The Travellers Tavern, SW1

This traditional pub has been somewhat degraded by Taylor Walker who currently run it. Sited right next to Victoria Coach Station, it attracts an itinerant clientele of the less pleasant kind. It is also very expensive, around 20% more so than other Taylor Walker pubs in the area. The foreign bar staff have a bad attitude, argumentative and unhelpful, and it needed the intervention of the manager, who was actually quite sensible, to resolve the smallest of issues. There were three ales on, I had a pint of the 1730 which, apart from the price, was OK. The clientele and staff attitude put me off so I doubt I'll be travelling back here.

Desperate for a pint of something decent to drink after a couple of hours in the nearby fizz emporium of Rileys Sports Bar, we chose the Travellers Tavern for a few beers as it was the first decent looking pub on the way back to Victoria station from the south side. Well, we won’t be making that mistake again. On the face of it a not too bad formulaic paint by numbers Taylor Walkers boozer well described by previous reviewers. But in reality, due to its location dead opposite the Victoria coach station, this place functions as a canteen for the poor desperate wretches who have just spent the last few hours of their lives on a National express Coach, or about to, who don’t have the strength or inclination to find anywhere else. Therefore it addresses a transient population who will probably never return. Unfortunately they also appear to employ a transient collection of inexperienced bar staff and I witnesses nearly every cardinal sin of pouring a pint, from woefully short pulled pints to leaving part pulled pints in the drip trays when they had got the order wrong and filling them up when the next punter ordered it. So every round request had to be accompanied by “No, I would like fresh ones please and yes I did order a pint so please top those up...” For the record the three available beers on were Hobgoblin, London Pride and TT Golden Best and in fairness the London Pride was a decent pint when we got a proper one. But I don’t know what was coming out of the Timothy Taylor badge pump, but it clearly wasn’t Golden best.. I was is a fairly foul mood after having to drink Budweiser in Riley and The Travellers Tavern just made me worse. Suffice to say Hell will need to freeze over before I return here..

The Travellers Tavern is an L shaped Taylor Walker branded pub that had a handful of people in during my lunchtime visit last Thursday. The furnishings are all dark wood to give a traditional London pub feel and there is a plasma screen at either end of the pub. These were both showing muted rolling news and I didn’t spot any sport advertisements. There was some background music playing which I thought was very loud for the lunch period. Food is available from the ‘Great British Pub Menu’ and the mains start at £7.50. One of the four hand pumps was unused leaving Old Speckled Hen, Hobgoblin and Young’s Gold as the ale options. There is also a standard draught selection alongside Estrella and Stella Black. The barmaid was friendly enough, but the barman seemed to be wandering around the pub looking busy, but not actually doing anything. There was a table full of dirty glasses and plates next to me and he walked past it several times before deciding to clear it. He dumped the dirty plates on the bar where they were still sitting when I left. I could understand if the pub was heaving, but it really wasn’t. If I find myself hankering after the Taylor Walker experience in this part of town again I’ll opt for the Victoria around the corner.

Taylor Walker pub, which is rather larger inside than one might expect from the facade. 'L'-shaped bar with rather sparse and anonymous decor but an open layout with plenty of seating. Four real ales on handpump - Directors, Bombardier, Pride and Youngs Gold (reasonably priced at £2.85, and in good form).