Woodman, Eastcote, Pinner

Formerly The Woodman, this roadside pub is now primarily a restaurant, although not the 'bar and grill' style implied by the current name, and it's run by the Lido Group. There is a small, bordello-like reception area at the front where the public bar once was, while the former saloon at the rear has been extended and made into a glittery dining room whose predominant style is shiny and black, a bit like an explosion in a patent leather factory. It works at a Disneyesque fantasy level, but it's not somewhere I'd bring my granny for supper. The foreign staff were slightly scatty but nonetheless welcoming and helpful, though none of them understood the concept of CAMRA. The background music was too loud and a bit intrusive, though they did turn it down when asked. No real ale on draft, but when pushed they did eventually find bottles of Doombar and Pride left over from a party. The food took a long time to arrive, and when it did, it was over-fussily presented by an unnecessary clutter of skewers, dishes and strange metal hangers all over the place, when all I actually wanted was a plate. It tasted OK though. Fine for an evening meal if you have the time, but not worth including on a crawl.