The Railhouse, Raynes Park, SW20

I paid my first visit today since this place's renaissance as the Railhouse. The new signage looks cheap and unimaginative, and without a pub sign. But it's difficult to do much with a building that's now been converted into a solid block of concrete without any attractive architectural features that I could discern. Functionality would be the main concern here I suppose. A Wandle clipped handpump posed enticingly on the counter - but the barmaid informed me it was off. A bottle of Camden Hells lager it was then - a glass was provided on request. The Wandle clip remained unreversed during my stay here. On asking when it might be on again I was told - "maybe sometime this week - I don't understand this real ale stuff". Not very encouraging. As to the pub, they've still got the scrubbed solid tables, but now they're accompanied by those uncomfortable re-cycled kindergarten style chairs. But in reality these pseudo-chic pretentions are just that - at heart it's still the down at heel boozer it's always been. I suppose if you're in Raynes Park and desperate for a pint if you can't make it to the Edward Rayne around the corner, or have an aversion to 'spoons, this place would do the trick if you're lucky enough to hit when chance has it that the Wandle is on.

Radically transformed to a stripped out gastro joint, carefully co-ordinated grey and cream colour scheme, large lampshades, wood floors and small tables set mostly for eating. A few trendy B&W photos of the area and for some reason Raynes Pk station. The bar area is small but there is a large coffee machine adjacent. However, its still here and it serves a beer, Sambrooks Wandle so that to me is a plus.

This old pub has recently been totally refurbished and re-named as “Rock”. All the banquettes have been removed, and furnishings now are just hard wooden chairs and plain tables. The bar counter has been drastically truncated, and is now a very small affair, suggesting to me that drinking at the bar isn’t what this place is about, although a couple of blokes were doing just that late in the evening. Earlier in the evening all but a couple of tables were laid for diners, although when we dropped in at about 10.30 PM there was no problem sitting wherever we wanted. The decor is typically minimalist, with just one or two black and white photographs of the Raynes Park area on the walls. On the plus side, they have introduced a real ale (Sambrook’s Wandle, at £3 a pint as I recall), which the old Junction Tavern didn’t do. Interestingly there was a large advert for the Batterseas Beer Festival on a door behind the bar, and when we revealed ourselves to be real ale buffs by ordering a couple of pints of Wandle we were given flyers for said festival. It’s now an out and out gastropub, but you can now get a decent pint, although it’s not really the sort of place where I am likely to drop in for another pint.