This is my current work local. Walk out of the office and it’s two doors down. In fact the window I sit next to overlooks the beer garden, meaning at 17:30 on a Friday afternoon, I can wait 15 minutes before peeking over to see if anyone interesting is out this week, or if it’s just a crowd of executives trying to put in more ‘face-time’ with the drones – themselves putting on their fake telephone voices, and bringing out their barely used ‘Fit-for-Nan’ vocabulary. Normally however... I’ll pop down come rain or shine (there are heaters and plenty of shelter in the beer garden).

It serves a purpose. And the purpose (the after work ‘couple of drinks’) is served rather well. I can imagine it serving other purposes similarly well, if only I had the inclination to stay. You see, the main problem with the ‘Sally’ for me... is nothing to do with how good a place it is to drink, but the location. Problem being... I live nowhere bloody near Hammersmith! You might say to me ‘Why do you work there then?’, about a place at the end of a full 90minute tube journey. But in these hard up times... who you are you to judge? It’s a job ain’t it? Everyone’s job has its drawbacks – most people would consider having to actually do their job a drawback – but one definite advantage of working in Hammersmith, is having The Salutation so close.

They’ve really pin-pointed all the changes they can make to turn it into a great place to drink. It’s individual in that sense. Barely any two pieces of furniture are the same, meaning you can get a completely new experience every time you go (as long as you sit somewhere different), the walls are filled with interesting, 3-Dimensional artefacts. You’ve got no idea what they are, and they’re not explained... it’s not a museum. But it makes you feel cultured just sitting there, makes you feel special to know that countless other people are sitting in pubs up and down the country, staring blankly at confusing wallpaper, or at black & white photographs of the same pub, 80 years ago. That’s all very well and good, but it’s one hell of a cliché.

It’s a difficult trick is to avoid the Gastropub term. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of punters willing to grade the Salutation as such, but they should reconsider. The offer of upmarket pub snacks includes items like wasabi nuts (which are what they are – they’re nuts, covered in wasabi). Not just a packet of crisps with a fancy sounding flavour. The bar staff are always friendly – even when you try to convince them you’ve got a tab going to get some free drinks, rip the piss out of them because they look 12 or drunkenly but jokingly (although one is more prominent) suggest you can barely stop an urge to punch them. Add to this, possibly the largest selection of drinks I have ever seen outside Hoss’ emergency fridge. There’s no way I could even count them all. Lagers, bitters, ciders, beers, from all over the world. The wine list is about 50 strong! They’ve got warmed mulled wine in a fucking CAULDRON on Fridays near Christmas! Add this to an (if they have awards for them, it must have won one) award-winning beer garden. With picnic tables in the middle of U-shaped benches, set inside groves separated with vines, and shelter to keep the rain off. Every ‘booth’ has an outdoor heat lamp pointed right inside it too. Not for the dead of winter, but you can stay there pretty far into the night in early November without getting chilly.

Sounds pretty great don’t it? The only drawback... it’s too bloody far away!

DRINK SELECTION: Just the question seems like some sort of joke. If I weren’t as sensible as I am, I’d give it six. *****

COST OF A ROUND: It’s nice yes. Lovely booze, lovely atmosphere... but darn is it pricey. 2-beer round plus wasabi nuts cost me nigh on £12. **

STAFF: If you want to talk to them, they talk. If you don’t, they shut up. Perfect. They don’t act like they HAVE to either. *****

FOOD: Yes there’s food. Similar to the booze, it sounds great but as steep as a wall. Plus I’ve never actually seen anyone eat any of it. ***

SKIRT RATIO: Weeknights it’s after-office heavy. Which isn’t a terrible thing. You know what those office Christmas parties are like!? ****

Overall: It’s a mixed bag on the scores. Basically... it’s a great place to drink, and it’s not hard to enjoy yourself, but at what cost? Most of the time I go, it’s a free bar. If it wasn’t I wouldn’t go nearly as much – that says it all. ****

The Salutation - Hammersmith - Brought to you by James Wormald -