BITE user comments - karloff
Comments by karloff
I love going into the Golden Lion because it has such a comfortably traditional feel to it. I also like the fact that the lanldord is making a real effort by holding blues nights, jazz nights, etc. However, what is seriously disappointing is that, although there are usually three or four real ales available, they are often in disappointing condition. I went in here on a Saturday night recently for a live band, all four real ales were tried and all were in a very poor condition. I suspect the lines are not getting cleaned frequently enough. It's a shame, because this pub has the potential to build up a large and loyal following of real ale fans - instead they are deserting it for elsewhere.
8 Jan 2011 08:46
The Flying Scotsman, Caledonian Road
This pub is featured in a new book, �London Heritage Pubs� (published by CAMRA), which gives details of all the pubs in the capital which are of historical importance because they have retained some of their original interior features.
The exterior of THE FLYING SCOTSMAN is rather bland, all windows having been boarded up. This, I am sure, is done by a conscientious owner who is concerned that the original etched Victorian windows need to be protected from breakage.
I entered the rather dim interior and was greeted by a pretty dark-haired young lady, who seemed to be wearing rather less than one would normally expect of a bar-maid.
�I�ve come to admire your interior,� I said.
In response she smiled happily and held up a pint glass, already full of coins and encouraged me to give her a pound. So I gathered that this place charges pub enthusiasts a small amount to view the historical d�cor. It�s a small contribution and not unreasonable if it goes towards the upkeep of a pub of such national importance.
Spotting some old woodwork to my right, I said to the young lady, �You have a wonderful partition.� She smiled appreciatively, clearly proud to be working in a pub still containing so much history.
It was quite a humid day, which probably explains why the young lady then proceeded to remove items of her clothing one by one. She clearly shared my interest in pub d�cor and at every opportunity she made a point of trying to catch my eye. Meanwhile, I walked around the pub, doing a full circuit of the small island bar and admiring the three-quarter-height wood panelling on the walls, the intricately carved bar-back and the ornate ceiling. By the time I had returned to my original spot a few minutes later, the young lady, who perhaps had felt a chilly draught, had replaced her clothing.
�Thank you for letting me see everything� I said. �It�s all very well preserved.�
�If you give me another pound�, she replied, �you can see it all again.�
�No,� I said to this rather odd suggestion, �I think I�ve seen all I want to, thank you.� And so I left the pub, having enjoyed a most instructive visit.
6 Sep 2008 14:20
There are precious few traditional pubs left in the Victoria / Vauxhall Bridge Rd area - nearly all have been gutted and turned into restaurant-style bars. So this Fuller's pub, which opened in 1997 and occupies a grand old bank building, is a welcome relief. It has proper pub fittings, furniture and decor. OK, it's not the real thing, but it's about as close as you can find round here. A full range of five Fuller's beers are served.
4 Sep 2008 10:18
It's time for a more balanced report of the new Perry Hill. I have visited 4 times and each time the cask ales have been in wretched condition: tired and lifeless. The 'pub' side of the place no longer has any comfortable seating - just straight-backed dining chairs, and incovenient sofas. There used to be some lovely old banquette seating in here, but the new managers ripped it all out. There are areas of comfortable bench seating in the 'restaurant' side, but if you dare to sit there without ordering any food, you are told to move.
I won't be hurrying back, and I mourn the loss of yet another traditional old boozer.
14 Feb 2008 10:22
A wonderful survivor - just about all of Catford's other pubs have shut down. This is a superbly traditional pub with amazing pub clutter around the walls. Shame that the saloon bar seems to be permanently closed - only the public bar is open.
They even serve a real ale - Greene King IPA, and in very good condition.
18 Aug 2007 14:59
The Greyhound closed on 11th August. A property development company intends to demolish it and build a block of flats with a bland, modern bar on the ground floor. The Greyhound is an 1873 purpose-built pub that deserves to be saved. Years ago it was a great pub and it could be again.
As soon as you see the yellow planning application form posted up, please sumbit an objection to Lewisham Council.
18 Aug 2007 14:55
I have just roused myself from my park bench, finished off the day�s first can of Special Brew, dusted off the dandruff, and now feel ready to face the beerintheevening site�
I thank all of you who responded to my earlier comments. I made the cardinal mistake of forgetting that using ironic humour in emails and web messages doesn�t work � people take you at face value. Of course I don�t hate women going into pubs!
