Heading to Gloucester Road and thirsty? Stanhope is right outside the tube station. Good for a quick pint and for a deserved afternoon's rest, it can get claustrophobic and slightly unpleasant at night - don’t linger.

The Venue
This ground floor, medium-sized venue wraps around a central bar and is furnished with dark, tall tables and high chairs, mixing together modern and old-time accents like pretty hanging lamps. The seating area, fairly cramped at night, gets slightly claustrophobic: Stanhope is indeed best enjoyed as a quiet lunch venue rather than as an evening drinking hole.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Stanhope is quite contained. The pub’s policy is to accept over 21s only, but in reality there is no need for this, since the clientele mostly comprises couples, groups and individuals in their forties. The huge screen often monopolises everyone’s attention. The ambiance is far from sparkling or exciting.

The Food
Reinforcing the idea that Stanhope is more pleasant when semi-deserted, the pub has a good breakfast menu, served between 10am-12pm: rightfully priced at £2-£5, the selection includes a great full English vegetarian breakfast.

You can also choose between starters (£3.75-£4.75), sharers (£3.75-£9), meaty burgers (£7-£8.25), jackets (£4.75-£5.50) and mains (£6-£9): pub grub like sausage of the day, mash and roasted red onion gravy dominate but there are alternatives like spinach and ricotta cannelloni with garlic bread.

For lighter options, choose the sandwiches (£4.25-£5), offering a good bread choice and drinking munchies, including an interesting antipasti platter of dry cured meats, olives, bread and dressing. All in all, the choice is reasonable and so are the prices.

The Drink
This is a regular pub with regular drinks, Stanhope still provides a few not-so-common beers like Becks Vier, Hoegaarden, Staropramen, Stella, 1664, Old Speckled Hen and Green King IPA. Pints are affordably cheap in the £2.60-£3.20 range and so are bottles at £3-£3.50.

Other added bonuses are Eliot’s spiced mulled wine on tap during the winter months and an affordable and comprehensive list of wine, with bottles all priced below £22. The two dozen wines on offer, all pertinently described and grouped in categories for an easier choice, are representative of the best choice at cheapest prices of new and old world.

The Last Word
Stanhope is a pretty average pub with no real point of distinction from the many others around town. However, thanks to its location, it is a good meeting point in South Kensington.

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