The Old Bank, Battersea Rise, SW11

Not sure if you can call this a pub anymore, advertising cocktails and food. Didn't go in, but through the door there seemed to be a man who met you when you entered and showed you to a table. Maybe they had booked ahead. Won't leave a rating as didn't go in.

Official site of The Bank - www.oldbanksw11.co.uk

Official site of The Bank - www.oldbanksw11.co.uk

I liked this Fullers pub and have used it a few times.Very busy on my latest Friday night visit.Tried the new unfiltered keg Pride and was impressed.

Funnily enough this is a bank conversion, so obviously it's high ceilinged and has tall windows letting in a fair amount of natural light. Furnishings are a mix of normal tables and chairs, a couple of sofas, but with far too many tall tables and tall stools for my liking. One wall panel on the right bore a display of numerous clocks, while the others have assorted prints. I saw a sign advertising "live music every Fri/Sat - DJ". Maybe a DJ counts as live music around here? Free wi-fi is advertised. There are a few odd things dotted around, such as the bicycle on a ledge above the bar back with a sign beneath it reading "Roger we still have your bike - Tab 31 pending". There are a few seats at the front on the pavement. This looks like a typical Fuller's bank conversion. The ale choice wasn't extensive, with just London Pride and Red Fox (£2.05 a half) on. All the tables had a variety of menus (wine list, specials, breakfast/brunch) tucked inside a variety of containers such as little silver buckets or teapots. The weekly specials included soup with bread for a fiver, and "salmon & chive fish cake with mustard and cream sauce" at £11. I just can't get enthusiastic about this place. It has no pub character - or as much as the more basic 'spoons - and the tall ceilings and bare-boarded floors just intensify the sounds of communication (or crying baby when I was in). I thought it was a bit cold and impersonal. Nonetheless it serves a purpose, and did have a handful or so of customers on Monday afternoon.

The Bank is open plan with a bar on the left hand wall where standard and premium draught products can be purchased. There are also two hand pumps which were drawing Fuller’s London Pride and Wild River during my early Friday evening visit a couple of weeks ago. Gastro food is available and the first dish on the menu was a goat’s cheese, spinach and potato quiche with carrot and nut salad for £9.50. On the right hand wall is a large plasma screen that is surrounded by clocks. I didn’t see any live sport advertised, but there is live music on Friday nights and a DJ on Saturday nights. There was some funky background music playing during my visit. To complement the standard furniture inside there are some covered high tables and stools on the path outside the front of the pub. This place is Fullers attempt at doing a trendy bar and I wasn’t convinced. I thought that the prices were too high and I found the barman slightly irritating. If I order a half pint it is because I only have the time or the money for half a pint. I do not expect to have to repeatedly justify my decision to a frowning barman.