Last night, a colleague and I found ourselves in Hammersmith. I searched online, and found this gem of a pub (when I say 'found', it took some looking - the postcode given on the other listing for this pub here is incorrect - it's much further down Greyhound Road than Googlemaps would have you believe - the actual postcode is W14 9SD).
It was worth the search. Not exciting from the outside, once you step inside you enter a lost world. You'll see lots of intricately carved dark wood, an open fire (though gas), and a small bar with a couple of snug(ish) rooms to either side.
The welcome is unparalleled - the Landlord (Jon) is truly an old school landlord - welcoming and jovial. The ale (my companion and I had Doom Bar - expensive at £3.40 a pint, less so when aforementioned landlord buys you a pint) is well kept and served in jugs (they have both dimpled and non-dimpled glasses). The beer tasted fresh and was served, as is right and proper, at just below room temperature.
There is, apparently, an outdoor area at the back, but probably due to the frigid conditions, this was shut during our visit. Though the pub itself was cosy and warm (the gas fire undoubtedly contributing to this - they also have another fireplace which looks to now be decorative), though the ladies' room was rather chillsome (though very clean).
The landlord challenged us to find the television on which they apparently show major sporting events - we were flummoxed. There is, however, a flat screen above the fireplace - utterly unobstrusive, as they only turn it on for said events - you won't find a rolling Sky Sports newsfeed here. Nor will you find loud music (in fact, there was no music playing during our visit) nor fruit machines. That is most welcome these days.
The pub is not large, and can get quite busy - when we arrived, nearly every seat was taken, and getting from one of the snug rooms to the loos can involve a bit of a slalom. But those little niggles aside, I can truly recommend this pub - it is worth seeking out. I hope to visit again when I'm in the area. read more