The Old Hat, W13

This pub dates back to the early/mid-18th century, probably rebuilt in the 19th, becoming part of the Tommy Flynn’s oirish chain in 2007, the current name reinstated in 2017 and still retaining a slight whiff of Flynn’s craic. The interior can be seen on Google, but it’s broadly a dark boarded floor, with similarly dark wainscoting or bare brick, some probably genuinely old dark beams and a fair bit of smoky blue paint; Old Hat by name, old hat by nature. Décor amounts to shelves of books, beverage makers’ mirrors or framed pictures from yesteryear. There’s a part covered rear area, but I doubt it’s sufficiently open to allow smoking to take place legally. Furniture features some booth seating, then traditional furniture, with illumination coming from slightly anachronistic industrial lighting, then hanging lamps with shades fashioned from hats. Along with at least one games machine, football played from multiple TVs, with some interest from customers who were a younger bunch, some looking a bit studenty. There were three pumps, sadly all with reversed clips, one of them Landlord, me having to go for a pint of Stella at £4.40, served by a barmaid who clearly didn’t know what ‘A half of…’ meant; I finished only half of it. This isn’t a bad place; if the clips – especially the Landlord – hadn’t been reversed it might just hit the ‘average’ mark, but the lack of cask brings it down.

Official site of The Old Hat - www.theoldhatealing.co.uk

Official site of The Old Hat - www.theoldhatealing.co.uk