Churchills, SW11

It’s true that this ‘shop conversion’ is more pubby than most, because as the Prince of Wales Hotel it has been a real pub since at least 1871 and with a Wandsworth Conservation listing to boot. The previous reviews sum up the place well, being of pale varnished wood in style, stag’s head still in place, patronised by very cheery mainly older Irish customers, younger punters in the garden. Unsurprisingly, the Guinness was at the fore and it was very good at only £2.10 a half, served by a courteous landlady. This isn’t a bad place but it’s a bit dated in a modern way and the lack of cask is a hindrance. What’s really baffling though is why an Irish pub of all places would be called Churchills, or am I missing something?

This place doesn't seem to have changed much since the previous reviewer's visit. It's certainly more pub-like than most shop conversion bars I've visited. It's effectively a long fairly narrow bar, leading out to a bit of outside seating at the back. As you enter there's a small raised area on the left with a couple of tables/chairs; the bar counter's on the left wall; and past that there are a few tables with semi-circular banquette seating around them. There are TVs on the walls of course, plus games and fruit machines, and a coal effect fire blazing away in the fireplace. Some shelves have a load of ancient looking books on them, there's a stag's head above the fireplace, and a couple of Churchill Inns mirrors make a nice addition to the decor. The pub was very well paronised when I was in at around 4.30 on Thursday, but everyone seemed to like to crowd around the bar counter in preference to using the table seating. Nonetheless, I managed to peer between a couple of them to spot a clip for Caledonian Golden XPA (£3.30 a pint), plus an Old Speckled Hen clip reversed and a third pump unused. No sign of any food. It's a fairly straightforward shop conversion, but they have made some effort to make it a bit homely, and do a real ale. While nothing very special, it's a fairly decent place.