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The Campaign for Real Ale branch for the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and City of Westminster.

News and events update, 21 September 2026

Here's an update on the latest news and information from West London branch of CAMRA.

Branch events

Why not join us on one of our branch socials or meetings? We'd love to see you! Here is a list of our events:  

October 2026

  • Wed 7 (3pm) Wetherspoon beer festival soc: Walham Green, 472 Fulham Rd. SW6 1BY.
    IF YOU THINK you can attend this we would like to let the manager Ryan know numbers, please send confirmation to us through the contact page.
    All 30 beers for the festival are new or have never been on sale at JDW before. These also include 5 International brews from: USA, China, Ukraine, Singapore, Denmark
  • Mon 12th 7pm - North Soho evening social - meet Flying Horse, 6 Oxford Street, W1D 1AN; then Nellie Dean of Soho, 89 Dean St. W1D 3SU; Dog and Duck, 18 Bateman St. W1D 3AJ; George, 1 D’Arblay St. W1F 8DG.
  • Tues 27th afternoon social 2pm Queen's Arms, 30 Queens Gate Mews SW7 5QL

November 2026

  • Wed 11th 7pm Belgravia evening social, meet Horse and Groom, 7 Groom Place SW1X 7BA; then 8pm Grenadier, 18 Wilton Row SW1X 7NR; 9pm Star Tavern, 6 Belgrave Mews West SW1X 8HT.
  • Tues 17th 7pm for 7.30pm branch meeting, Speaker (upstairs), 46 Great Peter Street, SW1P 2HA (first consideration of branch long-list for 2028 Good Beer Guide)
  • Wed 25th 2pm Paddington afternoon social, meet Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, W2 1JQ; 3pm Victoria, 10a Strathearn Place, W2 2NH; 4.30pm Swan, 66 Bayswater Rd. W2 3PH. 
Branch and regional CAMRA news and events
Pub news 

The following represent updates to CAMRA's pub database for our West London patch between 12 July & 13 Sept 2026.

