Princess Victoria (public house)

The Princess Victoria is a public house and former gin palace on the Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, 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.

Princess Victoria
Princess Victoria Pub in 2015
Restaurant information
Established1829
Food typeGastropub
CityLondon
Postal/ZIP CodeW12
CountryEngland
Website

History

The Princess Victoria dates from 1829 and was one of London's earliest gin palaces. 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.[1] One of the first licensees was one George Turner.[2] Designed in the grand Victorian style, this imposing red brick building with stucco ornaments was for many years a "rough Irish pub" until its gentrification in the early 2000s.[3]

Modern Era

In the 1980s the Princess Victoria was briefly owned by Richard Branson and run as a music venue, with singer Phil Collins filming the music videos for his songs Sussudio and One more Night on the premises.[1]

The pub was later re-invented as a gastropub and was described by Time Out in 2016 as a "regal boozer...the best pub for miles around [with a] beautifully restored interior,[4] and by the Guardian as having "a diverse wine list and refined pub grub".[5]

In 2015 the Princess Victoria was awarded "London County Dining Pub of the Year" in the Good Pub Guide 2016.[6]

2017 Closure

In June 2017 the Princess Victoria closed without warning, apparently after its parent company became insolvent.[7] The pub's owners, Affinity Bars and Restaurants, blamed the "fatal" Brexit vote for a 20% collapse in earnings that led to the closure.[8]

2017 Re-opening

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.[9]

The Gentlemen

The Princess Victoria was also a major location for Guy Ritchie's latest gangster film The Gentlemen (2019), starring Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant.

References
  1. Williams, Olivia, Gin Glorious Gin: How Mother's Ruin Became the Spirit of London Retrieved 29 August 2017
  2. Princess Victoria at pubhistory.com Retrieved 11 August 2017
  3. Princess Victoria in the Evening Standard, August 2008 Retrieved August 2017
  4. Princess Victoria Review at Time Out Retrieved 9 August 2017
  5. The Guardian, 2009 Retrieved 10 August 2017
  6. Princess Victoria Get West London 2013 Retrieved 10 August 2017
  7. Princess Victoria closes, Time Out, July 2017 Retrieved 9 August 2017
  8. Princess Victoria at ShepherdsBushW12.com Retrieved 29 August 2017
  9. http://princessvictoria.co.uk/about-us/

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