There's been enough hoo-haa about the new-look Princess Victoria in the 'papers recently that it almost seemed as if this were the first gastropub to open in West London. However, the imposing nature of the property makes some of the fuss understandable. Stranded up in the three-digit realm of the Uxbridge Road, the pub's juxtaposition to the surrounding council blocks means you can't fail to be impressed by it's grandeur. Although once a splendid gin palace, it's actually been a fairly rough Irish pub for as long as memory serves. Of course, what's rarely acknowledged is that this helped the Princess Victoria retain at least some original features. The punters didn't care about the decor, so no-one bothered to rip out the old bar or strip the Victorian mouldings: a salutary lesson to anyone thinking of butchering interesting fittings in the name of progress.

Happily, the canny new owners let the building speak for itself; there's an imposing circular bar, leather bench seating, a nice parquet floor, wood panelling and some lovely skylights, in both the bar and restaurant. Speaking of which, the dining room was considerably more busy than the drinking bit during our Monday visit, but we resisted the interesting bar menu (Butchers brawn terrine - £7.50) and stuck to the well kept ales. There's also an unnecessarily long wine list which would keep any budding vintner happy for months. Overall, it stills feel like a pub here and we thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, so have awarded an appropriately handsome four pint rating.

CLIENTELE: locals
NEAREST STATION: Goldhawk Road station
FEATURES: four real ales, outdoor seating, separate restaurant