SO, another old boozer has been gastrofied.

My heart sank when I caught wind of a planned refurbishment to The Windsor Castle, one of London's greatest drinking dens. The future of traditional pubs is hanging by a thread, as chugging back 20 pints of ale and making do with a few pork scratchings for dinner is, for some reason, no longer in vogue, and the prospect of another being lost to 'funky' furniture, linen table cloths and homogenous posh nosh left me rather cold.

While The Windsor was never a pub of the stained carpet and dart board variety, it nevertheless oozed rustic charm with its nooks and crannies and dark corners, and it was not hard to imagine the folk of yesteryear getting royally sloshed in one of its alcoves.

Mercifully, though, it turns out the changes haven't altered the character of the old place - and have actually improved it. All the original features remain, but once where you may have choked on some cobwebs as you bent into one of the snugs or got a splinter from a table as you tried to keep yourself steady, now you can safely negotiate your way to the magnificent garden without a bother.

The al fresco section has been decked out with new plants, fairy lights and more seating, while the historic partitions, wooden pews and panelled walls inside have been given no more than a thorough polish or fresh lick of paint.

The major change has been to the back of the pub, where the dining room has been furnished with leather seats, quirky prints and smarter crockery. The menu, while being generally typical of the west London gastro, nevertheless features interesting entries like rabbit and crayfish pie and real old favourites like lamb sweetbreads and scotch eggs.

We visited on a rare balmy night and were seated at a table by a window overlooking the garden, which was heaving with drinkers and people eating from the bar menu, which presumably was a reason for the service being ever so slightly stilted.

The new management has stuck its collective neck out with the pricing, starters averaging £8 and mains £17, but my opening dish of Dorset crab with avocado and an apple slaw was worth the outlay. The tartness of the apple cut through what was a very rich mayo and gave a satisfying crunch to the super fresh shellfish and soft avocado.

The ham hock terrine was formed into two slabs and came on a slate board with soda bread and piccalilli on the side, and it was this excellent, homemade condiment that made up for a slight lack of seasoning in the meat.

Craft beers from London and around the world are now a feature of the reborn Windsor, and each dish comes with a recommended drink, but my companion instead insisted we consult the extensive wine list and we went for a Spanish rose, priced at £24.

The food menu immediately drew me to the somewhat grandly-titled burger, which was described as being of the ribeye, chuck and bone marrow variety, topped with Celtic promise cheese, bacon jam and house relish, with fries on the side.

At £18 it needed to be world class, and it came out looking so, nice and chunky and held between well-formed, seeded bun. Eating it, though, was a different story.

The delectable-sounding patty was overcooked, and therefore dry, while flavour from the steak and marrow was completely overpowered by the toppings. Whether it was the cheese, the sweet bacon jam or both, the combination was all-consuming and, frankly, nasty.

No such criticism could be levelled at the other main, however, a dish of hake, bacon, fresh minted peas and a well seasoned jus. The hake had a crispy skin and its accompaniments combined for one of the great summer dishes - fresh, light and zingy.

A chocolate brownie (£8) with peanut butter ice cream was enough to share and was rich, gooey and very chocolatey, without being sickly.

Burger aside, this was an excellent dinner and the re-furb has been done well, pacifying the traditionalists with minimal interference to the building's heritage but with enough finesse to attract the foodie crowd with an innovative menu, a gloriously restored garden and an interior no longer liable to leave you pounding the dust out of your clothes on getting home.

The Windsor Castle

114 Campden Hill Road

Notting Hill

W8 7AR

0207 243 8797

WWW.THEWINDSORCASTLEKENSINGTON.CO.UK