  • EC4
    • OLD BANK OF ENGLAND (McMullen), 194 Fleet Street, EC4A 2LT. Reopened following refurbishment.
  • NW6
    • QUEENS ARMS (Punch), 1 Kilburn High Road, NW6 5SE. No cask beer. Freehold was on the market.
  • SW1
    • 2 BRIDGE PLACE (Hilton), DoubleTree by Hilton 2 Bridge Place, SW1V 1QA. Renamed TERMINUS KITCHEN & BAR.
    • BAY & BRACKET (Stonegate/Whelans), 17-19 Artillery Row, SW1P 1RH. Closed and Boarded Up.
    • COACH HOUSE (Stonegate), 7 Oxenden Street, SW1Y 4EE. CAMRA members now receive 50p off a pint of cask ale for card-carrying CAMRA members instead of the voucher scheme.
    • PRINCE ARTHUR, 11 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8NA. Closed until 25th September 2026.
    • SANCTUARY HOUSE HOTEL (Fuller's), 33 Tothill Street, SW1H 9LA. Now offers a 10% CAMRA membership discount.
  • SW3
    • PHOENIX (Young's), 23 Smith Street, SW3 4EE. Reopened following refurbishment.
  • SW6
    • BROOK HOUSE, 65 New Kings Road, SW6 4SG. No longer sells cask beer.
    • ELEPHANT & BARREL (Redcat/Yellow Panda), 197 Lillie Road, SW6 7LW. Bangalore Fulham Limited have taken on the lease from Yellow Panda.
    • STUBBY'S, 28 Parsons Green Lane, SW6 4HS. A short distance north of Parsons Green tube station, and has a one-shop frontage. Australian beer on tap - the draught range includes Carlton, Pacifico lager, Kona Golden Ale, Crown lager, and Victoria bitter.
  • SW10
    • CHELSEA GATE (Wellington), 358 Fulham Road, SW10 9UU. Reverted to CHELSEA PENSIONER.
  • W1
    • ARBER GARDEN (2-10 Mortimer Street Gp Ltd/Open House London), 1 Pearson Square, W1T 3BF. Reopened as BAR MOTORINO. Seven draught beers are on offer in the bar plus of course the usual range of other drinks. You do not need to eat to have a drink in this bar.
    • BASEMENT SATE, 8 Broadwick Street, W1F 8HN. This is a well-established basement evening cocktail bar below Miznon restaurant, "a proper speakeasy in Soho behind an unmarked red door". Drinks are of course mainly cocktails but include some wines, beers, a cider, and various alcohol-free options including Lucky Saint. There is also a short, seasonal dessert list. Walk-ins welcome but booking recommended Friday & Saturday. "Low ceilings, candlelight, and a soundtrack that lets you actually hear each other"!
    • BEEHIVE (Orchive London Ltd/West London Pub Company), 126 Crawford Street, W1U 6BF. Patrick Frawley, founder of East London Pub Co, secured this premises in 2025 as his first pub for a new venture via the West London Pub Co. Irish themed. Various keg beers are available and there is a Guinness installation. Status of cask ale and food currently unknown.
    • BLIND PIG, 58-59 Poland Street, W1F 7NR. Reopened as KAMARA BAR. This is an evening cocktail bar over the Brother Marcus restaurant in Poland Street. Drinks are mainly cocktails as one might expect, but the menu does include a few beers.
    • BURLINGTON ARMS (Mosaic Pub & Dining), 21 Old Burlington Street, W1S 2JL. Mosaic rebranded as Premium Pubs 1 Ltd
    • COMPTONS OF SOHO (Unilever PLC/Stonegate), 51-53 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HJ. CAMRA members now receive 50p off a pint of cask ale for card-carrying CAMRA members instead of the voucher scheme.
    • DEVONSHIRE ARMS (Heineken/Only Pub Co London), 7 Duke Street, W1U 3EE. Now a Just Add Talent retail agreement pub.
    • DOG & DUCK (M&B/Nicholson's), 18 Bateman Street, W1D 3AJ. Closed temporarily, reopening 17 Sept 2026.
    • FORZA, Unit 1, Basement And Ground Floor, Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, W1D 4AL. Through an archway just off Greek Street, this is an "Italianish" restaurant and wine bar, with two sister venues in central London. Drinks are mainly wines and cocktails but do include a few beers. Forza has a useful large terrace area to one side. Card only, and note that after 9pm Forza must operate as a restaurant with food taken with any drink supplied.
