The Paxtons Head, Knightsbridge, SW1

Tris C left this review about The Paxtons Head

A first visit to this grade II-listed pub, on CAMRA’s website for having an interior of Regional Interest, where photos of the spectacular interior can be seen, though not to best effect.
So then, the pub has the heritage value in spades, but that’s the good news. This is now a GK pub with all the predictability that entails, with rather off-putting cooking smells of fried onion rings, ordered from menus on tables. There’s a downstairs bar with pool table which is advertised as a function room, but its lavs are shared with drinkers upstairs. There was sport on at least two TVs but the problem here is that lighting is low and with all the mirrors and reflective glass, it may as well be 1,000 TVs; it’s not at all restful. Customers seem to be tourists; I doubt the resident who bought the neighbouring One Hyde Park flat a few months back for £175m drinks here.
Ales: two pumps offering GK IPA, a reversed clip for Morland’s Copper Ale, Landlord ‘coming soon’ and two novelty ciders, Lilley’s Pineapple or Peach; a Guinness set me back £5.55 which is probably not too bad for the area; staff are unsurprisingly a bit uninterested.
This is one to visit for a swift half whilst doing a lap of the impressive bar, before going on to spend quality time in the Grenadier or especially the Nag’s Head.

On 28^th September 2021 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1349 recommendations about 1327 pubs]