The Ram, Kingston Riverside, Kingston Upon Thames

Greene King pub with quite a small frontage but a rather elongated layout inside, extending back through a rear extension. Refurbished in a fairly modern style. Claims to have a "river terrace" but this is stretching things a bit - there is quite a reasonable amount of outdoor seating (some covered), but only a few tables are actually close to the river wall. Total of eight handpumps, five from the owners (including a decent pint of London Gold at £3.15) plus, unusally for the brewery, three guest ales. Also has one of those outdoor beer trolleys for the summer months that you often see in Europe, with two keg pumps (not in use when I visited).

In tonight and sadly I have to record now a Greene King house. The only guest, Everards Tiger went straight away. An absolute travesty, a decent riverside pub now a shadow of its former self. Additionally on complaining about short measures and large foamy heads on the beer, it was due to the GAS! Would someone like to explain why gas is required for handpulled natural beer? Rating substantially reduced. Real shame. 14 December 2008 I confess to being a little confused by some of the reviews below. I've known The Ram for a fair few years and apart from occasional slow service I've never had any problems. My visits do tend to be lunchtime or early evenings so perhaps things change later on, who knows? Anyway, I post as I find. Enter to a squarish room, bar to one side, the seating is a mix of wooden settles and chairs to the tables around the walls, there is a central raised shelf/table with stools. A single Chesterfield sits rather oddly in the front corner nearest the bar. Through to a narrow drinking area with seating along one wall, the long covered garden is beyond and runs down to the Thames. Wooden floors and stained wood panelling make for a fairly dark environment, the area in front of the bar has black and white mosaic tiles. A real fire burns in the grate. Two large plasmas, one on yesterday showing Sky Sports news with the football scores updating, volume at a very low level. Seven on with a bit of a seasonal flavour; Pride, Youngs Bitter, Bateman's Rosey Nosey, Mauldon's Midwinter Gold, Wychwood Winters Troll, Hydes Rockin Robin and Theakston Old Peculiar. No problems at all with the two tried (Gold and RR).

I paid my first visit to this pub since it was taken over by Greene King. I was pleasantly surprised by the ale choice, and I think this largely sets it apart from most other GK pubs. The six real ales on were: GKIPA and Abbot (of course); Royal London; Beer Toons Indulgence (?); Brewsters Red Hop Lover; Old Hooky; and Slater’s Top Totty. I had the Top Totty, which was OK, at a little over £3 a pint. This pub is right on the river a stone’s throw from Kingston Bridge, with a narrow outside drinking area with a decent view over the river. Inside it’s a low-beamed single room pub, though it has clearly been extended into the smallish conservatory area at some stage. Just about every type of furnishing is represented – sofas; settles; chunky high tables/stools; normal tables and chairs. There was the usual piped music, a one armed bandit, ciggy machine, a quiz machine, TV with Sky Sports muted – but I didn’t see a cash machine. There was a fire on the go, which looked good. This remains one of the better pubs in Kingston in my opinion, and the real ale choice puts it a notch above the average as well. Definitely worth dropping in for a pint if you’re in Kingston.