The Abingdon, Kensington, W8

My word, what a dreadful place! No ale at all and two thirds of a lager at £4.75!!! Will never return. Heard people saying the food was superb - it needs to be!!

After the disappointment that was The Princess Victoria, we thought that things couldn't get any worse; how wrong we were. For some deluded reason we actually thought that this was a pub but as mentioned below, it looks a bit cheesy - there is not one molecule of pub left here, save for a sorry Charrington's plaque to the outside wall, Toby jug vandalised and painted over; I can't imagine who might live around here and patronise such a place. The barman was surly and all that he had to offer on tap was Portobello London Pilsener at *£4.75* a half!!! If you can bear to stay, there's a limited bottle selection in the fridge which included Fuller's London Pride. This is a restaurant/cocktail bar, so no, I won't be returning.

Official site of The Abingdon - www.theabingdon.co.uk

Official site of The Abingdon - www.theabingdon.co.uk

Trying to be continental-style bar-cafe, with flamemco background music, fancy light decor and a barman called Luigi. No draught beer, and only stayed for a small bottle of Guinness (outrageously priced at £4.00) from the fridge as it was just about to pour with rain.

On the verge of no longer being a pub, the Abingdon feels more like a cheap and nasty wine bar. It's a corner pub which has been sanitised, decorated like a German brothel and has a clientele base who seem a little other-worldly. The staff also seem slightly bemused as though no-one has told them what to do and resent the intrusion of a paying customer. No real ale - in fact no draft beer at all. Fine if you want an over-priced glass of Liebfraumilch (or something of that genre)but really nothing to attract the beer drinker.

An uber-gastro sort of place which is more of a restaurant/bistro than a bar. There is a bar area with a few stools but there’s no draught beer. There were four bottled lagers available and my Staropramen was£3.30. Nice décor and a laid back atmosphere, bit of a Latino theme to the place.