The Courtfield, Earls Court, SW5

A fairly decent selection of ales on – Timothy Taylor Landlord; Old Speckled Hen; Swing Low; Old Peculiar; London Pride and GKIPA. The TT Landlord was OK - £3.10 a pint seems to be the going rate for this area. This is a big chain (Spirit Group) pub with little in the way of character. There are also too many high stools and tables for my liking, and the pop music was being played too loudly. This pub seems to be mainly used as a restaurant, with tourist prices to match. Even with the ale selection, I can't see much reason to return.

This small, rather odd-shaped pub is hidden in the backstreets and is not to be confused with a second C&H a couple of blocks away. The exterior is Mock Tuder with an abundance of flower baskets and a rosy glow emenating from its interesting latticed windows depicting various coats of arms. The interior has quite a bit of character with some elegant cornices but there is little room for seating although there is an upstairs dining room. A good selection of decent quality (Cask Marque accredited) Ales available (Doom Bar, Pride, Adnams Explorer and Landlord on my visit) and very reasonable prices considering the location. An impressive collection of pump clips are neatly arranged around the pub so that they do not look cluttered and the hops around bar frame are a nice touch. Despite the apparent lack of space, they still cram in a basic TV and a couple of Quiz / Fruit Machines. The customer base appeared to be a good mix and everything seemed quite civilised. All in all, a pretty decent little place and one that is worth hunting down.

A large street corner pub opposite Earls Ct station. The ornate gold embossed signage is in contrast to the black painted brickwork. I don't know why pubcos do this, it's not easily reversed once trends change as they surely will. The interior is one large high ceilinged space, the ceiling being dark red and the walls a mix of wood cladding and dark patterned wall paper. It all leads to a fairly gloomy environment despite the lighting from a number of ornate chandeliers. The front area has the bar, mainly wooden floors and a mix of high tables and more traditional seating. Towards the rear the area is carpeted with wood panelling, old photos and banquettes, plus small tables, all a bit crammed in. Six handpumps, 5 on, Pride, Taylor's Landlord, Brains Bitter, Dark and Bread of Heaven. Thwaites Lancaster Bomber was "coming soon". Not a bad spot with well kept beer and a traditional feel, but hey, £3.55 for a pint of Bread of Heaven, that is simply too much.

This is a nice enough pub which had a good ale selection of Adnams, Ruddles, Landlord, 6X, Tetley's Dark Mild and Hopback's Odyssey during my visit. There was also a decent selection of standard and premium products and I found the governor to be polite enough. The décor is quite traditional although I have the feeling that it was not that long ago that it was decorated – or maybe there is a strict cleaning regime. I spotted signs for a dining room upstairs, but I didn't venture to it, but I did notice a large area towards the rear of the pub that looked very comfortable. Maybe this is where the jazz and blues sessions are held on a Sunday afternoon. This is a decent enough pub and worth a visit if passing.