Abercorn Arms, Teddington

Occupying a corner plot on a Teddington side street, a short distance from the town centre, the Abercorn Arms is now run by the Big Smoke chain of pubs. You enter into a fairly large room with a smaller section up a step off to the side where the toilets and some board games could be found. The bar is at the rear of this room and there is a large selection of craft beers in this room. Cask ales are around the other side of the bar in a slightly smaller room where one woman was working from the pub in her laptop and a family were finishing off their lunch. To the rear is a fairly large outdoor area, but this wasn't the weather for outdoor drinking. Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter & Big Smoke Solaris are the regular beers. In addition, there was Big Smoke Cosmic Dawn, Moor Stout & Oakham Citra. A cider on handpull was Seacider White Peach. A CAMRA discount is offered on the cask ale (and I believe the cider). A list of craft beers was to the side of the rear bar, but this was out of date. The selection was in fact Beavertown Neck Oil, Big Smoke Cold Spark & Electric Eye, Verdant Sundialer, Siren Slam Duck & IPA For Days & Jawbone Handle With Flare. I ordered a mix of cask and keg beers and all were fine. However my drinking colleague ordered a cask beer that was clearly on the turn. After much deliberation, he returned it to the bar. The cheerful barmaid tipped a little into a fresh glass, tried it for herself and agreed that it was sub-standard. It was happily changed for a different beer. Background music was playing, but this was far from intrusive. I would say that this is one of the better pubs in the Big Smoke chain.

This is a decent, two-bar boozer in the back streets of Teddington, which has been given a modern makeover by the Big Smoke Brewery. A corner entrance takes you into the right-hand bar - a good space with the servery to the left and a split-level seating area over to the right, offering a mix of button backed banquettes and regular tables and chairs. There are smart floorboards throughout, some nice traditional wall panels and fancy wallpaper, which combine to good effect to make this a pleasant space to spend some time in. The room extends back beyond the bar, where you can turn left for the other bar - a slightly smaller space with a similar servery and seating options, plus muted lighting, that made it feel a bit warmer and cosier, although the room was empty on my visit. Out the back, there’s a large patio garden with lots of canteen bench, garden furniture and picnic table seating, some of which was sheltered by huge umbrellas. There is plenty of greenery out here in planters and well-kept flower beds, whilst the walls have chalk artwork on them, providing some nice visual distraction. An exotic tropicalia soundtrack was playing in the background, which was an appropriate backing to a balmy summer evening. As with most Big Smoke pubs, the cask range was pretty extensive, with options comprising Big Smoke Solaris and Cosmic Dawn, Harvey's Sussex Best. Signal Absolutely Fuggled, Oakham Inferno and Three Blind Mice Simply Beans. I took a pint of the inferno, which was in good nick - not always a given in Big Smoke venues - and was served by a friendly barman who was very patient dealing with a complex order from a group that arrived after me. I’ve had mixed experiences with Big Smoke pubs in the past - sometimes I love them and other times everything seems to conspire to go wrong - but this was definitely in the ‘good’ camp and I came away very impressed. I liked the smart decor which still retains enough of a traditional two bar layout to appease the traditionalists and served up some good quality beer too. Well worth checking out and a good double header with the nearby Masons Arms.

Big Smoke brewery have done a good refurb on this pub and its now a modern smart place..Good beer garden to rear.6 cask beers and a dozen kegs mostly from BS but enough guest beers to keep me happy.Friendly barman.

Official site of Abercorn Arms - www.theabercornarms.co.uk

Official site of Abercorn Arms - www.theabercornarms.co.uk

Two room Youngs pub with a sense of faded grandeur but at least not wrecked by the refurb mob. On the right is the lounge - burgundy and purple walls all round with a dark wood bar and some mirrors with dead twig surrounds. Upright piano spotted here. This side leads off to a modern patio garden. There’s a through join at the rear of the centrally-located bar, housing a pool table and ultimately leading to the public bar area, a more sparse room showing the FA Cup final on my visit. Dog friendly. Three pumps with two (only two on a Saturday?) on; Youngs Bitter (good) and Special. Rather got the feeling that this was a great pub 15 years ago but it now feels like a bit of an also-ran (the fate of numerous other Youngs houses in the last few years). Could be better.

Well the refurbishment is complete and I'm pleased to report that this remains a traditional proper pub, although there are a few modern twists. The pub retains a two room format, served by the central bar, the lounge bar is comfortable, carpeted with a slightly raised area to one side, then narrowing towards the rear where there is access to the beer garden. Separately accessed but there is an internal connecting door. Mostly traditional seating but with the odd high table, a few fancy lampshades with a retro 60's feel, old local prints on the walls, a map of the area, flowers in small vases. The public bar has the TV, and also pool, darts and a rarely seen these days pinball table. The mirrors in here have not exactly twigs, more branches wrapped around them! It's a Young's pub, so there was Ordinary Bitter and Special plus Sharp's Doom Bar, and also St Austell Tribute. The very friendly barmaid was helpful in advising us that the Tribute was also available as the pump was out of sight in the other room. A good honest local pub worthy of a visit and a good double header with the nearby Mason's Arms.