Browns Victoria, Victoria, SW1

Well described below, Browns is a characterless pseudo-winebar with a restaurant upstairs. No real ale – although Meantime IPA was available from keg - incredibly slow service from the arrogant foreign staff and a general air of unfriendliness make it a place to avoid.

Noting good about this place. Guinness was acceptable. Large restaurant upstairs.

M&B make something of a thing about Browns being in significant landmark buildings. Whoever decided that Portland House, famed as the former headquarters of Blue Circle cement, should be bestowed with such an honour was clearly having an off day. Apart from rebranding things would appear to have changed little since Roger wrote his account six years ago. If you go after work the place is crowded out with loud, braying blokes in suits from the offices upstairs whose awful racket is even then overpowered by the loud music. If you can get to the bar you have to brace yourself for a shouted conversation with someone for whom English is not their first language; nor indeed their second. Oh there is one improvement, such as it is. There is now a handpump with a Pride clip on it, next to another one without any clip at all on it. I judged it to be too risky, and lacking the emotional energy that would have to be mustered if it needed sending back stuck to Wifebeater, a snip at £4.70 a pint. I know it's Victoria, an area not known for the quality of its pubs, but you can do better than this.

Official page of Browns in Victoria - browns-restaurants.co.uk