The Raven, Chiswick  

By day, the Raven is a jolly nice old pub - a low-level, rambling sort of place, with a number of small rooms laid-out in a semi-openplan way, furnished with wooden seats and tables (plus the occasional settee) and there's a little yard out the back crammed with more tables and chairs for the smokers. The beer choice is decent, including a few real ales, and the food is simple modern British pub grub. The service is friendly and it all adds up to a pleasant place to enjoy a pint or two over a long lunch - especially with two courses for £10 early in the week. But, as darkness falls, the sleepy daytime atmosphere dissipates and the pub becomes far more boisterous, as the bright young things from hereabouts gather and the (often live) music is cranked up to industrial levels - especially at the weekend. So, if you pardon the mixed-metaphors, here we have a Jekyll and Hyde sort of pub with a bit of a Marmite flavour. If you like the relaxed daytime atmosphere you probably won't appreciate the freneticism of a Friday night and, if you like things lively, you might find daylight hours somewhat enervating. It's an interesting mix that works - as long as you know when to go.

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