The Goldhawk

Goldhawk Road is a street festooned with 'Oirish' craic-dens, Aussie tank-houses and the 'characterful' Shepherd's Bush market; it's an area that posher Shepherds Bush locals would prefer wasn't there. But this pub is safe, with less Setanta and more slouch than boozers nearby. With leopard-skin lampshades, low-slung sofas and stools, bead curtains and the odd fern, it flirts with retro-kitsch but doesn't go the whole way. The porch out front is popular with 'Hoops' on QPR matchdays.To drink, there's jolly good. Kuppers Kölsch, Budvar Dark, London Pride and Deuchars IPA on draught, with thrillers in the chiller including a pair of Erdingers, Chimay and Pacifico Clara - an easy-drinking lager traditionally quaffed by Mexican fishermen. As well as a bountiful back bar and wine list, there are freshly squeezed juices. Regulars include west London's too-cool-for-school crowd: students in Danger Mouse T-shirts, BBC types, the odd Antipodean and, strangely, Stereophonics (leather-clad, tousled barnets and smaller than you'd think). For entertainment there's live music, a cracking quiz, Monopoly, Scrabble, a small terrestrial telly and, best of all, a chalkboard adorned with a 'word of the day'. Food includes olives and dips, calamari, organic burgers and the like. The Sunday roasts have gained a local following. Bar talk covers topics as diverse as The Stereophonics' stature, house prices (obviously), and the nine-month closure of the Central Line tube.

http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/12515.html