration on a shelf. The clientele was mixed, local families, a few revellers and an old bloke with a beard for whom shower gel was a mystery. On the walls were framed oil paintings where you would normally expect laminated Guinness posters. Four ales on draft, three from Fullers and a guest, Adnams Ghostship. The beer quality was average, which was a shame, but I’d still be happy to drop in for a swift pint when passing as it’s a comfortable place to spend time.