The Grove, Ealing Broadway, W5

Another corner, another pub, this one is a large brick built Deco building with some marble detailing around the main door, modernised inside but sympathetically in places. Inside it’s roughly an uneven U shape, seating areas in the shorter portion and an almost separate dining area in the longer side. The U shaped counter has four T-Bars and six beer engines along one face, two pulls on Lilly’s cider duty, one with Tribute and another with Abbott, two not at work. The Tribute was adequate. There’s a few exposed brick walls but mostly they’re plastered and painted green or cream, board floors and although mostly tables and chairs there are some more pub-like seating options. Tasteful decor of old woodcuts and floral prints, the constant music was not to my taste, in spite of the gentility it also has a screen. An outside drinking area overlooks part of Ealing Green.

Official site of The Grove - www.thegrovew5.co.uk

Official site of The Grove - www.thegrovew5.co.uk

Stood opposite Ealing Green, this is a very large open plan Greene King pub that has been given a bit of a gastro makeover. A corner entrance takes you into a bare boarded room with some limited partitioning hinting at a possible former multiple room layout. The room is now pretty much fully opened out into a very wide u-shaped single room based around a central servery. The bar counter runs in an angular fashion to mirror the shape of the room and has a panelled front and pewter top, whilst the bar back is smartly decorated with mirrors and a decorative frieze along the top. The whole area around the bar offers an eclectic mix of seating options of the sort that would put an Antic pub to shame. The walls vary from exposed brickwork to plain plaster and pastel shaded wood panels and there are a few centrally positioned structural pillars offer drinking ledges around which you can stand, whilst to the right there is a snug of sorts with additional comfy furniture. To the rear right there is a second room full of standard tables and chairs under an insanely over-the-top chandelier, which has been set up primarily for the use of diners. The bar counter runs through into this room but only has a coffee machine on it and an almost completely bare exposed brick bar back. There is an open kitchen at the back of the room, surrounded by a very impressive decorative feature wall. The menu seemed to be rather posh, with mains clocking in between £12.50 - £18.50 and steaks costing up to £23.50, although a much more sensibly priced bar menu (burgers, chicken schnitzel, bangers and mash etc...) was also available. The day's papers were laid out on a table opposite the bar and I noticed that plenty of customers were sat out on the front patio - a sizeable paved area with lots of smart garden furniture overlooking the Green. For a Greene King pub, the beer range was refreshingly varied, with hand pulled options comprising Greene King IPA, Belhaven Wembley '67, Hogs Back TEA, Twickenham Spring Ale, Sharps Coaster and Saltaire Sir Titus. The latter was served to me by a very effusive barman and was in pretty good condition at £4.30 a pint. This seems like a nice enough pub with a good selection of ales and plenty of room to spread yourself out and get comfortable. The large open plan layout makes the place feel a bit vast, empty and impersonal, but there are a few nice spots you can bag that create a more intimate impression and the patio area seemed like a decent spot as well. Not a destination pub but certainly worth a look in passing.

Really nice conversion to this Greene King pub but the signage doesnt indicate who owns it.Large open plan L shaped pub with an internal and an external outside area for drinking.3 Greene King beers on plus 2 guests so plenty of choice.Always seems to be busy when i have called in.Food looks and smells nice.Not often have i been impressed by this brewers pubs but they are definetely trying to move away from the tied beer arrangement.Nice one.