However, what I do hate is the fact that so many pubs are being transformed into continental-style bars, and lose all those features that are traditionally associated with what makes a good pub. It�s fact that these days pubs have to appeal more to women, as nowadays women have far more spending power than they did 30 or 40 years ago, and so it�s inevitable that pubs will change to suit women�s tastes. It�s a fact that women and men want different things from pubs. In a recent survey, people were asked what was the most important thing that determined which pub they went to. Most men said the beer had to be good. The women almost unanimously said that clean toilets were the most important thing. Need I say more?
Many people, including many women, do not like pubs to be full of toddlers and babies � some people actually like to think of the pub as a place where they can forget about all the worries of parenthood for a while. I also want my pubs to be places where people go primarily for a drink, whereas these days most of the staff�s time seems to be taken up with food orders.
I am happy that there is now a safe, clean place for people in this area to go, and, as previously said, it�s good news that there is some decent real ale in this place.
But is there no one else out there who, like me, mourns the loss of the traditional old British boozer? It�s always been a part of my life and now it is being inexorably obliterated as pubs are either turned into modern bars or converted into flats. Am I a lone voice in the wilderness?
9 Mar 2007 13:44
The Canbury Arms, Kingston Upon Thames
The good points: four real ales available and excellent food. Plus plenty of staff behind the bar to ensure quick service. And no pool tables, fruit machines or annoying TV screens.
The bad points: this place has been totally gastro-pubbed such that it is barely a pub any more. In typical copy-cat gastro-pub style, food is served on plates so absurdly huge they barely fit on the table. Outside has all been painted white; inside has all been painted of-white. All original pub furniture has been chucked out and been replaced by dull restaurant-style chairs and tables (except for a couple of old Britannia-style tables with wrought-iron bases that have miraculously escaped the purge). An extension built on the side of the pub is even more like a continental caf�. I visited on a Sunday lunchtime, and families with babies and toddlers were running riot everywhere. The bar staff were generally good, although I would prefer not to be greeted by an irritating �You alright there?�
I tried two real ales, Harvey�s Sussex Best and Timothy Taylor�s Landlord. Neither was in as good condition as they should be. In fact during the whole two hours I was here, I only saw four other pints of real ale being pulled.
I never visited this place before its refurbishment. Perhaps it was a dire place that needed an overhaul, and I applaud the current owner for revitalising it and serving real ales. But do we really have to move so far away from the traditional old pub? It�s a terrific old Victorian corner building probably dating from the 1890s, and deserved to have more of its history retained.
5 Mar 2007 09:25
First, the good news. This had been closed for around six months but reopened on Friday, 2nd February. Previously it was devoid of real ale but now it boasts two brand-new hand-pumps. Wadworths 6X and Courage Directors were available on my visit; the latter was in good condition.
Now the bad news. It has been totally �modernised� and is �contemporary� � i.e. it no longer resembles a pub. Everything is bright, clean and woman-friendly, venetian blinds on the windows, furniture is of the irritating gastro-pub variety (square tables and straight-backed chairs, a few sofas), trendy pictures on the walls (including photos of Barbie ??!!), etc. On my visit, a gang of women had invaded (they would never have dared when it was still the St Germains) and another woman was wheeling a toddler
around in a push-chair. Gentlemen, the traditional pub is dead. The women have won.
The pub probably dates from the 1880s or thereabouts, but there are no original Victorian features left in the interior. The exterior, with original green tiles all around the base, still looks good though.
17 Feb 2007 17:09
The Norbiton and Dragon, Norbiton
A lot of money has recently been spent on refurbishing this place. It will be to some people's taste but not mine. It is no longer a traditional pub, more a 'contemporary' bar. What a shame that over a century of tradition in this Victorian boozer has been wiped out! Still, the women will like it.
Having read several of the comments below, I can definitely say that I belong to 'Wych Elm and Willoughby Arms' camp. At last they are proper boozers with a bit of traditional decor, character and history to them.
I guess it takes all sorts, but it's sad to see how fast the classic British boozer is disappearing.
