Shepherd's Bush pubs

Not reviewed yet.

Want to review it? We had been so desperate to escape from Acton, we hadn't really paid much attention to where we were going. A long walk in the freezing cold past closed pubs and general desolation had broken our spirits. The occassional bus going the other way to Hays Bypass began to look like an increasingly attractive option. So we were overjoyed to finally see a pub that was open and looked to have some kind of atmosphere.

After such a long trek, it should have been easy to fall in love with this pub, in fact any pub. It was warm, it was busy, it served some real ales and it has won an award (Time Out's best gastropub 2008 if you're wondering). The large food guzzling bit of the pub is separate from the drinking area so, unlike some gastropubs, it's possible to have a drink without feeling pressured into buying something to eat. But even so, we managed to spot a few problems. The bar prices are astronomical, with the food prices matching those of expensive restaurants (with a menu containing items that only a restaurant critic would have any inkling what they were). Crisps are available for the credit-squeezed, although they are hidden away, presumably to lull the unsuspecting punter into buying poncily named bar snacks instead.

Then there's the people. You may have heard a little about the looming recession, may even be experiencing it first hand. There's a chill in the air, not just from the Arctic winds blasting through the country. But you'd never have guessed it from visiting the Princess Victoria. Everybody was looking very pleased with themselves, as if they were above all of this doom and gloom. Perhaps they are or perhaps it's just escapism. Perhaps, like us, they were just happy to have found an open pub in this wasteland between Acton and Shepherds Bush. Not reviewed yet.

Want to review it? The pub's shabby entrance, barely noticeable from the other side of the road, is squeezed between a video shop and a kebab shop. It doesn't look to be the sort of place you would want to visit on the off chance. Then again, the same could really be said for the whole of Shepherd's Bush which resembles the aftermath of a peculiar clash of cultures: West Indian, Palestinian and Irish. I had to pluck up plenty of courage before venturing inside. Once over the threshold, the building appears to fan out. A bar zig-zags its way down the left hand side, a pool table occupies space at the far end and a huge screen showing horse racing forms the main focus of attention for the largely Irish crowd. The whole crowd is yelling at the screen willing their horses to win. I picked my way through this tumult and found a space at the bar to order myself a pint. "That'll be 1.20 luv", said the barmaid. My jaw dropped, 1.20 for a pint of beer in London? Unbelieveable. I took my very cheap pint and sat down at a table and began to notice some other features. A door leads out to a small beer garden at the back, which despite the fine weather, was empty. There are numerous pictures of QPR and Wasps which are a constant reminder of the pub's proximity to Loftus Road. This has to be the cheapest pub in London and it wasn't a bad pint either. It does however feel like a scary place if you don't like horse racing and don't happen to be Irish. I'm still alive though and if I fancy a cheap pint in West London I might be back.

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