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The Dove, Hammersmith, W6
W6
W6 9TA
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Dove
It was busy here on Saturday afternoon and it soon got busier as a fancy dress pub crawl arrived at about the same time as we did. After getting our drinks we went outside to enjoy the view over the Thames. I was stood under the curving, open staircase that leads to the upper level when I was hit on the head by the business end of a vacuum cleaner carried by one of the fancy dressers on his way upstairs - I didn't see what the rest of his costume was, or why he needed to carry an old stand-up vacuum cleaner around with him.
Anyway, it's a pleasure to be able to report that after all that, we had a very pleasant time here at the Dove and the London Pride was in fantastic condition. In fact, if I'd known the result of our game at Loftus Road in advance, I'd have stayed here instead. Is that NBSS 4.5?
Date of visit: 14th September 2019
On 10th October 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3740 recommendations about 3477 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Dove
Nice tradiional pub backing onto the river. Small but nice, but also popular due to the location. Beer is flat in the London style
On 1st July 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Dove
Tucked away down a small back alley is this lovely old pub with a traditional and fairly unspoilt interior. Layout is three rooms one behind the other, leading out to a small patio garden overlooking the river. The main bar has a tight dark varnish interior, low beams, riverside prints, muted lighting and padded settles – all rather lovely. The two rear rooms are given over to dining so you need to get here at a quiet time I'd you want a seat. Three ales on from Fuller's; Pride (oddly fizzy, NBSS 2.5), Oliver's Island and ESB. Steep prices as to be expected. The iffy beer stops it from getting the top marks it probably would have received otherwise.
On 1st July 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5081 recommendations about 5064 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Dove
We got here first knockings on a Saturday, where the only other customers seemed to be regulars as they knew the barmaid quite well. We took our drinks out on to the balcony to soak up a bit of sun, which was very pleasant and to watch some rowers along the river. I went for the London Pride, which went flat rather quickly, so maybe next time I will bring my own sparkler. It was nice to see the smallest public bar.
On 23rd June 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Dove
A must visit for all you fans of boozers out there. Tucked away on an alley on the Thames Path, its in the Guinness Book of records as having the smallest bar in a pub. This opens out to a slightly bigger restaurant area and then one of the best balcony's over the Thames in London. If you are lucky, you will get onto the elevated section for the best views over Hammersmith Bridge.
As expected for somewhere so close to the source, the Fullers ESB was superb.
Highly recommended.
Some photos at my walking blog - http://mappiman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/200615-river-runs-through-it-part-2.html
On 15th August 2018
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Dove
A well regarded and popular pub with great views over the river, the front entrance is tucked away down a small alleyway, and the back entrance, whilst having great views, is only accessible from the pub, or perhaps by boat!
The front bar is a cosy spot with a low beamed ceiling, a wood strip floor and a brick fireplace. Wood panelling was on the lower part of the walls with sandy colour paintwork up above. The bar counter was an L-shape and also fronted on to a second, extremely small room, so tiny that I should imagine there was even enough room for a table. An oar or two were hung on the walls as well as a few old photographs of the locale. The larger rear room looked to be broadly similar décor wise, although with the large windows to make the most of the views it didn’t have quite the same cosy ambience as the front. I didn’t inspect the menu, but did notice a plate of pretty decent looking sausage rolls on the bar.
Beers on tap were all from the Fuller’s stable with their London Pride, ESB, Oliver’s island and Spring Sprinter. The solitary cider meanwhile was Cornish Orchards. All in all, a cracking little pub well worth making the effort to track down. It’s just a shame that it wasn’t nicer weather or I’d have sat out on the terrace and enjoyed the river views.
On 11th April 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Dove
As described previously The Dove is a historic traditionally laid out pub in a good location, being also on a riverside location there is a certain amount of tourism involved and of course price hiking.
Four beers from Fullers on the rather concealed handpumps were Pride,Red Fox,ESB and Oliver's Island.
It was a pub on my list to tick off for a long time, and it's ok, but having now visited it's not a pub I'd bust a gut to revisit in a hurry.
On 1st October 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Dove
I passed this pub whilst photographing the area a couple of years ago but didn't venture in. I'm a big fan of historic quaint pubs so went for a knees-up with friends the other evening and I'm afraid to say that I wasn't quite so star struck as some other reviewers. An old historic pub yes, with black-painted interior beams which is an affectation. Inside and out, beams should be natural wood. If you want to see how it should be done, have a look at The Feathers in Ludlow. The side bar is indeed tiny and there' a raised rear section - most of the pub - and is more of a modern gastro dining affair with a patio out onto a rather ordinary stretch of the muddy Thames where you can spot the occasional scull, or the annual Oxford v. Cambridge boat race if that's your thing.
Close to Fuller's source it may be but on arriving I didn't spot any ale so I ordered a pint of Fuller's Honey Dew at £5.05 a pint; cold, and tasteless. It was only then that I spotted the ale pumps across the bar in a snug. Four pumps: London Pride and ESB with clips reversed, a blank pump and something else with a clip reversed. So much for 'local' then; no real ale on at 6.30 pm.
I'll certainly come back if in the area only, but I prefer The Blue Anchor along the riverside.
On 22nd April 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Dove
Deservedly famous Fullers pub, with a split-level arrangement of three small seating areas set between the compact bar (with its dark wood panelling) off the rear alleyway and the riverside balcony (offering great views). Four well-kept beers on handpump, with Pride, ESB, Bengal Lancer and Black Cab stout available on our latest visit. Always worth stopping by.
On 12th December 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Dove
Situated down a narrow alleyway on the Thames Path, the Dove is one of the capital’s top riverside pubs. You enter into the oldest part of the pub – a lovely wooden floor bar area with the servery to the right and some banquette and low pew seating to the left. The seating is arranged around a brick fireplace with a nice image of a dove carrying an olive branch carved into Portland stone above. There’s a lot of dark wood in the room, which helps it retain a traditional feel, despite recent alterations and the walls have been decorated with black and white photos of local scenes, including many of the famous Oxford & Cambridge boat race. The pub is generally regarded as one of the best from which to view this race. To the right of the front entrance is a tiny snug with access to the bar which has room for no more than four or so people. The room holds the official record for being the smallest bar in the world. Steps lead up to the mid-section of the building, which was in use as a dining area on my Sunday evening visit. There is a limited amount of seating here, as well as another fireplace and a lot more black and white photos on the walls. Moving further into the pub, there is a descent to a lower level with comfy sofas and similar such seating, which I imagine in the daytime would give wonderful views of the river through the large end windows, but given that it was pitch black outside, I couldn’t really judge for myself. Doors lead out to a riverside patio. The pub has attracted numerous famous visitors over the years ranging from the likes of King Charles II to Ernest Hemmingway and a board in the main bar explains that James Thompson is reputed to have composed ‘Rule Britannia’ in the pub.
There are several hand pumps on the bar, all sited on the corner between the main bar and the snug, so that the pump clips have to be turned at an acute angle to be viewed. As a Fullers pub, there was a good range of their ales available on my visit, comprising London Pride, ESB, Seafarers and new seasonal offering Traitor’s Gate (£3.85). I gave the latter a try and thought it was in good shape and not a bad winter brew.
I enjoyed spending a bit of time in the main bar of this pub, soaking up the atmosphere and drinking a well kept pint. And I could just as easily imagine enjoying a summer visit to sit out on the patio and admire the view. As riverside pubs go, this one strikes the right balance between tourist destination and traditional pub.
On 15th January 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]