Asparagus, Battersea High Street, SW11

This Wetherspoons pub, situated in former retail units on a busy street corner, takes its unusual name from the market garden industry that once thrived in Battersea, with asparagus grown here being sold in so called 'Battersea Bundles' in Covent Garden Market. The pub feels surprisingly compact, despite being set in a large rectangular room with the servery running along the back wall. Perhaps it is due to the inclusion of numerous, rails, pillars and banisters which help to break up the vast amount of seating spread out across the room, giving the feel of various different seating areas. In addition to all the standard tables and chairs, there is a nice curved banquette with a filigreed back piece to the left of the front door. Arguably the pub's nicest feature is the long rows of windows on two sides with modest stained glass inserts which allow plenty of light in and looked great on a bright sunny afternoon. The rest of the room has several mirrors, 'Spoons information boards, mute TV screens showing news channels and limited wood panelling, plus a few stained glass panes on the dividing rails previously mentioned. The customer base looked pretty decrepit and unhealthy, so perhaps all the light coming through the windows isn't such a good thing. I counted twelve hand pumps on the bar, offering a disappointing six 'Spoons regular ales (some doubled up), two guests and three ciders, plus one 'Coming Soon' clip. I tried an American guest ale from the Devil's Backbone Brewery called Independence Day, which was pretty good and served up by a barman whose multi-tasking skills allowed him to deal with me without breaking from the phone conversation he was simultaneously undertaking. I quite liked the feel of this 'Spoons, as I thought it had more of a former pub look to it compared to some of their other shop conversions. It certainly doesn't set the pulse racing, the guest ale range could do with some expansion and there's not a great deal here that you won't have seen before, but it's a solid option in this part of town and I'd have no problem returning.

Not a very inspiring pub and not much in the way of guest ales. The only good thing about it was the barmaid was very pleasant.

This is the first pub I've been to with this daft name, and will probably be the last! It's a typical low ceilinged corner conversion of something or other. Apparently there is a garden that I failed to spot. There are twelve pumps but they are not really put to very good use. Remarkably the Ruddles was available soon as were four of the eight festival beers. One of the remaining three was unused then there was Abbot and Old Rosie Cider. I went for the Banks's Harpoon IPA (£2.29) which was in good nick. It's a typical Spoons, not worth going out of your way to visit but not one to avoid.

Other than cheap beer and the beer fest not much to mention.Beers in good nick but not a pub I would return to.

Large rectangular bar with a low ceiling. Usual 'spoons furniture and decor, with some full-height windows offering a welcome breeze (albeit with plenty of traffic noise and fumes) on a hot summer day. Patio beer garden to one side. Reasonable selection from 12 hp, Salopian Lemon Dream (£1.99). (NB - Review dates from August 2012.)

This is a typical ‘spoons with typical patrons, and typical ale selection and prices (although this one, with festival ales at £2.25 a pint, is a little more expensive than others I’ve been in recently). It occupies a prominent corner site at the busy junction between Falcon Rd and Battersea Park Rd. It looks like a shop(s) conversion to me. There just isn’t anything to distinguish this from a hundred other Wetherspoons pubs, though I have to say that I’ve been in many better, and several worse, ‘spoons pubs, and it’s OK for a pint if you’re passing.