The Dove

Claiming to have the smallest bar in England, & possessing an upstairs room in which poet James Thomson wrote the words to Rule, Britannia!, this 17th-century riverside jewel comes soaked in history. The Dove is perched at the edge of the Thames in a charming stretch of Hammersmith. Its low-beamed interior is surprisingly spacious, & is augmented by a much fought-after waterside terrace. Well-kept Fuller’s ales are the drinks of choice, while food consists of hearty, upmarket pub grub: potted Gressingham duck with pickles, for instance, followed by a main course of wild salmon with herb mayonnaise, then banoffee cheesecake or summer pudding. Prices are moderate & service perfectly polite, but bear in mind the pub has a strict no under-18s policy, & there’s no disabled access to the toilets.