    • GEORGE & DRAGON (H Company 2 Ltd (Jersey)/Ad-hoc Pubco), 151 Cleveland Street, W1T 6QN. No cask beer.
    • GLASSBLOWER (Jada Properties Ltd/Greene King), 42 Glasshouse Street, W1B 5JY. Closed for refurb until early October.
    • KINGS ARMS (Stonegate), 23 Poland Street, W1F 8QJ. CAMRA members now receive 50p off a pint of cask ale for card-carrying CAMRA members instead of the voucher scheme.
    • NQ64 (NQ64), 53-54 Berwick Street, W1F 8SP. Closed at this location and moved to a new site in Manette Street. The Berwick St site is being developed for a spin-off project by the operator.
    • PRINCE REGENT (Howard De Walden Estates Ltd/M&B/Castle), 71 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5JN. Closed for refurb.
    • ST. JAMES TAVERN (Akzo Nobel Cif Nominees Ltd/Stonegate), 45 Great Windmill Street, W1D 7NE. CAMRA members now receive 50p off a pint of cask ale for card-carrying CAMRA members instead of the voucher scheme.
    • WINDSOR CASTLE (Manica Properties), 27-29 Crawford Place, W1H 4LJ. Closed since 2016 planning granted to convert to 17 room hotel.
  • W2
    • BAR & BLOCK (Amwaj Property Ltd/Whitbread), North Wharf Road, W2 1LF. Closed along with all other Whitbread bars.
    • DAR MARRAKESH (individual), 422 Edgware Road, W2 1EG. Now occupied by Arrow Electrical.
    • DUKE OF KENDAL (Abouzaki Holdings Ltd/Connaught Pubs Ltd/independent), 38 Connaught Street, W2 2AF. Closed at the end of June 2026 - future uncertain.
    • GREEN MAN (Macneil Ltd/Bestplace Ltd/PubLove (Stonegate)), 308 Edgware Road, W2 1DY. Closed and for sale or lease via AG&G
    • SWAN (Fuller's), 66 Bayswater Road, W2 3PH. 15% CAMRA discount reinstated.
  • W6
    • BAR & BLOCK (Whitbread), 229-243 Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7AN. Closed along with all other Whitbread bars.
    • BE AT ONE (Broadway Studios Holdings Ltd/Stonegate), 14a The Broadway, Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7AF. Closed September – future uncertain.
    • CARPENTER'S ARMS (The Carpenters Arms Property Company Ltd/Stonegate/Wren Pubs), 91 Black Lion Lane, W6 9BG. Closed. The site has been acquired from Wren Pubs by singer-songwriter James Blunt who also operates the Fox & Pheasant in Chelsea. It is understood that there are plans to rebuild the kitchen and open up the first floor as a dining area. Stated on website to be reopening in summer 2027.
    • DUCHESS (Havenlight Property Investments Ltd/Stonegate/True Pub Holdings), 320 Goldhawk Road, W6 0XF. Closed for extended refurbishment and due to reopen in December as The Queen. No longer leased through Stonegate.
    • HAMMERSMITH RAM (Young's), 81 King Street, W6 9HW. Closed by Young's in July 2026 after a business review. Sold to Hammersmith Realty Ltd. Reported mid-Aug 2026, briefly occupied by squatters, then occupied by a discount store. H&F investigating.
  • W8
    • LACAGE, 201-203 Kensington High Street, W8 6BA. Built as a branch of Woolworth in the 1920s and close to the south end of Holland Park, this is now a Canadian sports bar. In their Montreal site it's the place to watch hockey, here in London most sports will be shown; "giant powerwalls, multiple viewing zones and wall-to-wall sports coverage". It's a large space set across two floors. The food menu has a distinctly French-Canadian flavour but does include Sunday roasts and a kids' menu. Most space is set out for dining, but if you just want to drink and watch sport that's fine: but ONLY within the designated bar area under the terms of the licence. There are multiple keg beers on draught plus of course all the usual other drinks; and the licence allows alcohol sales from 9am every day of the week.
  • W9
    • ASHMORE (Stonegate/Craft Union), 518 Harrow Road, W9 3QA. Closed. Freehold on the market.
    • WARRINGTON HOTEL (Kicking Horse 3 Ltd/Faucet Inn/Ewe Hospitality Ltd), 93 Warrington Crescent, W9 1EH. Freehold purchased by Allsopp Holdings Ltd.
  • W12
