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Detail Pages
The Bollo House, W4
W4
W4 5LR
Pub Type
Metropolitan Pub Co (Greene King)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Bollo House
Dating from 1880, this was originally the Railway Tavern, the origins of the current name – Bollo House – dating from 2001, shortened to the Bollo in 2005.
There’s some attractive exterior green tiling, but once inside there’s less titivation; I missed the admittedly very attractive lantern. Otherwise, there’s a modern boarded floor and three-quarter height natural wood panelling topped with dark grey paint, then a mid-grey colour scheme, with a white Anaglypta ceiling. The bar back is a mix of pale wood and bare brick painted pale grey, furniture being mixed conventional, though there’s a substantial gulf between the tables to the periphery and bar, resulting in a yawning no man’s land, though the website shows that once there was furniture here. Tables to the rear are laid for dining (yet not a single diner) and lighting is conventional, whilst décor comprised just a few framed prints; a trip to the bog revealed very swanky lavs. Aside from myself, there were just four other customers, one woman fawning over a dog and making baby voices at it; all other five pubs visited were doing a roaring trade, yet this was ghostly by comparison.
A trio of ales: Twickenham Strange Brew, Sambrook’s Wandle and Junction, price forgotten and lacking in condition, served by an antipodean barman who was similarly lacking in condition, judging by his communication skills.
This place isn’t bad as such, but it’s deathly dull; the lack of mid floor seating makes the place look a bit windswept and clinical; the Swan is a similar distance from the Tube in the other direction and offers considerably more.
On 16th November 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Bollo
Probably once a decent back street local, this place has seemingly decided to go upmarket, certainly on the food front. Options included roast lamb chump, something called champ, wilted spinach and rosemary jus for a mere £17.50 or roast atlantic cod fillet, pink fir potatoes, spinach, chorizo and aoli, £16.. The lack of pie chips, peas and gravy was a bit of an issue.
As a pub however it wasn't that bad, if a bit poncy, an L-shaped room with a polished boarded floor, candles on the tables, a nice fireplace and a domed rooflight. Some exposed brickwork behind the bar, friendly service and the presence of a shelf of games softened the gastro feel a bit.
Four real ales on, Ascot Winter Reserve, Sharp's Cornish Coaster, GK IPA and Suffolk Brewery Porter.
I'm happy for pubs like this to go a bit foody providing it is not to the detriment of the drinker if that is what they need to keep going. They actually manage this well here, I liked it, felt comfortable but probably will not eat here unless they get some pies and gravy in.
On 3rd January 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Bollo
This is a late Victorian pub originally named the Railway Tavern. There's some lovely original green tiling on the exterior, but little of heritage inside as it's been largely opened up and stripped out over the years. Even though this is still a Greene King pub, the ale choice has taken a massive upturn since the previous reviewers' visits, with GK IPA, Ascot Winter Reserve, Cornish Coaster, and Southwark Porter on, plus a couple more handpumps unclipped.
Food is still clearly a major player, although I didn't sense that those just wanting a drink were out of place here, so in just about every respect it's improved since Steve C's visit back in 2008. I didn't look at the menu, although I believe that one of my companions did, for amusement value obviously as he certainly wasn't planning to eat here as I gather there were no pies, chips, mushy peas and gravy on the menu!
I quite enjoyed my visit here. My two companions and I sat at a standard table with ordinary chairs, and enjoyed a decent pint of real ale. That works for me.
On 3rd January 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bollo
Went at a quiet time in mid/late afternoon so there were no no diners about and thus didn't feel out of place. The tables make it look like a restaurant, but the bar layout does at least make you realise that it still operates as a pub as well. Two Greene King ales on - IPA and LBW - and the outside benches were a pleasant place to spend a little time sitting in the sun.
On 8th September 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Bollo
Is this pub a pub or not?
I would say that a varied selection of premium lagers alongside IPA and Abbott Ale would swing the answer towards it being classed as a pub. The problem arises when you ask yourself whether a pub would have 90% of its tables set out with place mats, cutlery, salt crystals, pepper, vinaigrette and large wine glasses. I think that the Bollo is trying to attract a certain type of clientele and from the sound of the e-mail bookings that they were talking about I think that they maybe doing just that.
I'll grant them the fact that it was during a lunchtime that I visited, but I did feel out of place as I hadn't ordered any food and I don't think that this should be the case in any pub.
On 30th April 2008
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]