12 Feb 2007 15:59
How many people realise this place shut down for good last week? It is going to be converted into flats. This is a national outrage. Are any millionaires reading this who can buy up the place quick before it's too late? It was a proper old-fashioned boozer and was famous for its cosy and unique 'pawnbroker booths'. Will they end up in a skip? If this place goes, then we might as well give up all hope of saving the traditional British boozer.
23 Jan 2007 16:08
Real ale is back! Proper beer has at last returned to this pub after an absence of around ten years� maybe longer.
Back in the 1930s when this place was first opened, it must have been quite something, a large, detached building done in the �Brewer�s Tudor� style, with five distinct rooms. During my time in the area (from late-1980s) it has all been one big room but at least served Courage Best. It changed hands, the Best disappeared, the clientele went seriously downhill, the attractive garden at the rear became neglected and things went from bad to worse. Something had to be done.
It re-opened on 11th December 2006 and has gone seriously upmarket, having been gastro-pubbed by the people who run the Dartmouth Arms in Forest Hill. The attractive old wood panelling around the walls has been retained and given a lick of varnish. Lighting is tastefully subdued (so often not the case in gastro-pubs). Three real ales available on opening night: London Pride, Old Speckled Hen and Hook Norton Hooky Bitter. The latter was in very good condition. Seating is geared more to eaters than drinkers, but maybe things will evolve over the next few weeks. Good to see plenty of stools at the bar though. A few tables where you can sit with a couple of friends and just have a drink and a chat (without a meal) would be appreciated.
Although I'm not a fan of gastro-pubs this is, over all, a huge improvement on what was here before.
18 Dec 2006 17:44
Large Victorian pub with an impressive frontage. All one big U-shaped drinking area now, although there are a few cosy corners to sit in. Lighting is likeably subdued. Most of the chairs and tables are now of the annoying �modern� variety, i.e. straight-backed chairs and big tables designed to get you eating rather than drinking. The array of two-foot-high lager dispensers on the bar is ridiculous: when are pubs going to wise up and get rid of these vulgar advertising monstrosities?
Two real ales available, Old Speckled Hen and London Pride, and both were in very mediocre condition. I�ve now given the new Old Speckled Hen (strength reduced to 4.5%) a few chances in more than one pub, and been disappointed each time. A classic beer destroyed by Greene King.
10 Dec 2006 19:13
The Forest Hill Tavern, Forest Hill
After a long period of being without real ale, this place is now back on the map.
Substantial detached pub probably dating from around 1900. Eye-catching pale stone exterior with striking original Truman, Hanbury and Buxton signage (including the gold eagle) on the walls (especially round the side). Originally a three-bar pub, now sadly all knocked through into one. At least there is plenty of old wood panelling on the walls which retains much of the original character.
Three real ales available: London Pride, Young�s Ordinary and Adnam�s Bitter. The latter beer was in ridiculously good condition � I give it 8� out of 10.
6 Dec 2006 16:16
The Grey Horse, Sunbury on Thames
A pleasantly cosy little locals pub. Low ceilings and slightly cramped, this is more like it. My pint of Twickenham Autumn Blaze was in excellent condition. Two other real ales were available. Amazing: a pub that has not yet been gastro-pubbed or turned into flats!
15 Nov 2006 15:49
Good atmosphere, good music (lots of 70s rock) and London Pride in good condition: in all, a pretty decent Friday night out. This appears to be a recently-built pub converted from two adjoining shops � I guess around ten years ago. Two slightly raised areas at either side help to break up the layout and add to the cosiness. Tables with heavy wrought-iron bases must have been bought from an old Victorian boozer and help to give the place an authentic pub feel. Rock music photos and memorabilia all round the walls. I would definitely go back.
15 Nov 2006 15:47
This was a regular drinking hole of mine when I lived in Nunhead from 1986 to 1989. Then it was an honest-to-goodness Courage pub. Now it�s been gastro-pubbed by (I am told) the same people who own the Palmerston in Lordship Lane. They�ve done a pretty good job of keeping one part of it looking like a pub, but what used to be the public bar is now a restaurant seating area � nothing like a pub. They�ve opened the whole place up a bit, losing much of the cosiness and character, and if I recall, there never used to be a doorway through to the public bar, but I could be wrong.
There were three real ales available � great. I had a very tasty pint of Adnam�s Bitter.