    • OAK, 243 Goldhawk Road, W12 8EU. Reopened as BLACK RABBIT self-described as a "restaurant and listening bar", with modern furnishings inside. The drinks list does include a few draught beers. The food menu is Basque and does not include any traditional "pub favourites" such as burgers or fish and chips. Note restricted opening hours.
    • QUEEN ADELAIDE (ex Greene King), 412 Uxbridge Road, W12 0NR. Reopening as TALLI QUEEN in October 2026.
    • SWAKELEY'S (Stonegate/Bush Bars Limited), 174 Goldhawk Road, W12 8HJ. Sold by Stonegate to Goldhawk Bars Ltd.
  • W14
    • BIDDY MULLIGAN'S (Heineken), 43 Blythe Road, W14 0HR. Renamed again, this time to JAMESON.
    • CROWN & SCEPTRE (Heineken), 34 Holland Road, W14 8BA. Apparently closed (again).
  • WC2
    • CATO, 17 Mercer Street, WC2H 9QJ. Cato is in the northern Covent Garden area, on the corner of Mercer St. and Shelton St. It's named after Cato Alexander, a freed slave who ran a famous tavern just north of New York city in the early 1800s; cocktail historians consider him to be America's first celebrity bartender. The venue comprises a 2,200 square-foot, 100-cover space spread across two floors. The ground floor “House of Julep” offer juleps, cocktails on tap and beer. “Lower Cato” features a smaller cocktail menu made exclusively with British spirits and produce. There is a food menu of small dishes.
    • CONDESA, 15 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7NG. This is a smallish venue in the heart of Covent Garden which offers tapas, wines, cocktails, and other drinks including beers. Some outside tables in summer. Note that under the terms of the licence the venue must operate as restaurant after 10pm with patrons consuming alcohol only as ancillary to a meal. Note also that table bookings are kept only for 15 minutes.
    • HALFWAY TO HEAVEN (Crown Estate/Stonegate), 7 Duncannon Street, WC2N 4JF. CAMRA members now receive 50p off a pint of cask ale for card-carrying CAMRA members instead of the voucher scheme.
    • HUNGERFORD HOUSE BAR & KITCHEN (London Underground Ltd/Baby Bull), Hungerford House, Victoria Embankment, WC2N 6PA. Closed – future uncertain.
    • KERRIDGE'S BAR & GRILL, 10 Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5AE. Renamed GEORGIE'S BAR. The previous "Kerridge's Bar and Grill" has been split into two, and the bar section has been renamed Georgie's Bar after chef Tom Kerridge's old boxer dog. The restaurant area is now smaller, with 57 covers. This bar is within the Corinthia Hotel building but has its own entrance and is open from noon to anyone who wishes to have a drink or a snack. Bar food menu includes a cheeseburger with BBQ brisket, shellfish brioche rolls and haddock fritters plus smaller snacks like pork scratchings. There is unreserved seating at the bar. Note that this venue is within a top-end five-star international hotel and prices reflect the service and ambience; and a service charge is added to bills even if you are sitting at the bar. Hours given are for bar and bar food service, the restaurant hours are different. At date of this entry the menus are not yet up on the venue website and ale availability is uncertain. Further updates welcome.
    • SQUARES (National Gallery//Thistle Hotels), Whitcomb Street, WC2H 7HG. Renamed BAR & KITCHEN AT THISTLE TRAFALGAR SQUARE. 
National CAMRA news
  • CAMRA members can now visit CAMRA-run beer festivals for free! (Please note: there may be a requirement to purchase a glass or book in advance at some festivals - check the website for the festival you're planning to visit for details).
  • More national CAMRA news and events can be found in CAMRA's online newspaper What's Brewing available at https://wb.camra.org.uk/.
  • CAMRA also regularly produces a podcast 'Pubs. Pints. People' available at https://camra.org.uk/podcast/.
  • The new CAMRA website https://camra.org.uk/ has been launched. WhatPub and the Good Beer Guide are incorporated in the new website.

