The Dodo Micropub, Hanwell, W7

I agree with Rex, this is a difficult one to leave. We found this micro to be very comfortable, and we got a very friendly welcome from the owners Alex and Lucy, plus a good choice of beers. I went for the Belleville Brewery from Battersea, Commonside Pale Ale. This definitely passed the two pint test and became Beer of the Week. The table service was also good and efficient, so we were treated like Lords.

This is a typical micropub, which is of course a good thing. There were five real ales on, dispensed from a cooled room at the back and brought to your table. There's no regular beer - they change all the time. There's no food other than nuts and the like, although I gather the landlady is considering the addition of pork pies, over which I and the only other customer in there encouraged her. I had pints of the XT XT15 (an English IPA - 4.2% and £4.20 a pint), and ELB Foundation (£4 a pint). Furnishings are solid tall tables and tall benches, and decor seems to be entirely themed on the dodo, the extinct flightless bird once found on Mauritius - apart from a framed print of a very sad Supergirl. All firsts for me in a pub. The landlady, Lucy Do (the pub named for her of course), recently received a CAMRA award for her contribution to real ale, and a photograph of her receiving it is on Page 16 of the latest London Drinker. I was fortunate to spend more than an hour in the company of the delightful Ms Do, and as the beer was in superb condition I found it difficult to drag myself away to visit the other pubs on my list. But after a couple of pints I steeled myself to leave to visit the Village Inn down the road. I should have stayed. I believe that the technical term for a micropub of this quality is "a belter". This one is definitely worth the time and effort of visiting.

Official site of The Dodo Micropub - thedodomicropub.com