The leaded windows are rather special although whether they are original or have been recently put in and made to look old, I ain�t sure.
I made a point of sitting in my old seat up at the pointy end of the unusual triangular room.
I would definitely go back here again... but can't help wishing they'd left the place alone.
14 Nov 2006 11:41
I used to drink here in 1986 to 1989, and hadn�t been back for 17 years. It hasn�t changed much, although the dividing wall between public bar and saloon has gone, so that the drinking area is now a large U-shape around the central bar, and therefore less cosy. It�s still a quiet locals� boozer, and it�s always warming to find a pub with no pretensions of trying to serve meals or anything other than packets of crisps. One real available � Greene King IPA � in OK condition. The pub is now owned by Punch Taverns.
The outside of this pub, probably built around 1870, is worth taking a look at: a classic example of a solid, imposing mid-Victorian boozer.
It�s nothing special, just a good old-fashioned pub � get down there quick before it�s gone forever.
14 Nov 2006 11:33
A big purpose-built Wetherspoon�s pub which fortunately contains plenty of alcove seating to give it a proper pub-like feel. For a long time I thought this was the only place to get real ale in Penge, but recent forays have proved otherwise. Deservedly, this place is frequently packed during the daytimes but rather sadly this means that other worthy pubs in the area are practically empty. The usual range of real ales is available, and more often than not are in top condition� but, as we know from many other Wetherspoon�s, this is always dependent on who the current manager is, and how much he cares about his beer.
9 Nov 2006 17:56
A big detached pub with its exterior painted a likeably garish orange.
I expected this place to be devoid of real ale. But to my delight I discovered it has a hand-pump serving Young�s ordinary bitter, and not only that but it was in good condition.
Inside has all been knocked through into one big U-shaped room, but it still retains a certain amount of cosiness. Darts up one end; eating and drinking at the slightly raised other end. I would certainly go back.
Nice to see that the exterior still has some original ornate tiling on the lower part of the walls. Also of note is the unusual feature of a small rounded overhanging window on one of the first floor corners, looking like a retired sea captain�s observation room.
9 Nov 2006 17:47
The frosted glass windows of this corner pub prevent passers-by from looking in and thereby put a lot of people off daring to step in. Who knows what murderers and drug-dealers may be lurking within? But in fact inside is a real treasure: a very civilized traditional pub that has probably changed very little in twenty years. Cosy wood panelling on the walls, wonderful old high-chairs with arm rests at the bar and small tables meant for drinking not eating (as it should be).
To my surprise, a real ale was available � Courage Best � and it was in very good condition.
One of the windows still boasts that �Courage Stout� is available, and the pub sign (a coat of arms) has probably been hanging there for over half a century. I was especially delighted to see that although hanging flower baskets - that copy-cat curse of the modern pub � were present, all the flowers had been left to die long ago.
Whitbread Best Bitter was offered on keg: is there really such a ghastly 1970s beer still being made?
Somebody should slap a preservation order on this place: it's a real breath of fresh air after all the chain pubs, Wetherspoons, etc. It must not change!
9 Nov 2006 17:46
The Dulwich Woodhouse, Sydenham
I�ve been going to this superior Young�s pub for many years and have just discovered that they�ve gone and gastro-pubbed it. All the comfortable old wall-backed seating has gone and now you have to sit at square wooden tables on straight-backed seats. Fashion dictates that apparently that�s what we want. Well, I don�t want it. They�ve left just one piece of original seating in the small room with the dart board... it looks lost and forlorn. Even the big old �Captain�s Chair� downstairs has gone� shock, horror.
So, a lot of the cosiness has gone but, even so, this is still a pub worth visiting and the beer is usually in pretty decent condition. As well as Ordinary and Special, Charles Wells� Bombardier was also available today (and will be a regular beer from now on).
The furniture change is another move in the gradual inexorable drift that seems like it is going to destroy the traditional British boozer forever� but I hope not.
