please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
From the Wetherspoon site: "A rare survival of a 1920s cinema, The Capitol, on London Road, first opened its doors to the cinema-going public in 1929, with a screening of Man, Woman and Sin. Renamed the ABC in 1968, the cinema gave its last picture show in October 1973. There were plans to convert and even demolish the building. However, The Capitol opened as a bingo hall in February 1978, closing in the first week of December 1996. It opened as a Wetherspoon pub on 9 May 2001."
|
Interesting and attractive Wetherspoons conversion of a 1930s cinema. The space suffers slightly from its size - there's an empty echoing atmosphere - but is mainly comfortable and well lit. I've been in here several times over the years, and generally found the service reasonably quick and pleasant, though the meal portions are smaller than standard, and the beer range can be a bit limited, and sometimes the cask pump clips have been wrong.
However, I feel this is a slightly above average JDW due to the attractive building, and the usually clean tables and decent service.
|
Please be warned...There are much, much better places to buy a cheap pint in Forest Hill
I have been into the Capital on a few occasion and the best thing about it is the outdoor seating area. The atmosphere and level of behaviour here is dismal.
The building is quite nice and I do really wish they could bring up the standards of the place.
The staff have usually been alright, nothing great which I have to say is a real issue considering some of the great service you get in other FH pubs.
I general the food was probably a step below what you make at home. The ingredients and presentation are just abysmal. I would have to recommend that the only time you should go near The Capitol is to use the bus stop out front.
The only saving grace to this pub is that it does have a big garden area. Its not particularly nice, but it is available and you can use it. Actually you'll probably feel safer in the garden with no one about then you will inside with some of the people in there.
Also one last note, serving cheap booze and bad food is no way treat "families". This is not a "family" pub, its a bad pub that reinforces poor behaviour in children!
|
Lively ! I like the cinema lay-out a lot as well. Courage OK, very friendly staff.
|
Oh dear. Don't think I'll be going there after reading this!
http://tinyurl.com/2caxjn
|
went in this pub monday night at 6pm ..8 or 9 people waiting to be served and only 1 person behind the bar
there must have been at least 65 people in the pub
i waited for 10 mins still not served so went somewere else..how can a pub this size have 1 person behind the bar ?...
anonymous - 9 Jan 2007 09:05 |
Went a few times but haven't been back since I witnessed one fight too many. Shame cos it has a not too bad feel to it. Think it concentrates too much on the sports crowds which tend to end up drunk and brawling.
|
Visited this bar 2 weeks ago for the first time. It'll be my last. Quite possibly the worst bar I've ever been to. Bit chavy. Went there Sunday week ago at the tale end of a footy match which ended up in the rival supporters chanting songs at each other then if that wasn't bad enough the pub quiz started a few hours later. Food was cold, service dreadful and the floor staff were non-existent. Dirty ashtray, plates etc sat for hours before being cleaned.
|
There is good and bad about this unique pub.
For one thing, Forest Hill was pretty much a real ale desert before this place opened. Wetherspoon's have done a magnificent job of restoring this 1920 cinema to its former glory. Anyone with any interest in the history of Forest Hill should be pleased to see that this place hasn't been demolished and a block of flats built in its place.
It's so big that it doesn't have a typically pub-like atmosphere but there are a few cosy little corners if you seek them out.
Beer quality is variable but generally pretty good. Service is often slow.
By the way, anyone who complains about 'smokey old men' (see below) should be banned from going into pubs. People who make comments like that are part of the reason why the traditional British pub is disappearing so fast. Let's have more smokey old men and resist this move towards the squeaky-clean gastro-pub!
|
...LOL.I was thinking about one of the worst pubs I have been too and thought of this one, but it seem's I won't be the first to slate it. To put it simply, it is DREADFUL! Full of smokey old men and chavs, just disgusting, I would not recommend this to ANYONE! There are much nice Wetherspoons about, why oh why do they keep it so awful?? It could really be made into a nice place. It could start by making it NO SMOKING, that would clear out the awful element in one fell swoop! The nicest Wetherspoons seem to be the non-smoking ones...J D Wetherspoon PLC, take note! I think they intend to make all their pubs non-smoking, why don't they do it immediately!
|
I agree with StuPC.
