Queens Arms, Kilburn, NW6

This is a mid-19th century pub, Fritz cracker’d on 26th September 1940, to be rebuilt in its current form in 1958 on noisy Kilburn High Road, opposite an Islamic centre. Function room aside, the pub is broadly U-shaped with the bar in the crook. The floor is pale boarded and there’s a pale grey, white and pale blue colour scheme, with mainly tall chunky furniture, tweed upholstered; what little décor on display comprised framed ‘meal deals’, then seasonally unattractive United Nations bunting. Customers were exclusively older locals, all male and virtually all transfixed by the MUN/BAR match on the multiple TVs with loud commentary. A bit downmarket for a Young’s pub with none of their beers clipped, two unused pumps then Landlord at an agreeable £2.25 a half, but served in a Pravha glass by a confused East European barmaid (the same one Rex encountered?) and in drinkable, if not perfect condition. NW6 is hardly a hotbed of good pubs and whilst this place is certainly better than the Prince of Wales, why would anyone want to come here with the Carlton just a five-minute walk away?

Official site of Queens Arms - www.queensarmskilburn.co.uk

Official site of Queens Arms - www.queensarmskilburn.co.uk

This is a Young’s pub with Bitter, Special, and Bombardier on. Being a Young’s pub they would normally do food, but the separate restaurant area at the back, as well as the old public bar on the right, were closed for a refurbishment when I visited. This left the saloon area as the remaining bar in use, which has more than its fair share of of sofas and tall tables/tall stools with just one or two normal tables and chairs. But it’s not an unattractive room for all that, with a couple of large rugs to break up the bare-boarded space, and its (modern) latticed bay windows shaded by the clutch of London plane trees outside. The outside seating area at the front is pretty good too. I’m not going to indulge in a food rant, but it was a bit of a struggle to get the (distracted Eastern European) barmaid to get me the half of Bitter that I ordered; which came up rank and undrinkable and which she changed for Special only after first consulting her boss. The Special was pretty good though. I wouldn’t give this pub the thumbs down. I would prefer to believe that I was just unlucky with the poor service I received, and that when the odours that come with a refurb in progress are gone it would be a nice pub.

The Queens Arms is a decent looking pub that looks like it was built in the 60s,it it situated at the bottom end of kilburn high road. Once inside there was a single room which had been opened out,the room was almost zig zg in shape,the bar was to the front right,this area was oblong shaped and had tall tables and stools near the front and bench seating to the rear. The room kinks to the right where there is a few more tables and chairs,the rear area was sep up for diners(empty on my visit). The pub is a Youngs tied house,there were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Youngs bitter which tasted slightly off,the other beers were Youngs Special and Bombardier. This a is a smart enough pub,there were a few locals in during my short stay,i was well pleased to get in here because i was wet through after trying to find the Carlton Tavern without success. Pub visited 1/5/2014