The Curtain’s Up at Baron’s Court

Is it wrong to think of bars as friends?

This premise might be a little uncomfortable to read and be revealing a little too much about the nature of the relationship that I have with these establishments. But given that great pubs and bars have a distinct character and form an important part of social life, it’s not too ridiculous notion to put forward. There are places that you got to for a special occasion, there are bars you frequent when you need to impress and there are pubs that you can rely on to be there at the end of a hard day.

Yet like friends, pubs and bars change. They can improve, fall into disrepair or completely change beyond recognition. For every dive that gets a much-needed refurbishment, there’s another pub that undergoes a radical transformation that strips it of all that was interesting about it.

I have lost count of the number of pubs that have become bland and soulless with little to distinguish them from a hotel bar. So when I heard about the acquisition of one of my favourite west London drinking spots by the Geronimo chain, I was worried about what to expect.

The reason is that the pub has a quaint little theatre in its basement, which puts on a variety of quirky shows. The pub itself has a very confident character to it with an outrageously large mirror the size of a Titian canvas hanging from one of the walls. Would it still be the same place or would it have been turned into an identikit boozer to fit in with the rest of London’s many chains?

The answer is that the pub has undergone not much of a transformation and has been mostly the same. It’s painted a little brighter but the new owners have had the good sense to keep the pub as it is. The new menu offers typical pub fare at reasonable prices although it is pleasant to see Eton Mess amongst the desserts.

A master of wine has been brought in to oversee the enlarging of the selection on offer. There is a pretty mild selection but no one has ever gone to a pub for the wine list. It’s about the character and the charm of the place, which I’m pleased to report has been kept intact.

Curtain’s Up
28a Comeragh Road
Baron’s Court
W14 9HR

Tel: 020 73867543