Now in the very capable hands of the Antic pub group, an operator with notable sites including The Antelope in Tooting and Dogstar in Brixton, The Old Fire Station offers very good value food, a comprehensive range of booze to imbibe and a huge beer hall space for lively nights out.

The Venue
The word ‘hectic’ was made for the stretch outside of Hammersmith tube, a tangle of concrete that leads everywhere and nowhere at rush hour. The Old Fire Station sits on Shepherd’s Bush Road, close to the defunct Hammersmith Palais where the Old Man took his squeeze to see Ray Charles perform on the revolving stage in the 60s. Things have changed considerably since those bygone days; who would have thought the fire station would become a huge beer hall? Keeping some of the original fixtures faithfully in place, you can see visible signs – a fireman’s pole and internal station doors – of its former life, although now it’s very much a bar, which is not a million miles away from Shoreditch’s Bar Music Hall in character.

The Atmosphere
With plenty of media companies in the local vicinity, including Disney and Warner Brothers, you can count on it being busy after work. The venue, although huge in size, is packed out after 5pm, and seats are at a premium even during the week. The atmosphere is lively, filled with conversation and there’s a good percentage of girls to guys.

The Food
Food is decent in terms of quality and very good value – a substantial portion of venison sausage and Colcannon mash (mashed spuds mixed with liberal amounts of ham and cabbage) is eye-wideningly cheap at £6 a pop. The sausies are of decent grade and the gravy is homemade, however each mouthful becomes increasingly difficult as the combo of smoky ham and a loose hand with the salt makes for an overpowering taste, even for salt-lovers. Across the table, a fillet of lightly fried haddock with lemon mash and garlic alioli fares much better and it’s still less than £10.

Sharing platters are in place for party groups, of which there are plenty, with a selection of charcuterie meats going for £3/£6/£12, depending on your appetite. The selection of Spanish meats range from thin salami to chewy silky jambon and they’re served up with crusty bread, tart pickles and piccalilli that’s the weak link as it tastes watery and sour.

Puddings (under £4 each) include the made-on-site ginger cheesecake, which is essentially a vanilla cheesecake with a syrupy ginger sauce dabbed on top. It’s satisfactory but the ginger does clash with the inclusion of an unannounced mint flavour.

The Drink
A long bar serves up plenty of lagers but just one real ale on this occasion – a passable Adnams. The wine list is written on a blackboard at the back of the bar, and also on a separate printed sheet, and it contains a very tasty rioja at just under £20 per bottle. A cocktail list is under construction.

The Last Word
The Old Fire Station is a good choice for after work drinks, especially if you’re after a lively, animated venue close to Hammersmith tube. And with a little fine-tuning, the food has plenty of potential too. Right now, it’s feels a bit like a work in progress.

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