The City Barge, Chiswick, W4

This pub has a great location overlooking the river, with a handful of tables outside on the towpath where one can spend a pleasant hour or so enjoying a pint and watching the swans swim by. But the river will come up over the towpath when there is a high tide, so be careful not to get your feet wet! Clean and comfortable inside with seating on two levels, including a largish sofa. Nothing special in the way of ales – Pride, Adnam's and GKIPA. All in all a pretty decent pub, but for me not the best pub along the Strand.

For some strange reason my department at my firm always go here for the Christmas party. We always end up in the downstairs bar with the dart board and quiz machine. The food that we end up with has been exactly the same for the past 4 years, it is good but unimaginative. I can't grumble about the service as I have always found it polite, but it can get a little annoying having to ring the bell in the lower bar to get a member of staff to come down when they know that 30 people are coming for a party. Unfortunately for the City Barge, even though the lager and cider is very good, I would have to walk past the Bell and Crown to get to it and that isn't going to happen.

Very comfortable 2 bar pub. Has a bar on an upper level with one on the river Thames level. sells up to 3 real ales and has an outside seating area overlooking the River Thames.This pub is on the Thames towpath where there are several other pubs to be enjoyed especially in the summer.