please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This pub has had a substantial makeover and reopened at the start of the summer as a very friendly, welcoming pub with well-chosen decor and huge comfy sofas at the theatre end of the pub (you can buy drinks in the interval and take them upstairs to see you through the final act).
Having been very down at heel in the past few years, with an emphasis on attracting sports fans with its huge TV screens, it's now a smart establishmen and is more like an upmarket drawing room. (there is a discreet TV screen above and next to the bar which shows some matches, tennis etc on request. Pub quizzes are also a regular event.)
The furniture consists of generous round and square tables that comfortably seat for or five people to eat or gather over a couple of pints or glasses of wine. Tables are well-spaced out but not spartan, and there are larger tables round the back leading out to the sun terrace.
We have eaten here several times and found the portions just the right size - not overwhelming but not parsimonious either. There's the right mix of traditional pub fare and some less obvious dishes. Vegetarians always have two or three choices too - a refreshing change.
Non-smokers will love the fact that the beer garden is a sun deck with no smoking allowed - if only there'd been any sun to enjoy this summer. Smokers have to make do with a pen-like area accessed from the side door.
Beer selections are better than the wines, I'd say, but there's plenty of draught choices of both ales and lagers.
The best of the Brockley pubs by a country mile.
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Tasteful redocoration. Lovely cheap meal, good choice of beer & good value wine, friendly staff also. Think having a full restaurant area and they had run out of some desserts shows its popularity.
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First time I've been in since the refurb (went in once before, never went back) and loved it. Only went following a recommendation from friends who regularly go down with their young children.
Food was good value, staff were very pleasant, good pint of real ale.
Great to have a decent pub at this end of the road (saves me walking to the Honor Oak).
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Fantastic. Really lovely pub, and a garden you can sit in without getting choked on cigarette smoke. Add friendly staff and tastey food and they've got a winner here!
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Re-opened after a complete renovation, and what a transformation. Excellent decor, beer and food with a nice walled courtyard garden (non-smoking). Much improved over it's old incarnation, and can't recommend highly enough for lunch.
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It has now opened. Was full of anticipation, as so few pubs in the area have bothered to do anything for smokers and i could see that they were making a garden at the back.
Walked in ... great: potentially pretty new garden, some cover, nice seats ... sign in management-speak saying soemthing like 'this is a non-smoking garden for the convenience of non-smokers' .... walked right out again. So did a lot of people I know.
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Brockley Jack is now being redesigned - will be reopening May and boards outside advertise Deli-boards and tapas!
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This is an object lesson in how to destroy a pub. When there were wooden booths inside and there were smoked glass windows and flock wallpaper, it was great. You could sit there and have a pint before seeing something a bit experimental in the theatre, pretending that you were in Camden. When they ripped out the ‘old fashioned’ decor they also removed all of the charm and atmosphere of the place, hence the negative comments
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No, it is the worst ever. Nearest pub to my house too - damn!
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Food was very nice when I was there. Atmosphere poor (big plasma screen and music going on at the same time) and interiors not that nice.Wouldnt recommend it but not the worst pub ever.
anonymous - 7 Sep 2007 16:16 |
Now, admittedly I visited early on a Monday evening, but I was surprised by some of the other comments. Emphasis seemed to be on food (which looked good value), wine (which was good value), real ale (Cask Marque) and the theatre (Strindberg). Perhaps the smoking ban has civilised the place.
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I would not feel safe in there these days without a flack jacket and a big barky dog.
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Agree. This place is dire at present. It used to be OK in a split-personality way (it has a pub theatre as well as a red-neck kill-you-as-soon-as-look-at-you vibe). Now is just plastic, horrible decor, unfriendly staff. Doesn't even do being a red-neck place very well.
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Awful chain pub, was in there last week to watch the football, staff were rude, and the place ended up being full of very drunk individuals singing Frank Sinatra songs!!
Also another annoying thing is they start putting the chairs away around you even before the pub has called last orders!!
Much better pubs around the area, one to avoid!!
anonymous - 4 Jul 2006 14:06 |
Thought I should add, the quality of picture on the big screen is awful. Very faded image.
If you're going for the footy and it's a big game, get there early and bag a spot in front of the plasma screen at the opposite end of the bar to the big screen, it can get quite crowded.
Especially when 'the mighty Chelski' are playing. Of course I've always supported them. Even before they bought the league. And I've been a Chelsea pensioner since the age of 3. etc etc....
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Just a bland chain pub. Can be quite localsy and it's got a high loon quotient. I use it for the footy and that's about it.
Wouldn't recommend for females on their own unless you like the amorous attentions of inebriated idiots.
And the last time I was in someone put the Cr*zy fr*g song on the jukebox, which says it all really...
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Rough at frig with ignorant barstaff. I would have liked the bloke behind the bar to have taken my order before sorting the telly out. Apparently it used to be a great pub but it was as edgey as heck last Saturday night.
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Isn't it shut at the moment? Visited a few times in the past, real ale a bit dodgy, but a nice local boozer all the same.
tomario - 16 Nov 2003 15:19 |
Does anybody know the whereabouts of eric the old guv'nor?? I hope he's well.
rob - 6 Oct 2003 19:18 |
Bizarre mix of shiny chain pub, old fashioned local and experimental theatre (round the back). Good cheap food and loads of football on big screens.
Lee Cheshire - 17 Feb 2003 13:45 |
