The Warwick, SW1

Another Pimlico local that has gone upmarket with the influx of trendy types. Bare boards and scrubbed wood tables, a couple of sofas, overhead fans and a few potted plants. The beer selection was a bit pedestrian - Doom Bar, London Pride and Spitfire - but at least the condition was acceptable, even if the prices weren't.

Built in 1852 as the Princess Royal, the current name arriving sometime after 1995, this is one of several Pimlico pubs in close proximity to Victoria station, finding favour with office workers. The floor is of course bare boarded and the bar array seems new, with green glazed tiles. The walls though, comprise either white paint, some bare brick to a comfy, carpeted sunken quieter snug to the rear, then patinated copper clad walls. Furniture is fairly traditional, though with pressed metal bar stools. The one element of note here, is the nearly fullwidth polychromatic glazed tile array to dado height along the left wall, which must be original, along with some leaded stained glass to the rear left; décor comprises pot plants. Lighting comes from recessed LED downlighters to the ceiling, Victorian-style sconces, with variegated green glass shades over the bar. Customers were noisy and young, nothing here helped by poor acoustics; cocktail shakers only adding to the din. Ales offered amounted to Doom, Ghost and new to me, Robinson’s Dizzy Blonde at a reasonable £2.50 a half and quite nice, certainly making a welcome change from the tsunami of Pride and Doom. This place is only just about ok, but the crowded nature of the place and noise, are a deterrent to returning.

For a Saturday afternoon, this was a quiet pub. Some loud people came in to ask where a TV set was. Happily they left once gaining directions. Abbot Ale on draught was OK but there was a strange smell that permeated the atmosphere.

Pretty basic one roomed bar.Three GK beers on Ipa,Abotts, and Ale-oha which was good.

I guess that this must still be a Greene King pub as two of the ales on were Abbot and GK IPA, but they did have on a guest ale in Hopback Wold Top (£2.05 a half). And it still looks to be food led, although only a couple of tables were laid for diners when I was in just after 2.00 PM on Tuesday. Although a couple of tables had people still eating, the only menu on the tables was a little A5 jobby in a plastic support, offering only bar snacks - "truffled hand cut chips" at £4, "steamed edamame with sea salt", also £4, and other stuff like that. A chalkboard behind the bar offered three main courses, in a drink and meal deal for £9.95 - "plaice meuneure", "tuna steak", "asparagus" and stuff! It didn't say what drinks are included in the deal. The main bar area is bare-boarded with normal tables and chairs; there's a small room at the back down a few stairs and furnished with sofas; plus there's apparently a restaurant upstairs. I didn't go exploring the restaurant, but maybe it has a more extensive menu than that available downstairs. There are no TVs or fruit machines, and other gastropub indicators are present, such as wine racks in the bar back, and large jars of nuts and the like behind the bar. On the plus side, at some stage someone has had the good sense to remove the black/indigo paint from the exterior facade to reveal the lovely original brewery brown tiling, and inside the wall on the left still has some nice tiling up to dado level - possibly Victorian or Edwardian. This pub's OK without being anything special. It's minimalist like so many of these places. But my half of Wold Top was in decent shape. It's of a type - just like all the gastropubs you've encountered.

Official site of The Warwick with menu and wine list - www.thewarwickpimlico.co.uk

Although not branded as such, this is a Greene King house (with the only giveaway being the Head Brewers Club sign behind the counter and on the website). Small square bar, with a lower seating area at the back, which quickly feels crammed as it starts to fill up. Traditional furniture, with sparse modern decor. Also has a few patio tables out front. As you would expect, it has IPA and Abbot available but thankfully Oakham Inferno (£3.60) was available as a guest from the third handpump. NB - Ales served in old-fashioned 'jug' glasses.

Official site of The Warwick with menu and wine list - www.thewarwickpimlico.co.uk