5 Nov 2006 13:09
The Blythe Hill Tavern, Forest Hill
Surely the most authentic boozer in SE23. Walking into here is like stepping back in time. Three characterful rooms all served by a central bar. The small public bar is a little gem of dark wood panelling and unpretentious eating, and you almost feel like you are back in the 1950s. From here, rather uniquely, you have to walk through the serving area to get to a second room. This room is another magnificently traditional place, dark and cosy, with small tables definitely designed for drinking and not eating, each with several little stools beside them � just as it should be. Compare this with all the dreaded gastro-pubs with their high, square tables and straight-backed chairs. Follow the bar around a bit more and you reach the third room, a brighter area with plenty of stools alongside the bar � compare this with Wetherspoon�s and all the rest, who won�t allow any stools at the bar for fear of a bit of smoke getting up their employees� noses.
Three real ales were available. I had a London Pride in great condition. SPA (Special Pale Ale) from some Kentish brewer was also on. I forget what the third one was; it may have been Courage Best.
A superb pub and I will definitely be going back. I hope this place never changes.
5 Nov 2006 13:05
A great back-street pub. I thought I knew this area well but I have overlooked this one until now. It's a proper old-fashioned boozer and even has separate public and saloon bars, which is becoming increasingly rare these days. The outside even has one of those large semi-tubular signs that were probably put up in the fifties or sixties - good to see it hasn't been ripped down.
There were a couple of real laes available; my pint of Greene King IPA was in very good condition.
There is a large room at the back, a later add-on, and it does tasty Thai meals. But for purists (like me) you can pretend it isn't there and imagine you are sitting in a pub that has hardly changed in fifty years.
I will definitely be back.
3 Nov 2006 11:46
My first visit to New Malden. We looked in two pubs which were playing such loud music (one had a DJ) that any attempt at conversation would have involved lots of shouting. So skipped these and thankfully found the Royal Oak.
A large, impressive Victorian boozer, this has a much more civilized atmosphere and was also offering three real ales. I had two pints of Adnam's Broadside which were in pretty decent condition, although not as sharp as fresh they should be.
I like the layout of this place: with several rooms, it actually looks like an old-fashioned pub, not one of those cavernous places where all rooms have been bashed through into one. I especially like the partition separating the public bar, with a 5-foot high doorway in it. An original feature - or if not, where did it come from? The outside, with what look like many original features (eg. 'Public Bar' engraved over one grand entrance), is also worth taking a while to look at.
I would certainly go back here.
3 Nov 2006 11:30
I haven't been in here for a year or two... and what an improvement. OK, it's been turned into a gastro-pub, but surely that is preferable to the soul-less place that it was before? And having two real ales in good condition can only be a good thing.
It caters as much to drinkers as foodies which is a good thing - you don't feel like you're walking into a restaurant. Most of the pub still has the feel of a proper pub.
Two real ales were available when I visited: Young's Special and a particularly tasty specimen called Czechmate, apparently made with hops grown in the Czech Republic.
This impressive Victorian building is worth having a look at from the outside: a wrought iron balcony extends all the way across the front of the first floor, and the central 'tower' has some ornate woodwork under the eaves.
2 Nov 2006 16:03
The Railway Bell, Crystal Palace
A splendid example of that endangered species: the old-fashioned back-street local.
It's a Young's pub, and there were three real ales available: Ordinary, Special and Charles Wells' Bombardier. I had the Ordinary and I can honestly say it's the best pint of Ordinary I've had in years. It was in top condition. I give this pint the rare accolade of 9 out of 10. It reminds me how the standard of beer in Young's pubs has fallen over the last few years.
There's also a pleasant courtyard - I'll be back in the summer for that.
1 Nov 2006 12:19
The Gipsy Hill Tavern, Upper Norwood
This is an impressive old Victorian building and the ladies behind the bar are friendly...
...but this pub commits the cardinal sin of pubs: there is no real ale. I was told this is because "It's too much hassle". At least they are honest. Most non-real ale pubs come out with rubbish such as "There's no demand for it", but at least this place admits to being lazy.
Real ales need looking after more than lagers, and if a pub doesn't want to put in that extra bit of effort, then that's their choice, but I won't drink there.
30 Oct 2006 15:43
Prince of Wales, Hampton Court
Had an excellent pint of Greene King in here, it's an impressive Victorian building, and the interior is likeably separated into several different drinking areas...
... but there were FIVE different TV screens blasting out football! This totally alienates people who (a) want a quiet drink and (b) don't like football. If you want to watch football, go to a football match, don't spoil a good pub. For this reason, I won't hurry back
30 Oct 2006 14:34
Fatastic - a proper old fashioned boozer. Miracle of miracles, there are no hanging flower baskets outside! Why do all pubs copy each other and think they need flippin' flowers! I suppose it helps to make the pubs women-friendly.
