The Defectors Weld

Although there is a multitude of other pubs in the area, the Defectors Weld seems to be the firm favourite of BBC employees and Westfield shoppers, as from Wednesday nights onwards it’s packed. Owned by the same people as the Lock Tavern in Camden, it shares much of the same aesthetic; think lampshades, ornate mirrors, armchairs and battered wooden furniture, however rather than host DJs and play fashionable music like their North London counterpart does they stick to chart-topping pop which gets louder as the night goes on.

Its old fashioned pretensions are distinctly at odds with its cocktail menu and blaring music, as Defectors seems to be having trouble deciding whether to be a stylish bar or traditional boozer, however this matters not to the punters who can choose from a vast drinks selection encompassing over 15 types of beer and ale, a cocktail list to please most palates (buy two and the second is just £1 during happy hour) and roasts on a Sunday. The rest of the time you can munch on typical pub fare like burgers, pasta dishes, and sausages and mash, but Defector’s main appeal is perhaps the cosy atmosphere – there are comfortable leather sofas all around and the lighting is kept dim, while the room upstairs is even snuglier as it resembles someone’s living room more than part of a bustling pub. All this relaxation while the busy goings-on of Shepherds Bush Green can be spied through the windows.