The Haven Arms, Ealing Broadway, W5

This is a late 19th century backstreet pub, almost piggybacking the Wheatsheaf; the two are very different though. The interior appears much older than expected, with lots of eclectic knickknacks, dark brown lacquered wood, some pew seating, traditional furniture, a commanding grand fireplace, ceiling with exposed dark brown rafters, then more conventional paintwork in the form of white walls and smoky blue wainscoting with conventional Edwardian/Victorian-style sconces. A raised left-hand area is home to a pool table and at least one signed sports shirt; a morbidly obese black Labrador roams the floor and there are board games, if that’s your thing. There’s also Sky Sports, blindingly bright which as always, no-one was watching, the screens flooding the interior with needlessly bright illumination. An ale line-up featured Landlord, Pride and Proper Job at a very pricey £3.00 a half, served by a cheery [American?] barman, doing his best to look like Super Mario. A pub of real character, this has the potential to be a quality boozer, but the blindingly bright TVs really taint the atmosphere here and then there are the prices.

Traditionl pub with a U shaped bar , some old black and white photos adourn the walls, the pub also boasts a pool table to the rear. Three handpumps with a choice of three beers Sharps Atlantic ,TT Landlord and London Pride. A nice pub but an ordinary beer offering, the pub was rather quiet compared to the nearby Wheatsheaf.

Nice comfortable traditional style pub hidden at the back of Ealing.Already well described by previous reviewer.Covered yard with seating to side of pub.Three cask beers on Broadside,Proper Job and Pride.

In a narrow residential side street just to the north of Ealing Broadway is The Haven Arms, a traditional community local. The exterior features an unusual tile hung roof, tiled brickwork and something of a cottagey look. Two separate doors lead into a pub that was probably once subdivided into traditional public and saloon bars. The staple shaped bar is immediately in front of us and here it is quite narrow, but the interior widens out at each end of the bar and also extends around the back. A framed potted history of the pub on the left hand wall tells us that it dates back to 1861, but was rebuilt in 1872. Here is the pub’s most interesting feature – a framed painting of a local inquest which took place in the pub and is now apparently over 100 years old. Further down towards the back of the pub is a pool table, dartboard and drop down TV screen, although, when a big game is being shown on the screen ( Man City v Man U on my visit ), its positioning means that the pool table and dartboard are effectively redundant. The walls here are decorated with some old photos of Ealing and a few framed autographed QPR shirts – Peter Crouch for instance. On the right hand side of the bar is a fine fireplace and, at the back, a dedicated dining area. Normal tables and chairs ( no high tables or sofas) and fine etched windows bearing the pub’s name contribute towards a cosy, traditional pub atmosphere. Three handpumps were serving Wells Bombardier, Theakston Lightfoot and Caledonian Elf Esteem, leading me to conclude that it’s in the Enterprise pub stable. This is a likeable, welcoming pub and it’s well worth the short stroll from Ealing Broadway to seek out.