Six real ales available... excellent! Grubby upholstery and old men with comb-overs - wonderful! Pubs like this are national treasures...
But sadly it looks like the Rutland is about to be turned into flats. A crying shame.
30 Oct 2006 12:43
A quite impressive pub, a big detached building probably built around the 1930s. It still has plenty of dark wood panelling around the walls to give it some character and three partially separate areas to drink in, all served by a central bar... which is so much better than having one big soulless room
Two real ales were available: Young's bitter and London Pride. I had the Pride and it was in pretty decent condition.
There was a 'To Let' sign outide. Is this going the way of so many pubs and going to get turned into flats or, heaven forbid, a gastro-pub? Hope not - this could be a great boozer.
30 Oct 2006 11:59
There is a spacious outdoor decking area here, which is handy on a sunny day, but this pub fails the most important test for a pub...there are no real ales available.
Hence I won't be hurrying back.
26 Oct 2006 10:20
This is a wonderful old pub on a village green looking out onto a duck pond. And the inside has a certain amount of character (even though Ember Inns have "foodified" it).
Also, Ember Inns are currently staging a beer festival with 36 real ales to be available over a 6 week period.
All sounds great.... except they have failed miserably. The real ales are served so cold that you can barely tase them. I queried this 2 months ago and was told that because of a 'mechanical error', the ales are connected to the same cooling system as the lagers. I was given every indication that this was going to be fixed. It hasn't.
It's enough to make you cry into your pint. They drive away all the real ale drinkers, then they put on a real ale festival! In fact, the ales were not only chilled but in rather mediocre condition as well.
My party had two chicken dishes and one steak - the meat in all of them was dry and tough, as if it had been cooked quiet a while ago and heated up.
Has anybody had better experiences in an Ember Inns pub? Do they all chill their real ales?
23 Oct 2006 12:15
A superb pub - all pubs should look like this. One of Leeds' best. Several rooms, dark woodwork, a grand entrance lobby, Victorian decor and an excellent pint of Tetley's (well it should be - it's just up the road from the brewery).
A shame that one room has been 'trendified' with sofas and cushions.
19 Oct 2006 13:40
The Golden Heart, Nettleton Bottom
This pub - looking like an old stone cottage - looks great. I couldn't resist stopping off for a pint. Lots of character and several rooms inside but clearly selling meals is the main thing here and, horror of horrors, the pint of Archer's Golden that I had was 'orrible. It tasted flat and lifeless.
I was so crest-fallen that, instead of taking it back and changing it (as I would normally do), I left half of it and walked out.
I will give this pub a second chance when I am next in the area. I pray that the beer is usually better than this, so that I can give it a higher rating next time.
17 Oct 2006 13:40
Apparently this is a Beefeater pub... in other words, something that I would normally avoid, on the basis that food and families are usually more important to the landlord than selling good quality real ales. However, to my surprise, I found that this was a cosy, low-ceilinged place serving an excellent pint of London Pride. The pub area is separate from the food area so you can almost pretend this is a proper old fashioned boozer.
Perhaps some Beefeater pubs are worth a second look these days. I would certainly go back to this pub again if in the area.
17 Oct 2006 13:31
A magnificent pub. The grandeur of the Victorian decor makes you feel quite humble as you sup one of the excellent real ales on offer. If only I could recall what this pub looked like prior to its tasteful restoration.
Don't miss this place if you are in Leeds.
16 Oct 2006 16:30
Excellent pub. I used to drink here in 1975 to 1979 and it's hardly changed. (Actually I suspect it has changed, but has since been changed back again to how it was!)
If only more pubs were like this: dark wood panelling, frosted glass windows, several small cosy rooms, excellent real ales, and a real sense of history!
Don't anyone dare change this pub.
16 Oct 2006 16:11
Ye Gods - they spend a fortune converting this magnificent old building into a pub... and then they can't be bothered to serve any real ale! Only the chilled lagers, etc, are available.
The wonderful architecture, reeking of history, deserves better.
