The London Apprentice, Isleworth

The pub is located in an attractive (and probably lucrative) riverside location with a comfortable terrace outside overlooking the Thames and some creek entering it. Inside, the main bar has wooden floors with black and white tiles to the front of the long bar down one side of the room. Seating areas are seperated by opaque glazed screens but these are fairly recent I guess. Two adjacent entrance doors give a clue to the original layout. A few old Isleworth Brewery etched windows have been retained. The music playing was a touch too loud certainly for the afternoon. Another room to the rear is quieter, carpeted and with fairly old good quality wooden tables worthy of a fairly grand dining room. The outdoor terrace was really rather pleasant on a sunny March afternoon although I reckon space and tranquillity would be at a premium on a sunny summer weekend. An adjacent slipway gives access to the river and its "beach". Beers were Doombar, Adnams Broadside, GK IPA and Flankers Tackle and Gales (Fullers) Swing Low. The Doombar was clear and smelled ok but tasted a bit flat, as if past its best. An enjoyable spot nevertheless, and one I'd aim for if on a river walk.

There were a number of real ales on, including London Pride, Doom Bar, Broadside, plus a couple of guests in Lancaster Amber and something from Harviestoun Brewery. This is a pretty good selection of ales. I had the Lancaster Amber, which tasted fine. It’s a Punch pub, having that sort of pubco feel about it – perhaps it’s the faux chalkboards that give it away. But it’s one of the better Punch Group pubs that I’ve been in, with its superb riverside setting. The windows proclaim it to have been an “Isleworth Ales” pub, plus there is an unused door with the glass in advertising entrance to the Public Bar. It’s now a one-room pub of course, but it’s nice that they retain at least some of these original features – at least they looked original to me. There is a fairly large main bar as you enter the pub, with a separate lounge facing the river, which seemed be used as a dining room during my midweek lunchtime visit. I think that this is a fairly good pub, but if I had to improve it I would bin the out of place games machine and the cash dispenser. I’ve no doubt that these are now necessary evils, but they do detract from the character of the pub. Definitely worth a visit to sit outside (weather permitting) on the riverside terrace and enjoy the view.

The back cover picture from the Strawbs third album,"Just a Collection of Antiques and Curious"was taken inside this pub.