Ahh lazy Sundays. Aren’t they great? And now they’re even better in West London. In the past we used to have to go half way across town to find a decent brew pub, but no more. Acton has not one, but TWO excellent brew pubs and on Sunday we decided to hit them both up.
Our first stop was the Aeronaut; a pub I had heard much about, but never had the opportunity to go to. Part pub, part brewery and part, er, circus, it’s such a fun addition to Acton (which, let’s face it, can seem a little drab at times).
The microbrewery is set up behind the bar, providing an excellent talking point. Can anyone tell me what this space used to be? The building is just wonderful.
We headed straight out to the garden which continues the circus theme with its little booths dedicated to different fairground rides. I loved it instantly; the novelty of being tucked away in my little nook, the jazz band in the corner and my pint of freshly brewed beer. Superb.
To start we went for the Acton Blonde (3.8%) and Sorcerer’s Apprentice (5%).
The Blonde was nice and fruity (and a little bit bready?) with a freshness that made it perfect for the heat of the day and a good session ale. If I’m honest I can’t remember what the other one tasted like (it wasn’t mine), but the Drinking Buddy knocked it back without complaint.
Next up was Crazy 8 (5.3%), apparently a Black IPA, but it lacked any kind of punch. Where was my citrus hit? Not terrible, but a recipe that definitely needs tweaking.
After we’d basked in the sunshine for long enough we sauntered down to The Dragonfly at The George and Dragon on the high street. At this point we were totally starving and my previous experience/Twitter research told me that it was worth holding our for their menu.
I’m not sure I have the necessary vocabulary needed to describe the food at The George and Dragon. I’ll just pop some pictures up and let them do them talking for me…
Oh. My. Motherflipping God. THE FOOD IS AMAZING. Drinking buddy plumped for the roast (which was demolished in minutes) and I went for the ‘small plates’ option of deep fried black pudding, scotch egg and onion rings (well I had to get a vegetable in there somewhere), which was so vast I just couldn’t finish.
I was itching to get a pint of Dark Matters (4.3%), a beautifully light bodied stout that delivers big on flavour; all sweet chocolate and lightly roasted coffee. It’s just excellent. However, my plans changed when I spotted their limited edition Saison and I was straight on it! This saison takes you outside and slaps you right in the face with a punch of sourness so sharp I thought I was sucking a tangfastic. At first I thought ‘woah, this is a bit much’, but before you know it that sourness is gone; it doesn’t overpower or linger on your palate at all. I am desperate to return and slurp up the rest of it (considering taking annual leave).
If I have anything vaguely negative to say about The George and Dragon, it’s that it’s a bit dark inside (yes, that’s it). On a lovely day the darkness was a little depressing, but on a cold winter’s day it’s going to be the perfect place to snuggle up, watch the world go by, drink outstanding beer and eat outstanding food.
Two brew pubs. One town. Two completely different experiences. I’m looking forward to seeing what Acton has up its sleeve next.
The Crafty Beeress 