The Leinster Arms, W2

Largish single space around a central bar, with a raised seating area at the front. From sitting here there is a high wall/bulkhead containing a large number of assorted prints and paintings of a variety of things. Friendly staff, as said before, tasters offered. Pump clips of previous guests over the bar. Pubby feel with a local crowd; the immediate area has a small range of local shops as well as the pub so probably serves a small village London community, very close to town. A pleasant spot on this early evening visit. Beers as described by Rex below.

A first for me for a long time – we were actually given the choice of a straight glass or a dimpled mug. Now that is service. The real ales on were TT Landlord; London Pride; and Hawkshead Lakeland Gold. The first two are their regular ales, and it seems that during the (so-called) summer they are featuring a number of summer ales as guests. I had the Hawkshead Lakeland Gold (of course) and found it to be very hoppy, but refreshing and tasty nonetheless. All three ales were under £3, and all had a second clip giving a few tasting notes, plus the price and ABV. Apparently it is a Mitchell & Butler pub. The very friendly barmaid gave us a taste before buying, which I regard as a sign of a well-run pub. The pub itself is in a sidestreet off the Bayswater Rd. There is an archway to the right of it that might at one time have led to stables. It's now a one-room pub, with a bare-boarded area around the bar, but with a raised, carpeted, area to the left of the bar. There were no other customers in there at 5.00 PM on a Friday evening, but by 6.00 PM it had filled up considerably, but not to the point of overcrowding, with a jolly bunch, most of whom seemed to know each other. I found this to be a friendly, welcoming, and comfortable pub, and will certainly visit again if I am in the area.