I came to the Hoop and Grapes late on a Tuesday evening, the week before Christmas, hoping to get food more than anything else.

The pub was busy, but in a good way. It felt lively without being uncomfortable. We quickly realised we would not get a table in the main bar area, but luckily there is a separate dining room at the back with a few spare tables.

I am not usually a fan of dedicated dining areas in pubs, but I also understand that they are often what keeps places like this going. In this case, it was easy to forgive.

I found myself locked out one afternoon, so the only option was to head to The Pavilion and wait it out.

The pub is surprisingly spacious for a London venue, with a decent semi-covered garden out the back. Inside, there are screens for watching sports, which makes it clear this is a QPR pub. I imagine matchdays see the occasional crowd of fans, which would lift the atmosphere, as it was a bit quiet during my visit.