The Roebuck

122 Chiswick High Road
W4 1PU


020 8995 4392



According to the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society, The Roebuck was licensed from at least 1732, and was one of the main coaching inns in Chiswick High Road, where the Manorial Court usually held their meetings. The pub was known for its fine bowling green and its extensive stabling. The original building was demolished in 1890 and replaced by the present building with statues of roebucks adorning the pediments.

The pub’s name has been changed many times in recent years. It was The Roebuck when we first moved to Chiswick, but controversially renamed The Rat & Parrot in 1996. In 2002 - when if someone said LGBT you'd have assumed it was trendy gin and tonic - it became The Bird Cage, possibly the first venue in Chiswick to fly the rainbow flag. (Not a lot of people know the flag originally had a hot pink stripe, but it was dropped in 1978 due to the lack of hot-pink fabric. For more flag facts check out W4 resident Tim Marshall's new book Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags.) 


Since 2006 The Roebuck has been part of the Food & Fuel group, the small chain of pubs run by the former Spirit and Café Rouge team headed by Karen Jones.

On one of the last warm nights of the year we sat outside in the courtyard at the back, presumably where the fine bowling green or extensive stabling used to be.

A nice Scottish waiter came to take our order, storing it directly in to his elephant-like memory without the need for the tried and trusted - but terribly old-fashioned - notebook. Moments later he was back to confirm if Mrs WEST4URANTS had ordered a side salad. (Regular readers of the blog will already know the answer to that one).

After a reasonable wait, our main courses arrived. Before we'd had our starter. Nice Scottish waiter was terribly apologetic, took the main courses away again and a short while later returned with the starter, which he said was on the house. We shared a Greek Board - hummus, artichoke & spinach dip, halloumi, olives and pitta bread.

I was already on to my second glass of Malbec, and Mrs W ordered another when the main courses arrived. I say 'main courses', but in her case it was a starter with the aforementioned (rocket, parmesan, mixed leaf) salad. She chose the Isle of Wight tomato with burrata and balsamic glaze.

I went all in with the breaded chicken fillet, with cheese croquettes, asparagus, Dorset black garlic and lemon beurre blanc. Luckily this is a pub which has not embraced the concept of putting calories on the menu. Nor it seems, the concept of remembering what the customers order. I had to chase up the wine, and when it eventually arrived it too was on the house.

So if you can put up with a little bit of waiting and chasing then The Roebuck is a great value evening out. The acquisition of a couple of notepads would boost its margins considerably.


Food (for 2): £24.00
Drink: £18.60
Total: £47.60