The Blythe Hill Tavern, Forest Hill - pub details
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Address: 319 Stanstead Road, London, SE23 1JB [map] [gmap]
Tel: 08721 077 077 (ref 2991)
Catford (0.4 miles), Catford Bridge (0.5 miles), Honor Oak Park (0.7 miles)
Pub suggested by Kate Blatherwick on 4 Jun 2003
NB: Information about this pub is incomplete as it has not been visited by a member of the beerintheevening.com team and is not currently registered.
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> Current user rating: 8.3/10 (rated by 26 users)
> Local guides: London pub guide, South East London pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Honor Oak, Honor Oak (0.3 miles), Rutland Arms, Catford (0.3 miles), Copperfield, Catford (0.5 miles), Perry Hill, Catford (0.5 miles), Red Rooms, Honor Oak Park (0.6 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Blythe Hill Tavern, Forest Hill
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 31 shown - see all reviews
| This is one of the better London pubs that I have encountered on my travels. JohnBonser said I would like it, and he was right. It’s still a three-room pub, each with their own door to the outside, although they are now interconnected. As others have said, this pub has thankfully remained a traditional style boozer. There’s the Public Bar on the left; what must be the Saloon Bar on the right, with another comfortable connected room at the back that I guess would be the Lounge Bar. There are mock beams on the ceiling, which seems to be a feature of inter-war pubs. I sat in the Saloon Bar, where there was a flatscreen TV on the wall showing the racing. I also spotted a couple of one-armed bandits, but the one in the Saloon Bar was thankfully switched off, or possibly broken. This is another of those special unpretentious pubs that seem to be getting rarer by the year, whose attraction is the feel of their very ordinariness – although I realise that that is something of a contradiction. It seems to be something of an “Irish” pub – the barman and the clientele when I was in were clearly from the Emerald Isle. Plus there was a superb Guinness mirror in the Lounge, as well as the iconic Guinness toucan poster above the TV in the Saloon Bar. Nothing wrong with any of that of course. There were 6 real ales on when I was in last week, including General Wolfe 1759, from Westerham Brewery. Unfortunately I didn’t spot the General Wolfe until I’d ordered a pint of Dark Star Hophead – but it was a good pint nonetheless, and for under the £3 mark. The General Wolfe clip was there for all to see – but I missed it somehow! They don’t do food, at least not on a weekday lunchtime, but the barman was quite happy for me to pop to the caff a couple of doors down the road to bring a sarny back to the pub. This is a pub worth going out of your way to find, as long as you are someone who appreciates the traditional pub. RexRattus - 6 Dec 2009 19:03 |
| Have to check this pub fairly regularly to make sure it hasn't changed. And everytime I am relieved that it hasn't. Simply the best put in the area. And for a non Guinness drinker I am almost converted baggydave - 5 Nov 2009 21:54 |
| Best pub in London by a mile (and I've been to a fair few), friendly staff, fantastically kept beer, lovely garden and even the paper towels in the man bogs are plentiful in supply! It really is a gem of a pub, absolutely worth going out of your way to visit. Downside I'd say the sport is a tad too loud on the telly in the smaller bars but nothing you can't handle and the locals anyway seem to want it that way (I'm just not much of a sporthead). Come to this pub, it's fantastic, actually no don't, I want to keep it a secret a bit longer! suppinguy - 22 Sep 2009 03:36 |
| An uninspiring looking exterior hides what is a real gem of a pub on the A205 South Circular midway between Catford and Forest Hill. It's a former Courage pub - the cockerel high up on the wall outside is a bit of a giveaway - with 3 fine, wood-pannelled, carpeted rooms in an unusual interconnecting layout helping to create a cosy traditional atmosphere. One of the 3 rooms has a golfing theme and another a horse racing theme. The pub seems to be Irish owned, but there's a warm welcome for all. There's a large outside drinking area. No food is served, drinking and conversation being the main attractions. It's been a Good Beer Guide regular in recent years. On my recent visit ( last Saturday lunchtime ), the blackboard on the pavement outside indicated that Courage Best, Broadside, London Pride, TT Landlord and Westerham Black Eagle were the 5 real ales on, but inside I found ( and confirmed by the indoors blackboard ) that Harveys Best and Dark Star Hophead were on instead of the latter 2. The Dark Star Hophead - £ 2.70p - was a splendidly hoppy tasty pint. It's only a very minor niggle, but I would have liked to sample the Black Eagle as well. I really took to this splendid pub - it's a pub-goers type of pub if you know what I mean and I think I fall into that category. Highly recommended. I shall return soonish. JohnBonser - 21 Apr 2009 13:28 |
| A proper traditional pub. Brilliant pint of London Pride. Best in South London I'd say. Very large garden with nice well looked after flowers. As it's an Irish pub you will always get a bit of horse racing on the telly, but not a big problem. Bogs could do with some work as a bit old and smelly. I always like to pop in here if passing and usually stay longer than I intended with is a good sign. Best tradition pub in SE London. JustCallMeH - 26 Mar 2009 17:51 |
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