Shoulder out and tucked away; just shy of Shepherds Bush Green can be found The Raving Buddha. What was once an unassuming C19th. pub is now a bar and music venue by night. Alchemically, transforming itself, by day from a relaxed and laid back pub, to a dark destination at dusk.
I visited the Raving Buddha earlier this summer with a group of friends where I spent a pleasant and surreal evening.
I didn’t exactly know what to expect. Nothing could have prepared me for what all I can describe as, well, a rather odd phenonema. Perhaps it was, after all, just channelling its’ inner-Tardis. As daylight faded, the bar seemingly and mysteriously appeared to grow to staggering and cavernous proprtions, despite incoming customers. Yet, earlier in the evening and with fewer people, the space whispered "cozy"softly in my ear. Possibly, that night, there was a cosmic hole in a bucket.
However, it appeared airy and open. Three large and rather ‘overly’ comfy sofas fenced me in at knee hieght and were hideously reluctant to relinquish thier embrace. Low tables line the walls.
A shame, that the sofas were covered in an unusually clammy plastic. I sat down between dances only to, on rising, experience a velcro-like parting of leg and plastic, giving the backs of my calves a kind of demi-leg wax as I extricated myself away. Most people took to the dance area by 10 and were still dancing as we left after midnight.
The crowd that night were really friendly and relaxed and a mixture of all ages and nationalities. Although, one man, standing at the bar annoyingly spent much of the evening winking at women at the breakneck speed of a pulsar. Take note, not attractive!
It seemed to cater for everyone and I would definatley reccomend a visit. The added bonus is that, not only is it really easy to access by public transport, but, great if you want to drive, as there are plenty of parking spots nearby.

been in here on 3 or more occasions, when its quiet it can be friendly, on fri/sat nights it is full of people from council estates staring at each other going back and forth to the toilet to powder their noses !

I went to Raving Buddha on a Monday evening so it's a given that there were only a couple of people in the place. It's just another English pub that tries so be a pub by day, club by night but I don't know what the atmosphere is like during the weekend.

The reason for the two stars is that it is so obvious that the pizza they sell can be bought at a supermarket such as Iceland in their frozen section and they charge £5.95 for the vile frozen pizza they sell. I was disgusted with it.

On the other hand the house red wine isn't too bad.

I'm not someone who would normally go to this type of bar but for a quiet afternoon / early evening pint it's great. They've pulled off a brilliant trick of being a friendly local pub during the day and a dance club venue at night.

Basically if you like being socialable whatever your tastes there's something for you here!

Been to Raving Buddha a few times already, and personally think they are serving up the hottest parties in the area. Just what Shepard's Bush needed.

New pub opened near me so went to check it out. Its dark, for some reason its painted black which makes it quite miserable inside. Went for a few drinks just before Christmas as its by the tube station, it was pricey and not much choice behind the bar unfortunately. Maybe it will improve with time.