Pig & Whistle, Southfields, SW18

This is a stripped out Young’s pub, with all the features of a pub whose owners are trying to move it upmarket. They have a couple of those hideous, chunky tall tables complete with tall stools and tall upholstered benches, a leather or leather-effect sofa accompanied by a low upholstered bench and low table. There also little candles alight on all the tables; a coffee machine displayed prominently at the end of the bar counter; and even a covered dish on the bar counter containing what looked like mince pies. But furnishings do include normal tables and chairs, including some in a room at the back and on the right of the bar, where the tables display some attractive bunches of poinsettias. The main bar area is bare boarded, but with a large carpet in the middle of the room that serves to break up the sea of floorboards. Being a Young’s pub there are no surprises regarding the ale range. Handpumps were clipped with Special, Bitter, Winter Warmer and Bombareindeer. Unfortunately the Winter Warmer went off just as I ordered a pint (although the clip stayed unreversed during my visit); as did the Bitter as soon as I ordered it. Just bad luck of course. A new barrel of Bitter was put on, but inadequately pulled through as my pint was very cloudy and didn’t taste at all right. But there was no problem changing it for another pint once it had been pulled through properly. The only sandwich on the menu was a steak sandwich, at £7.50. The main meals didn’t seem too expensive, with bangers and mash at £6.95 and steak and ale pie at £8.95. There’s a large TV screen on the wall by the sofa – showing some Rugby, but muted, - and of course some pop music was being played. On this occasion they were fighting a losing battle to keep the place warm, with a door that couldn’t be closed manually as it has one of those automatic arms fitted that tend to close the door slowly. Even the barmaid kept her scarf on (I don’t think that it was a snood!). This pub is OK if you like these sort of madeover places, but it’s not really to my taste.