The Masons Arms, Kensal Green, NW10

A very substantial Victorian building close to Kensal Green station,the interior is worth investigating.The ground floor is open plan with a substantial bar in the centre and an impressive carved wood bar back,while there is a lounge bar upstairs which can be hired.By the wooden staircase to the lounge bar is an interesting wooden booth with frosted glass and a door marked as the "Office".I was not sure what this was for,but speculated that at one time there may have been a theatre upstairs and this acted as a ticket booth.It's an unusual original feature. The ground floor is lit by several chandeliers and a whole host of boudoir style lampshades covered other lights while traditional and substantial cast iron radiators kept the pub warm on a chilly lunchtime.The large picture windows at the front of the building are also original and ornate.The pine flooring gave a more contemporary feel,which blended well with the wooden furniture.To one side of the building is a cobbled courtyard for external drinking which contained a brick built BBQ range. The pub is part of the Taylor Walker chain ,offering GK IPA and Doom Bar on handpump while a third remained unused.Food is popular here and there are tapas dishes at £4.50 each or more substantial meals from around £7.We didn't eat but what I saw looked good and there was a chef rather than a microwave at work. A jocular welcome from the guv'nor and pleasant bar staff were an added bonus,as was the fact that it was open at lunchtime (a lot of close by pubs were not)and had real ale .Even higher rating would have been appropriate if there had been a more interesting ale selection but my Doom Bar was as well kept as is possible with this ubiquitous brew. The Masons doesnt suffer the common curse associated with being the nearest pub to the station,and I would make the long walk from the canal to pop in again in future.