The Gunnersbury, Gunnersbury, W4

As you enter its now a café and at the rear a nice modern square bar.Good outside space to the rear.Burning Sky -plateau on handpump and Burning Sky-Aurora on keg.Nice stop while waiting for a train

Perhaps I didn’t catch this place at its best when I popped in for a final pint before catching the overground from the train station opposite. Firstly let me say the layout is unchanged from previous reviewers with a large cavernous hall like space to the left of the central bar as you enter and then a second area like a worn out social club lounge to the right. Secondly let me say I didn’t completely comprehend the signs outside the pub saying ‘Bazaar here today !” and was totally unprepared to find the large hall section full of junk stalls selling tat. It obviously hadn’t worked as there was virtually no one in on this early wet evening and it was really quite surreal sitting up the bar with an average pint of Pride (what was coming out of the solitary hand pump on this occasion), and watching all the sad stall owners talking to themselves whilst waiting for anyone to enter..So, still obviously having an identity crisis in more ways than one...

Passing this pub earlier in the week I noticed that the name has now changed to The Gunnersbury so I decided that I would revisit, which I did late yesterday afternoon. Before entering my attention was drawn to a sign on the window that was very informative about the owner's intentions and what was going to be done to the place. Apparently the main aim is to restore the building ‘back to its Victorian glory' which I think is fantastic. Back in the 1860s there used to be a large ironwork balcony on the front which is going to be re-introduced and the picture looked impressive. The inside has been decorated and, although a tad bland, some new table and chairs have been brought in making the place seem much cleaner and lighter. The general layout of the pub hasn't changed as there is still a pub-like section around one side and a big hall around the other that I think will still be used for live music when required. The big half of the pub has signs up everywhere for J B Diner and I'd imagine if the food is any good the office workers from Chiswick Park will start using the pub making the owners a pretty penny. There is also a beer garden out the back with some tables and chairs. The TV set on the table at the back is still there and I would hope that the projector screen is still in use for the sports. I enjoyed having a couple of drinks in the smaller pub-like half and was foot tapping to some Motown, which the governor saw so turned the music up a bit. He was very polite and I'm fairly sure that he is the governor that ran this pub when it was called the John Bull. The Guinness was good and San Miguel, John Smiths Smooth and some standard lagers were also available. There is an ale pump but unfortunately it is unused. This place still needs some work which I think is ongoing and they could try and put a toilet seat on the bog if they are trying for a different clientele. If you've been in here before and didn't like it I'd give it another try as you have nothing to lose.