The Mitre, North Sheen, Richmond

Off the beaten track but the GBG convinced me to come and visit. The pub is wonderful - freehouse, central island bar, wood burning fire, blood red chesterfields. Very friendly bar staff. Beer was a little disappointing. A tired TT Landlord - which when kept well is my favourite ale. Still - I'd recommend the pub.

This is a pleasant back street boozer in a quiet residential area close to North Sheen station but also easily reached on foot from Richmond. The pub was run by Youngs for many years but now operates as a free house with a focus on good quality beer in a well appointed, recently refurbished setting. There is a decent sized front patio area with several picnic benches leading up to the corner entrance which takes you into a bare boarded room that runs in a full circle around an island servery. A couple of archways either side of the bar suggest a former multiple room layout, with each room presumably served by different sections of the bar, which now runs unbroken along the length of its dark wood panelled counter. Lots of standard chairs and low stools run around three sides of the room, sticking close to the half panelled walls with their grey/cream uppers. The front section felt a little cramped, but it's worth bagging a spot here to admire the leaded windows with their attractive stained glass banding and images of mitres. To the right there is a fireplace decorated with fairy lights and flowers and with a large plain mirror above. You can also see a BBC Radio One 'On Air' sign on the wall here, which must have given a bit of a buzz to the chap sat beneath it playing acoustic tunes on his guitar. Further along there is a huge Old Comber mirror, a few retro music posters, arty shots of deer in Richmond Park and an enormous mirror that pretty much covers the entire rear wall. The decor is similar down the left hand side of the pub and there is an unusual statue in the rear left corner that I couldn't quite fathom out, as well as a dog water station, which was put to good use by several canines including what appeared to be the pub dog. There was a decent crowd in on my early Saturday evening visit, seemingly representing a good cross section of the local population. I'd heard that this pub had a decent ale policy, but i wasn't quite expecting the riches that awaited me. The long row of handpulls offered Brighton Bier No Name Oatmeal Porter, Cloudwater Bitter, Roosters Three French Hens, Ilkley Mary Jane, Tiny Rebel Full Nelson, Thornbridge Kipling and at least one real cider. I think that's an excellent list of breweries represented at the bar and I was able to try what turned out to be my one and only pint of cask Cloudwater - a great pint and kept in fantastic condition. The lady who served me was very friendly and stopped at my table later on to ask if I was enjoying my beer. This is a great little pub that really rewards you for seeking it out. I thought it was a really friendly place with excellent beer and a smart interior that mixed traditional and contemporary elements to good effect. I don't know why Youngs decided to offload this pub, but the present incumbents have shown that with hard work and a bit of imagination, pubs like this can thrive. I wish them all the best and look forward to making a return visit sometime soon.

Official site of The Mitre - www.themitretw9.co.uk

Official site of The Mitre - www.themitretw9.co.uk