Uxbridge Arms, W8

A great little boozer in the midst of upmarket gastro pubs , a two roomed affair with a central U shaped bar. Quite busy on an early Saturday afternoon with very much a locals feel.Beers on were Portobello Star, Harveys Sussex Best and a very nice Timothy Taylors Golden Best.Very much a proper pub despite the fact it's card only, a must inclusion on a pub crawl.

Pretty well-oiled at this point, but we found time for a swift one at this decent little community pub. Got a good impression of it and the ale was decent- three from Portobello plus Doom Bar. Not much to complain about here but it didn’t quite push my buttons like the Churchill Arms. Surprised to find out it’s a Stonegate managed house- certainly didn’t feel like it.

It's unusual to find a working class boozer in such an upmarket area ,this mid terrace pub is popular with the local Irish but is welcoming to all.The bar is at the head of the larger room,while to the left through an arch is a calm lounge.Sky Sports screens here on mute,there is a collection of board games nearer the bar and furniture throughout is mixed with some high tables near the bar, some bench seating elsewhere. The landlady is very efficient at pulling pints,so don't dither at the bar when busy. Food is served but it's not shoved down your throat and nobody was eating while I was there.The mindless muzak seemed superflious.There are seats outside in a sun trap area. At the bar was Portobello Star,Harvey's Sussex Best,Doom Bar and TT Landlord served in a dimple glass (NBSS 3,correct temerature on a scorching day,£2.45 the half) .Ale quality a lot higher than the nearby GBG listed Windsor Castle. Comfortable spot,proper boozer and worth a stop on any crawl of the area.You may well get drawn into banter at the bar.

Official site of Uxbridge Arms - www.theuxbridgearmskensington.co.uk