The Princess Victoria is a

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

and former

gin palace A gin palace (also gin house and gin shop) is an English name originally for a lavish bar selling gin, later transferred by association to late Victorian pubs designed in a similar style. Architecture In the 18th century, gin shops or 'dram s ...

on the

Uxbridge Road Uxbridge Road is the name of the A4020 road in West London. The route starts at Shepherd's Bush Green and goes west towards Uxbridge. It passes through Acton, Ealing, Hanwell, Southall, Hayes, and Hillingdon. Uxbridge Road is a major r ...

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, its ...

, London W12. First opened in 1829, it closed in June 2017 when its parent company, Affinity Bars and Restaurants, became insolvent, but re-opened in November 2017 under new operators Three Cheers Pub Company.

History

The Princess Victoria dates from 1829 and was one of London's earliest

s. It was popular with commuters when the tram began carrying 1,000 passengers a day between Acton and the Uxbridge Road. Commuters could enjoy a "quick gin and water" before returning home. One of the first licensees was one George Turner. Designed in the grand

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

style, this imposing red brick building with

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

ornaments was for many years a "rough Irish pub" until its gentrification in the early 2000s.

Modern era

In the 1980s the Princess Victoria was briefly owned by

Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate who co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, and controlled 5 companies remaining of once more than 400. Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneu ...

and run as a music venue, with singer

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

filming the music videos for his songs "

Sussudio "Sussudio" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 14 January 1985 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records as the lead single from his third solo studio album, '' No Jacket Required'' (1985). The song served a ...

" and " One More Night" on the premises. The pub was later re-invented as a

gastropub A gastropub or gastro pub is a pub that serves food of high quality, with a nearly equal emphasis on eating and drinking. The term was coined in the 1990s in the United Kingdom. History The term ''gastropub'' (derived from gastronomy) was coi ...

and was described by '' Time Out'' in 2016 as a "regal boozer...the best pub for miles around ith abeautifully restored interior, and by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' as having "a diverse wine list and refined pub grub". In 2015 the Princess Victoria was awarded "London County Dining Pub of the Year" in ''

The Good Pub Guide ''The Good Pub Guide'' is a long-running critical publication which lists and rates public houses (pubs) in the United Kingdom.Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain ( ; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author and Travel documentary, travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the huma ...

filmed his Part’s Unknown episode in London post Brexit vote in 2016 and met

Nigella Lawson Nigella Lucy Lawson (born 6 January 1960) is an English food writer and television cook. After graduating from Oxford, Lawson worked as a book reviewer and restaurant critic, later becoming the deputy literary editor of ''The Sunday Times'' in ...

during the episode at The Princess Victoria for a Guinness, some starters and a chat.

2017 Closure and re-opening

In June 2017 the Princess Victoria closed without warning, apparently after its parent company became insolvent. The pub's owners, Affinity Bars and Restaurants, blamed the "fatal"

Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...

vote for a 20% collapse in earnings that led to the closure. In September 2017 London based Three Cheers Pub Company announced that they had taken on The Princess Victoria. They reopened the pub in November 2017 following a full makeover.

''The Gentlemen''

The Princess Victoria was a major location for

Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter known primarily for British comedy gangster films and large-scale action-adventure films. Ritchie left school at the age of 15, and worked in e ...

's film '' The Gentlemen'' (2019), starring

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He achieved his breakthrough with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first su ...

and

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor. He has received List of awards ...

References

External links

Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Princess Victoria, Shepherd's Bush Pubs in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham