The Crabtree, W6

A return since my first visit back around 2004 with a local friend who stated that the pub has been refurbished around three times in his 11-year presence. This is a large pub (not a gastropub) with an acceptable makeover as is typical of this type or residential environment; the place is by no means easy to find unless you are looking for it and has a fine beer garden overlooking the Thames. Efficient staff were conjuring up Hophead's Dark Star, Sambrook's Session, Bedlam's Benchmark and Johnny Haynes' Best - a round of three Dark Stars came in at a little under £12 which is very good value, especially for the relatively affluent area and all were on good form. On the minus side, there was a bunch of 'posh' kids, the youngest of whom couldn't have been a day over 16 - they couldn't handle their booze and were picking each other up, larking around and bumping into punters. Worse still was another bunch of seemingly lost chavs who were certainly aggressive in the language department; small children cavorted just a few feet away. This pub isn't too bad, but management needs to get a grip on the people it allows in; points docked accordingly. I'd come again, but only because there's not much else around here that warrants investigation.

There’s still a decent ale choice here, with Windsor & Eton Guardsman, Sambrook Wandle, Twickenham Original, and something called Crab & Badger (which seems to be a house ale brewed by Nethergate) on. I had the Guardsman – or rather I had a pint of Guardsman Ale (£3.65 a pint) – which I had first encountered in a ‘spoons recently, and felt that another pint of this rich and full flavoured ale was definitely called for. This is as much a restaurant as a pub, with a large area at the back with all tables laid for diners. The daily printed menus are on the tables in the main bar area as well as the restaurant, attached to clipboards, which seems to be a la mode these days. The cheapest main course was “gammon, egg and handcut chips” at £9.50, and ranged up to “28 day dry aged Scotch rib-eye steak” at £18.50. Although a large part of the pub is reserved for diners, there is still a large area for those who only want a drink. There was a large TV on the wall here, but switched off perhaps because there was a funeral party who had apparently reserved this part of the room for a wake. As you would expect in an upmarket joint like this, there are no fruit or games machines. To the left of the pub is very large area with masses of outside seating, including a glazed covered verandah, and some picnic benches overlooking the river shaded by a couple of weeping willows providing excellent river views. An upstairs function room is advertised, but I had no reason to venture up there. An extensive wine list is advertised above the bar back, which also (of course) contains a wine rack. I quite liked this pub even though it is no longer the backstreet boozer it must once have been. The ale choice is good, although not cheap; I was given a choice of mug or straight glass; and it didn’t have any distracting electronic machines flashing away. These are all pluses in my book. I expect to pay a return visit, probably to have a meal next time.