The Willow Walk (JD Wetherspoon), Victoria, SW1

Long narrow open plan spoons handy for Victoria station. Not the most characterful interior but usual deals and selection. Advertising open from 7:00 mon-frid 8:00 sat-sun but don't know what time drink sales start.

Modern Spoons at the base of what looks like an office block. Two entrances either end and the interior is a long, fairly bland, narrowish room but at least it’s decorated in light colours and well-lit unlike others of a similar ilk in the JDW chain. Bursting with punters on my Saturday afternoon stop-off and highly unusually the TV screens were showing the football with the sound turned up. The friendly staff were a definite cut above the usual Wetherspoons standard, the table we bagged was just being vacated by some messy eaters but the female staff member was on it like a flash before we’d even sat down. Usual Spoons beer range with a fair amount of guest ales available and only one ‘coming soon’. I had a good couple of pints. We ordered food which came out pretty quickly (given the busyness of the place) and the friendly staff popped by our table a couple of times to ask if everything was OK with the grub (it was). Close to Victoria station and on the basis of this visit a good bet.

A pretty much uninspiring JDW situated to the left of Victoria station and in my opinion a lesser destination than the one on the concourse. Typical formula of a long dark and dismal room with the bar to one side and entrances each end. As usual with the brand a few bits of local interest stuff are on the walls, there is however a decent looking bit of wood panelling in the Wilton Rd end front corner which may belong to a previous incarnation, of which I know nothing. Refreshingly for a 'spoons the guest ales are listed on a chalkboard with ABV and prices, central London prices apply. My Burton Bridge Golden Delicious was at best passable. It was very busy on Saturday afternoon, well populated by Wigan Athletic fans en-route to Wembley but a strange choice of route it must be said.

This pub is handily placed opposite the Wilton Rd entrance to Victoria Station, and for that reason it’s a good thing. But otherwise it’s a standard ‘spoons drinking barn – characterless and functional, doing what it’s supposed to in providing cheap nosh and drink (guest ales were £2.85 a pint) to travellers using Victoria Station, plus the odd office worker. But when I was in there was also a large hen party getting some carbs inside them in preparation for the rigours of the evening ahead. It’s certainly not a destination pub, but as agood as the average ‘spoons.

This pub's greatest asset is its location opposite Victoria train station, but despite a number of less than impressive quick stop-offs here in the past, a recent visit saw this potential backed up by 12 operational hand pumps offering a selection of Wetherspoons festival ales and ciders, plus a few familiar regulars. I sampled four of the festival ales and found them to be in good shape, which is consistent with the pub's inclusion in the last three editions of the Good Beer Guide. A pint was £2.35, which despite being slightly higher than in most pubs in this chain, is still good value. The interior is 'Spoons by numbers, with a large amount of seating crammed into the narrow room in order to provide an element of comfort to the high volume of customers that pass though here every day. Staff were quick, despite the crowds at the bar and were, with one exception, very friendly as well. The pub is now back on my radar as a place worth stopping off at when passing through Victoria, but, as others have mentioned below, I'm not sure I'd want to spend an evening here.