Chelsea Funhouse, SW10

An imposing and impressive looking building which still displays the earlier name of The World's End Distillery on the façade. Inside it is less pleasing with not many original features to see although there is some nice green banded white tiling and a little bit of etched glass. One L-shaped room now with quite a small bar in the corner, no handpumps, five copper fonts serve Whitstable Bay branded beers which may have been cask but possibly were not, it was very cold but without excessive carbonation. I couldn't see much point in checking with the pair of waist-coated continental barmen. My Pale Ale rocked in at £4.84. Welcome to Chelsea. Food is the real raison d'etre here, at the far end of the room is a first for me, two counters serving wet fish and raw meat. I suspect this is a pick your choice and they cook it for you rather than the pub doubling as a shop but I cannot be 100%. Most tables were set for formal dining but at around 4pm there were no takers, a quartet of customers were drinking on bar stools. I plonked myself at a small set table, nobody said anything. Exposed services below the ceiling, dark boarded floor with a chequer tiled zone around the bar, galvanised pots containing fuchsias on the tables, there is a large mural of a butcher and a fishmonger on the bar back. A bit of outdoor seating facing a paved square is probably a nice spot to while away an hour but anywhere that serves cold beer at £4.84 a pint and gives change with a receipt on a little silver tray isn't going to find me returning.

Built in 1897, this beautiful pub and former horse bus terminus is such a local landmark that the surrounding housing estate is accordingly known as 'Worlds End'. Set on the Kings Road, the pub has a rich history which includes hosting early Rolling Stones gigs and having a nearby Vivienne Westwood shop named after it. Unfortunately the place hasn't operated as a proper boozer for some time now and is currently more of a restaurant, with only a minor concession to those just wanting a drink. Despite the striking exterior, there is remarkably little of interest left within. You enter into a single bare boarded room with an unusual, three quarter circle bar to the rear right. The counter appears to be pewter and there is a modern wood strip bar back of little visual appeal. The seating in the main bulk of the room comprises standard chairs and a banquette under the front windows, all of which were taken up by diners on our arrival. To the right is a long curved banquette supplemented by more standard chairs, and it was along this wall, or on a stool at the bar, that drinkers were seemingly encouraged to settle down. At the far end of the room there is an open kitchen under a shelf displaying various pots, pans and the like, plus a deli counter where you can buy fresh ingredients including meat and fish. The only features I could find of any interest were a few surviving etched glass windows to the rear of the room and some nice ironwork around the entrances. We stopped here for some food and whilst it was good quality, the prices were pretty prohibitive. As the room started to clear out after a busy lunch service, loud dance music was piped into the room, which just about finished off any good will I had remaining. Much of this had been wiped out within seconds of arrival when the barman explained that I couldn't have a pint of Doom Bar, or indeed any draught product on display including numerous mainstream keg offerings, due to some sort of fault with the pipes. Instead I had to settle for an overpriced bottle of Meantime Wheat which I had to slowly sup throughout my meal as I refused to buy another drink in a pub that can't provide customers with draught beer. This was a massive disappointment, although to be fair we deliberately chose the place for food and this it at least managed to get right. It's a shame to see a grand building like this, with such a rich history holding so many memories for people, end up in such a state but the customers visiting on this particular Sunday afternoon seemed to be enjoying themselves and I suppose this sort of business is always going to do a better trade in this neighbourhood nowadays than a traditional boozer. A real shame and one to steer clear from unless you want food with bottled beer.