The Finborough Arms, West Brompton, SW10

Official site of The Finborough Arms - www.finborougharms.co.uk

Just a short walk from West Brompton station and the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, this is a recently revamped pub focussing on good beer. The pub sits in the crook where two roads meet, creating an interesting wedge shaped interior with the bar running in an L-shape in the rear right segment. The single room interior boasts chunky floorboards throughout and a modern servery with some nice green and white glazed bricks on the bar back which also has mirrored shelves lined with bits of breweriana. There is a lot of bare brick around the room and the pub's unusual shape means that there are windows on three sides which made it nice and bright on my early evening visit. There is a good amount of bench and low stool seating in the broad front section, as well as a couple of high tables to stand around, and further seating can be found in the narrower space down the left hand side of the building. There is a nice tiled fireplace at the rear under an old Whitbred 'Red Lion' sign which I presume is one of the pub's former guises. A piano stands to one side back here, whilst the walls are decorated with various enamel advertisement signs and a door leads out to the pub's own theatre. There is also a staircase near one of the front doors which leads down to a Cellar Bar, unexplored on this visit. I visited in the middle of a Northumbrian festival, which saw the place packed out with a jovial bunch of Geordies. A lively open mic session was underway when I arrived, which started strongly with some sing-along versions of Blaydon Races and the like, but soon deteriorated into Newcastle FC football chants. Several punters were enjoying burgers, pizzas and the like, but I didn't see any menus myself. The festival meant that Northumbrian beers dominated the handpulls, giving me a choice of Mordue Northumbrian Blonde and Radgie Gadgie, Anarchy Blonde Star, Breakfast Stout and Urban Assault and Cullercoats Lovely Nelly. one real cider and one real perry completed the line up, whilst keg offerings included Lagunitas IPA and Camden Ink. A 40p CAMRA discount was promoted on posters behind the bar. I tried the Urban Assault, which was okay and the Lovely Nelly which was in great shape. I think I caught this place at a good time, as there was an infectious atmosphere within that made me stay longer than planned. The beer was in good shape and they seem to put on lots of interesting events. I really warmed to this place and would make it my destination of choice in this part of town.

This pub’s selling point for me is the ale choice, aptly described below, and with none of the usual suspects present. For me this pub would be greatly improved by a bit of decor on the walls (but it had only been open for some four days when I visited so plenty of time for that sort of thing), and some more comfortable furnishing in place of the the hard wooden pews and small round stools. But that’s just my opinion, and nit-picking really, probably because I’m a miserable old g** with joints that aren’t quite as supple as they used to be. This one is definitely worth visiting for the ale selection. I expect to return at some stage.