Coopers Arms, Kilburn, NW6

Another pub on the Kilburn High Road with no real ale. This one definitely had more of an "Irish feel" to it. But unlike our first two pubs, it was much busier. TV screens were showing both horse racing and cricket. Track and trace was via a scrap of paper torn from a notebook. The draft selection was Carling, Stella Artois, John Smith's, Guinness, Carlsberg & Fosters. Spitfire was available in bottles. Lively but disappointing.

Date visited: February 2010. Charrington's regalia visible to the windows, this has a traditional interior, probably dating from the inter-war period. TVs switched on showing the horse racing in what is one of Kilburn's famous Irish pubs. It was quiet during my midday visit and I enjoyed a pint of good Guinness and would probably return.

This is still an Irish pub, and and it's quite nice that they've retained the original name without giving it an "Irish" name. Like most Irish pubs, this one is traditionally furnished with banquettes and normal tables and chairs. The carpet is a bit tatty in places, but does the job. There's some nice fielded panelling on the walls, but for me the most impressive feature is the green-banded glazed windows both at the front and the back where the windows border the small garden. Probably originally a Charrington pub then. There's a dartboard at the back. This is most definitely a wet-led drinkers' pub. Although there were more than a dozen or so customers in there it was very quiet - some were on their own nursing a pint, with others engaged in quite conversation. The background music was playing so softly that one had to listen intently to identify the songs being played. Of course there's no real ale - Guinness was £1.90 a half, and I saw no sign of food. This is just the sort of pub that I like; if only they did the sort of ale selection available at the Sir Colin Campbell down the road. But there's no call for it I suppose.

The Coopers Arms does'nt look like a typical London pub. Once inside there is a small single room the bar was on the left side,there was comfy bench seating to the front and right,there was a TV on showing horse racing. There was one unused pump on the bar,the keg bitter was John Smiths smooth crap which lived up to its name. This is quite a comfortable pub,just a shame there were no real ales on. Pub visited 1/5/2014