The Victoria Inn
Classic pub with a hideaway garden and TV sports, offering microbrewery beers and bar snacks.
About
Just what London needs - another pub named after Queen Victoria. The Victoria Inn in London's Richmond area initially struck me as yet another generic watering hole trading on royal nostalgia. You know the type: dusty portraits, faded carpets, and a clientele who remember when a pint cost less than a tube fare.
But damn it all if this place hasn't wormed its way into my cynical heart like a particularly persistent earworm.
First, let's address the elephant in the room - The Victoria Inn is small. Tiny, even. In a city where many pubs seem determined to expand until they're practically shopping malls with beer taps, this place has maintained an almost defiant commitment to coziness. It's like someone took a traditional London pub and hit it with a shrink ray, yet somehow made it work.
The bar staff deserves special mention, if only because they've managed to accomplish something I thought impossible in modern London - actual personality. Not the forced, corporate-mandated "personality" that comes with a name tag and a script, but genuine warmth and wit. The kind that makes you wonder if you've stumbled into some sort of hospitality twilight zone where people actually enjoy their jobs.
The beer selection, while not encyclopedic, is thoughtfully curated. They've struck that elusive balance between craft beer snobbery and "we've got whatever's cheapest" pragmatism. The prices won't make you weep into your wallet, which in London's current economic climate feels almost revolutionary.
Then there's the courtyard garden. Oh, that courtyard garden. In a city where outdoor space is treated like solid gold, The Victoria Inn has somehow managed to create a little oasis that doesn't feel like you're drinking in a converted parking space. It's small (sensing a theme here?), but well-designed, with enough greenery to make you momentarily forget you're in London. On summer evenings, it's nothing short of magical - though I'm loathe to admit such romantic notions in print.
The clientele is refreshingly mixed, without the usual territorial divisions that plague many London pubs. You'll find locals who've been coming here since before the internet existed chatting with young professionals who just discovered pubs exist outside of Wetherspoons. Dogs are welcome, which adds an element of chaos I grudgingly appreciate.
What's particularly infuriating is how they've managed to maintain that elusive "proper pub" feel while still keeping up with modern necessities. Yes, they take cards (including contactless), but they haven't turned the place into a smartphone-payment-onlyzone that excludes anyone over 50. The decor walks that fine line between "traditional" and "trapped in 1973" - clean and well-maintained without feeling sterile.
Let's talk about those crisps they're oddly proud of. In an era where many pubs think a "bar snack menu" needs to include quinoa, The Victoria Inn knows its lane and stays in it. Their crisp selection is surprisingly extensive and well-chosen. I never thought I'd write a paragraph about potato chips, yet here we are.
For private events, they display a flexibility that's increasingly rare in London's pub scene. They'll work with you without making you feel like you're applying for a mortgage, which in today's hospitality landscape feels almost radical.
Location-wise, The Victoria Inn sits just far enough from Richmond's main tourist traps to maintain its local charm, while still being accessible enough for those willing to venture beyond the obvious choices. It's the kind of place you might walk past without noticing, which is precisely why you should stop and go in.
Look, I didn't want to like The Victoria Inn. London has enough pubs claiming to be "hidden gems" and "local favorites." But sometimes, very occasionally, a place earns those clichés. So fine, you win, Victoria Inn. You're worth the visit. Just don't let it go to your head - we've got standards to maintain here.
Contact Information
Address
78 Hill Rise, Richmond TW10 6UB, UK
London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
Phone
+44 20 8940 2531Website
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