Dodo

Part of our Best Pubs in London microsite. See if we've included your local.

After two hours searching for Ian Nairn's grave (long story, but basically there are two Hanwell cemeteries), you'll require a pint. Infinitely easier to locate than the great man's resting place is The Dodo, on Boston Road.

This single-room setup, which feels a bit like a trendy beach hut, is run with passion by Lucy Do, whose name, we presume lends itself to the Dodo's. Or maybe she just likes Dodos; there's a generous enough scattering of big-beaked gimcrack to suggest this is the case.

The name of the game here is the same as at all the best micropubs; ask a local if you can share your table, then either settle into a conversation about the pros and cons of living in Hanwell, or otherwise bury your nose in your copy of Nairn's London.

The Dodo has an informal table service policy: someone will come and take your order of Thornbridge Jaipur or Beltie oatmeal stout, then vanish out the back for a few minutes before returning with the goods, fresh from the gravity barrel.

The Dodo's a notably crisp, contemporary take on the micropub, and this is also reflected in the can and bottle menu, where a roster of sours and punchy Mad Yank Brewery stouts cater to the discernible hipster.

Particularly if you've made a point of travelling to this neck of the woods, we'd recommend you book a table at Patri, an exceptional Indian in Northfields, which is a five-minute taxi ride away.