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The Royal Horse Guardsman, Brentford

23 Ealing Road
Brentford
TW8 0JU

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Komakino . left this review about The Royal Horse Guardsman

An unusual-looking building inasmuch as it stands out on its corner plot with its two storeys quite differently from anything else around. Also, "McNaboe's" is painted on the Albany Road side fascia. Unashamedly Irish, I walked over the mosaic entrance floor stating "Ashby Ales" into an almost sea of green and white hooped shirts (the Auld Firm Derby had taken place earlier) and two large TV screens showing a Gaelic Football game at Croke Park. As mentioned below, there was a solitary ale - Windsor & Eton Guardsman (£3.90 a pint and decent) and there was some Irish-related paraphernalia inside and out - as well as a semi-lean-to outside which houses a dartboard. A patio garden had a further TV, semi-shielded by a wooden construction which screened a PL match. Friendly service and no stares from the locals which I was expecting but perhaps they were either pleased in the knowledge Celtic had won earlier in the day as well as being too wrapped up in the GAA match. Still, the pleasant barmaid bade me a farewell, so I left happy.

On 14th September 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1074 recommendations about 1074 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Royal Horse Guardsman

They've introduced a regular real ale here in keeping with the pub's name - Windsor & Eton Brewery's Guardsman (£1.90 a half), which seems an inspired choice to me. It was in acceptable condition, although not top notch. I didn't see any sign of of food on our midweek afternoon visit.

This is still very much a locals' pub. The Irish influence is very much in evidence, with Irish accents predominating among the drinkers in there. There were two TVs on, one showing the racing of course and the other (muted) showing a sports channel. The fireplace on the right had a wood fire alight, and on the chimney breast above it was an old black and white photograph of Croke Park from 1938. An interesting internal feature is the old glazed brown tiling up to dado rail level, of the type that is usually seen on the exteriors of pubs. The leaded light glazing is still there, but I missed the glazing bearing the pub's name that is mentioned by previous reviewers. At least I hope I just missed it and it's still there. Even a pub as small as this one would have had at least two rooms in days past (and possibly a jug & bottle bar) judging by the three doors in evidence. There's a surprisingly large garden at the back.
This struck me as a friendly and comfortable pub. I would happily pay a return visit to this one.

On 14th March 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Royal Horse Guardsman

I popped into the Royal Horse Guardsman early on Saturday afternoon and found it to be just as small as I remember. It made me laugh when I saw a Shoot annual from 1999 on the side as this was around the time of my last visit. During my absence this pub has spent some years closed so it was nice to find it open. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that I recognised the Irish governor from the New Inn when I was a regular visitor during Bees home fixtures back in the early nineties.
This is a football pub and a plasma above the real coal fire was showing Spurs v Newcastle and the plasma on the wall by the entrance was showing a muted SPL match. There is another plasma screen at the rear of the beer garden and this was showing the SPL game with sound.
The bar is stocked with standard draught and I only spotted one hand pump that was drawing Courage Best.

This is a friendly enough local's pub that I'd have no problem returning to if local.

On 10th February 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


John Bonser left this review about The Royal Horse Guardsman

Re-opened less than a fortnight ago after a period of closure exceeding three years, The Royal Horse Guardsman is a small single bar street corner pub close to Brentford football ground.
Notably for a newly re-opened pub and contrary to what one might have reasonably expected, on my recent Sunday afternoon visit there was no sandwich board or notice outside advertising the recent re-opening. Were it not for the local CAMRA branch reporting the re-opening, the casual passer by might well conclude that the pub was still closed.
It’s very much a locals pub and, despite only being open for a week or so, most of the regulars pre closure had quickly returned, according to the friendly Irish landlord.
Externally, the pub retains evidence of its former days as a Courage pub and a floor mosaic by the entrance denoting Ashby Ales reflects even earlier ownership.
Inside, the small single bar manages to find room for 3 smallish televisions – one was showing Bolton v Blackburn, one was showing horse racing and the third, behind the bar, was showing Aussie rules football. Horse racing appears to be the favoured sport of the locals and betting slips are available on a shelf for customers to complete before popping across the road to the local Corals. Despite the bare boards, the interior is comfortable , if somewhat devoid of character, although some etched glass windows bearing the pub name add a bit of cosiness. Disappointingly, I didn’t see anything that might have revealed the history of the pub and the background behind its name
I’m probably going to upset someone by saying this, but, in common with most Brentford pubs, there’s a rather working class ambience to the place.
Beers on were Courage Best and Batemans Rosey Nosey, both on reasonable form. However, the pub regulars do not appear to be real ale drinkers and I do wonder whether real ale will continue to be available here in the long term. There’s no food, although free hot roast potatoes on the bar when I visited were a nice touch.
In these days of numerous pub closures and conversions to alternative use, it’s nice to see a pub bucking the trend and re-opening after a long period of closure- and now selling real ale to boot ( which it didn’t previously ) and I wish the pub well. However, there are more established pubs in Brentford selling a wider variety of real ale and, in all honesty, the Royal Horse Guardsman is not presently one of my top recommendations for the first time visitor to Brentford’s pubs.

On 21st December 2010 - rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]