For the latest news check out our Facebook page. Also for news from CAMRA across London see London Drinker, and the London CAMRA Facebook page.





West London CAMRA presents the Pub of the Year certificate to The Bear

West London Pub of the Year 2026 announced!

On a bright spring day the West London CAMRA branch met up at The Bear, Paddington to present Jasmine and her all female team with the certificate for Branch Pub of the Year.  We had a good turn out from the branch, as well as CAMRA Regional Director, Ellie Eames, Jon Huddart from the Craft Beer Company, and Vesa, from Finland.

Presentation of runner up certificate to The Lyric

One of the runners-up was The Lyric, Soho, who are now finding room on the walls for their certificate.

The other runner up was The Harp.  A certificate was delivered as well as a certificate for Paul Sims for his services to cask ale. Paul has left the Harp, got married and has moved to Grenada.

Beer scoring and the Good Beer Guide

You are more than likely aware of the ‘Good Beer Guide’, CAMRA’s flagship publication, that lists the best pubs in the UK, but what you may not know is how those pubs are selected. Mainly, it is as a result of beer scores being submitted by CAMRA members from across the country, the unfortunate reality is that those scores are mainly derived from the few branch activists that visit the pubs within their branch.

As a CAMRA member you can send in beer scores to West London or any other local CAMRA branch via the camra.org.uk/pubs website. If you have ever wondered why your favourite pub that sells really good beer, isn’t in the Good Beer Guide then this may well be because it hasn’t had enough visits rating the quality of the beer. Entering the scores doesn’t automatically get your pub into the Good Beer Guide as scoring beers is the first stage of a multi-stage process, but beer scoring on a consistent basis contributes to the process of selection of pubs that go into the Good Beer Guide.

You don’t have to be an ‘expert’ to begin scoring and the process is pretty simple. Please remember though that it is not about your personal favourite beer receiving the highest score, or that the reason that you are doing it is just to get your favourite pub into the Good Beer Guide. You will more than likely try a beer that isn’t to your normal taste but what you need to consider is the quality of the beer. Ask yourself whether the publican has kept it in good condition and how have they served it, and score it in accordance with the scoring system in camra.org.uk/pubs, which is quite simple to use.

In order to submit your scores you need to login to camra.org.uk/pubs which is CAMRA’s online pub guide. The address is www.camra.org.uk/pubs and you can access the website by using your smartphone whilst you are still drinking your pint. The website contains over 31,000 pubs from all over the UK.

Here are the steps to submitting a beer score, or if you prefer you can watch a video taking you through this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSgRLWj7q20.

  1. Login on camra.org.uk/pubs. To do this you will need your CAMRA membership number and your CAMRA password.
  2. Start searching for your pub by name of the pub, the location or nearest tube/rail station. Postcodes and postcode areas eg W14 can also be used, but note that W1, WC2 and SW1 don’t work (you need to use SW1E etc instead). If you’re scoring while in the pub using your smartphone though you can just tap the ‘Nearby pubs’ button.
  3. Locate the 'Beer Score' button.
  4. Enter the date, score, brewery name and the name of the beer as the fields automatically pop up. If the beer that you are drinking is new or a one off by the brewery then you may need to type in the full name.
  5. Click the 'submit' button and your score will be winging its way to the branch’s Pubs Officer.

Another added bonus is the fact that the website will automatically keep a record of all your scores and when you made them so you can look back to see what beers you have had in a particular pub and how you rated them.

In West London branch we have over 700 pubs and clubs listed in camra.org.uk/pubs. As you can imagine it’s quite difficult keeping track of how all of these are doing! Scores submitted by members are hugely valuable in identifying which pubs are consistently serving beer in excellent condition and can be considered for inclusion in the Good Beer Guide. The scores also help us to identify pubs which require further surveys.

We warmly welcome scores from CAMRA members regardless of whether you live locally or have just been to one or two pubs while visiting the area.

Also, if you have any updates of the details in the camra.org.uk/pubs entry for a pub you’ve visited these would also be very helpful! Just click on the ‘Suggest an edit’ button in camra.org.uk/pubs and fill in the form with your updates.

You can learn more about beer scoring on the national CAMRA website at www.camra.org.uk/nbss including details of what the different scores mean and some frequently asked questions.

(This article is adapted from articles by Danny Clark in ‘Draught Copy’ and Sonia James-Henry in ‘Mersey Ale’ CAMRA magazines. Thanks!)

Buy your copy of the Good Beer Guide now

Buy your copy of the Good Beer Guide here