I like the interior and being a Weatherspoons has cheap beer (which in London is a rareity).
I went in to watch footy on a Wednesday night and apart from a couple of Chav's it was ok. Pleasant enough. Wouldn't fancy heading in on a Friday or Saturday night though.
|
I'm afraid I have to agree with smokie_tearz here.......only disagreement is they can't be living off the state otherwise they would not aford the drugs
anonymous - 4 Jun 2006 09:42 |
No atmosphere. Old blokes nursing the same pint of Spitfire for upwards of six hours. Beige food. All in a huge, echoing room.
Rubbish.
eelio - 16 May 2006 11:29 |
There's nothing actually *wrong* with this enormous cavern of a pub, and the interior is genuinely quite a sight to behold (it used to be a cinema); but there's not really anything particularly *right* with the place either.
If you're just after a quick, cheap pint and a seat then during the day I'd recommend The Capital, but at night there are nicer and more welcoming places.
StuPC - 15 Mar 2006 09:35 |
everything you expect from your local wetherspoons, young people that are living off the state and mefs. AWFUL.
|
too big and never full enough to create an atmosphere. Would be better suited if it was returned to a theatre..... or perhaps have some form of entertainment. poor 3/10
|
No chance of getting a beer belly here as the walk to the bar will burn off all of the calories you gain from drinking the flat beer you are served.
anonymous - 30 Dec 2005 19:26 |
Eric B and Rakim have it,.........this place doesn't,.........bland
|
Cavernous building but seems a bit smarter than the average Wetherspoon's. I generally only pop in during the occasional midweek afternoon when it's fairly quiet, so the common Wetherspoon failings of slow service and cluttered tables due to lack of staff numbers aren't in evidence.
Beer quality here is pretty reliable in my experience with the usual 4 or 5 house ales plus up to five guests - £1.69 for a pint of Goff's White Knight was particularly good value today.
|
when i herd that this place was going to be turned into a pub i thought surely not but yes on my return to london i went in and a building that is full of history as it was the first picture house in the uk to show moving film ( a movie )
the tables can often get messed up and be clutterd but not like the brockley barge in this pub the managers clean the floor as well as staff
there is always a good choice of beer and food
the staff are very friendly and deal with complaints very well
i really don't have much to complain about the pub i have made friends there and the manager ripon is always trying to get people in a good mood esp when there is football on everyone could be quiet and yet you see the manager start a cheer and the place goes up
i think this pub can only get better and compaired to weatherspoons in the area this is the best keep it up guys
anonymous - 12 May 2005 13:42 |
looks intruging from the outside, being an old cinema, lovely inside to look at, but agree with a previous comment, the atmosphere is zilch.
|
Just read the message asking if the wetherspoons is gonna be turned into a club, is this true?? Forest Hill could do with some livening up!
|
everyone? is it true its gonna be tuenrd into a club???
Jose - 20 May 2004 13:10 |
Poor bar service, tables not cleaned, but has improved slightly in recent months.
Excellent toilets.
Now has TV coverage of popular sporting events.
Vinnie - 10 Mar 2004 16:36 |
This pub reminds me of Bullins at Bognor Regis whilst watching Maxy Hairdo on the piano. Anyone agree?
Maureen Hooper - 8 Jan 2004 14:15 |
God awful wetherspoons. Dirty tables, no atmosphere, even with the sport on the tvs. Its like drinking at an airport.
tomario - 16 Nov 2003 15:22 |
Excellent real ales and food
Brian Pentecost - 1 Jul 2003 09:07 |
