Magic Garden, Battersea Park, SW11

I dropped in here on Saturday afternoon for a swift one, to find that the three handpumps had Cornish Coaster, Doom Bar and Sambrook Wandle clips reversed. Delivery problems according to the barman. A half of Birra Moretti set me back £2.60 as I recall. Menus attached to clipboards offered main course from £13.50 upwards - the Wagyu (??) burger is £15 - with bar snacks from £7 upwards - cauliflower fritters are £7.50. These prices aren't cheap, but this place is nothing like a gastropub. All the decor in here is in your face. The walls are painted lime green and cerise; floral branches are painted on some of the walls and ceilings; the odd bird is painted on the ceiling here and there; and even the piano's brightly painted. The furnishings are fairly traditional, but there is plenty of open space between them, suggesting that vertical drinking is often the norm, perhaps especially when they have live music on. As you would expect, there's a stage at the back, with purple or pink illuminated sofas on it reminiscent of a Parisian brothel - or rather what one might guess that a Parisian brothel might look like. The framed pictures of Jimi Hendrix are still there. There's a conservatory on the right, which in turn leads out to a nice garden. A sign on a chalkboard inside boasts "best outdoor space award 2014/15", and the "best London pub award 2011". I can't imagine who made these awards, but probably not someone who knew anything about London pubs. But despite all this, I quite liked this pub. I found it a bit - well a lot actually - unusual, but there's nothing wrong with something a bit different. But running out of beer isn't a good sign, to put it mildly. It's certainly not a destination pub, unless you're keen to enjoy a particular live music act, but a reasonable enough place to stop off for a swift one - unless, like me, you're unlucky enough to hit it on a no-beer day!

Official site of Magic Garden - www.magicgardenpub.com

Official site of Magic Garden - www.magicgardenpub.com

This is a strange and wacky place indeed. Basically a U-shaped pub with no evidence of the bar on entering, it's round the back, facing the conservatory and garden, murals of vines and creepers over the walls and ceiling, painted birds and butterflies on the ceiling, unusual mixed furniture, several portraits of Jimi Hendrix, roses entwined above and around the bar, a totally mixed bag of lighting, a piano and organ sited next to each other and one corner has a raised area carpeted with what looks like pool table baize. Add in the swirly 60s/70s soundtrack of instrumental acid music and you have complete sensory overload. The toilets are Femmes and Hommes. Despite this, the pub had a very mixed customer base from students through young couples/families with babies to older people. It was busy too but this may reflect the dearth of decent pubs locally. Loads of bar flyers in the toilets show a commitment to live music, I suppose the green baize raised bit forms the stage, a quiz night is also advertised. Food served including bar snacks, home made scotch egg £3.50, miso soup £5. Three handpumps, Doom Bar, Cornish Coaster also by Sharps and Sambrooks Wandle. £1.90 for a half of Coaster. Not my ideal pub by any standards but having walked up this way randomly from Clapham Junction and stuck my head in a few real dives I'm glad I found it. One word of warning, if you go here get the bus back to Clapham Junction, don't wait for a train at Queenstown Road unless you are very patient indeed.