The Kings Arms, Hanwell, W7

They had two real ales on in here - Truman's Runner and Weird Beard Hitlights (5.8% and £2.35 a half). Food is now important here; they specialise in pizze, which are normally £8.50 to £10.50, but a much reduced £5 for any pizza weekdays between 12 noon to 3.0 PM. I had one and would say that at £5 it's very good value for money. There's a sign behind the servery listing the beers, entitled "Hello is it beer your looking for" (aargh!). That's good going - a question mark, a comma, an apostrophe, and a letter all missing from a seven word sentence. This was my first visit since reopening after its recent refurbishment. The refurbishment here has been unsympathetic to put it mildly, as it's essentially been opened up and gutted. The changes have led to it being removed from CAMRA's National Inventory of pubs with historic interiors. I can appreciate an operator's dilemma - keep the multi-partitioned inter-war pub fittings, or strip it all out and make it a more family friendly inclusive pub and make more money. They should at least have retained the snug, which they could have done and still have made it the food led pub it is now. I would also say that if a pub operator doesn't want a pub with with rare heritage features - then don't buy one! If one can ignore for a moment what has been done to this pub, then it's quite a friendly and welcoming place with decent beer and food.

This looks like a typical inter-war built pub to me. It still retains its multi room format, with a Public Bar on the left; a Private Bar in the Middle; and a Saloon Lounge on the right. The Saloon Lounge comprises a medium size room as you enter, with a large lounge at the rear reached through an archway, which at some point would have been separated by doors. I just had a quick peek at the Public Bar, which is exactly what you would expect in a pub like this – a slightly less salubrious version of the Saloon Bar, but with a games room at the back. I spent my visit in the Saloon Bar, which is a fairly comfortable room, being carpeted and containing banquette seating and normal tables and chairs. There is an attractive wood framed fireplace, and what looks to be original wood panelling up to the dado rail level. There were a few old photographs on the wall, mainly of this pub through the ages, a one armed bandit in the Public Bar, and TV monitors on the wall of course. I guess this is an “Irish” bar, judging by the fact that the chap you served me, who I took to be the landlord, was Irish; there were shamrock festooned adverts for St Patrick's Day in the window advising one to come and enjoy the “craic”; and there was some writing in Gaelic above the entrance to the lounge. They normally serve Courage Best, but unfortunately it was off when I visited – something to do with Cheltenham(?) according to the barman. This is a reasonable enough pub, and it’s extremely good to see a pub like this still in its original state, but I wouldn’t visit just for the ale.