The Whippet Inn, Kensal Rise, NW10

Things labelled Bar and Restaurant often tend to the latter, but this at least has a genuine bar with stools, and a smattering of customers on laptops 'working from home' no doubt, so more than just an eatery. The beer range is still a bit rubbish though, with very overpriced Neck Oil and Brixton Reliance leading the way. Not really my cup of tea.

Given that this pub’s original name was the Greyhound, I was inveigled into believing that this was an original pub; how wrong I was, as this is a shop conversion dating from the late ‘90s; if I’d known, I’d have not paid a visit. Quite a foodie place, the interior is predictable: a modern boarded floor and patterned tiled bar apron, dark blue, grey or white colour scheme with some bare brick. The bar top is marble and there’s some scaffold holding things up, weird, televised log fire on high with eclectic prints. Furniture is conventional, with taller stuff to the periphery and dark blue fluted banquette, the interior lit by dangly light fittings in wire cages with filament bulbs. Customers were understandably local, young, exuberant and along with the relentless omnipresent cocktail shaker, making for quite the cacophony. There’s no cask, just an unimaginative keg selection, the most exciting offering being the ubiquitous Neck Oil, £3.50 a half, served by a friendly barman. Acoustics aside, this place was better than expected, but I’d prefer the William.

Official site of The Whippet Inn - www.thewhippetinn.com

Official site of The Whippet Inn - www.thewhippetinn.com