THE WESTBURY

If Louis IV rose from the dead and felt like a quick half in North West London, perhaps he’d head down here to shake it with Kilburn’s bright young things. The words ‘baroque’ and ‘rococo’ immediately spring to mind when faced with the Westbury’s extravagant décor, with a good dose of nineteenth century gentleman’s smoking club thrown in for good measure. Large gold framed mirrors and gilt framed portraits of lords and ladies plaster the walls (is that Shakespeare in the corner? Marie Antoinette above the bar?), enormous chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and animal heads stare out from heavily patterned wallpaper borders. The ubiquitous pub leather sofas are here but
they look like they belong in a country squire’s study rather than a Portobello junk shop.

Pool features strongly on the menu here: there are four American pool tables available for rent by the hour (even they haven’t escaped the extravagant touch – the table lights are upholstered and black tasselled) in both the main bar and in the dark little priory room at the back, which has its own bar as is available for private hire. There’s space for a DJ with a small dance floor in front, and entertainment ranges from live hip-hop and reggae nights to seventies and eighties cheese.

Drinks don’t match up to the extravagance of the décor, but there are a few good wines and cocktails on offer as well as standard larger on top. A menu of good value, no-nonsense food (there are 12 varieties of burger from satay to Mexican) counteracts the over-the-top décor nicely.