16 Oct 2006 13:30
I used to drink in here from 1975 to 1979. Just went back a few weekends ago for the first time in over 25 years... and amazingly the place has hardly changed! This place is real treasure, still consisting of several small, cosy rooms, and still reeking magificently of Victorian times.
The only concession to modernity is that the back room has been opened up and the partition (with its dark wood panelling and engraved glass) has been ripped out.
I pray that no one ever dares to change this great pub into one big soul-less room.
An excellent pint of hand-pump beer in here.
16 Oct 2006 13:27
A pretty good pub and I had an outstanding pint of Tetley's bitter in here.
But I used to drink here from 1975 to 1979. What a great little boozer it was then. Totally unrecognizable now. In the 70s, they hadn't expanded by buying up next door, nor had they knocked it all through into one big bar. You used to have a fabulous litle public bar where all the old men used to drink; and a comfortable saloon at the back; and the bar was in the middle and served both rooms.
Them were t'days.
16 Oct 2006 13:22
The Old Kings Head, Hampton Wick
On walking in here, I at first thought "Oh no, no real ales!". But then I spotted the solitary hand-pump, and an excellent pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord was enjoyed.
From the outside, this looks like a good old-fashioned boozer. But sadly, the inside looks like a brightly-painted gastro-pub. Sign of the times, I suppose. Looks like it used to be made up of two or three rooms, now knocked through into one less-than-cosy large room. Shame.
A weird comment from 'anonymous' below. Being packed and two deep at the bar is not the 'acid test' for a pub. On the contrary, surely most people who are looking for a good pint and a chat with some friends in a cosy pub would avoid a pub that is so busy? I know I would.
11 Oct 2006 14:39
The Druid's Head, Kingston Upon Thames
I like this pub. It's on two floors with several smaller rooms or cosy alcoves - preferable to those huge one-room pubs which are increasingly common.
I had a couple of pints of Deuchars, which were in good condition. Shame that the Old Speckeld Hen has now been down-strengthed from 5.2% to 4.5%. It's an outrage!
Everything is rather spoiled by the presence of at least 4 TV screens. I go to a pub to drink and chat. If I want to watch TV, I can do that at home. What's wrong with punters these days? Surely one TV in one room would be adequate, not scattered everywhere so that you can't get away from them?
And while I'm being a grumpy old man, why is the name of this pub spelled (in at least 4 places, including the frontage and the sign) with no apostrophe? I'm all for quirky pub names, but is this plain lazy grammar? Can someone explain, please?
10 Oct 2006 12:52
This is a beautiful old building, has some impressive flagstone flooring, and my pint of Adnam's Bitter was excellent.
But sadly it seems to have given up any wish to be a traditional pub: it chooses instead to cater for the food crowd, and a family crowd at that. There were hordes of kids running everywhere when I visited on a Sunday lunchtime. I haven't been here before, but I was informed by my drinking buddy that the inside has been opened out and brightened up to make it look more like a restaurant.
Another nail in the coffin of the traditional British boozer.
10 Oct 2006 10:02
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!
9 Oct 2006 17:40
The Boaters Inn, Kingston Upon Thames
At first glance, this looked like an excellent river-side pub with a large selection of real ales. But I ordered a pint of T.E.A. - it turned out to be so flat and tired that I left half of it. I won't hurry back. What's the problem - lines not getting cleaned properly?
17 Jul 2006 17:35
When I stumbled upon this pub I thought: great, I've found a wonderful old-fashioned locals' boozer. Sadly the Young's bitter was in sub-standard condition, and it was the only real ale on offer. Maybe I just visited on a bad day.
17 Jul 2006 17:33
The previous comment reminds me that you cannot cater for all tastes. I HATE pubs with big screens and pool tables. This could be an excellent old pub... and would be so much better if the beer was in better condition. I had a pint of real ale, which was so flat and tired I couldn't finish it. Management take note: real ale in good condition will get the punters in.
17 Jul 2006 17:30
The best-kept real ale in the Sydenham/Forest Hill/Crystal Palace area.
5 Apr 2006 17:26
Excellent - live music in Forest Hill, and it's rockin'. Just what the area needs. And it's great to see three real ales available - this pub was without proper beer for a few years. The management are doing a fine job. Only one problem, and it's a big one. I've visited the pub on two Fridays and both times the real ales were in extremely mediocre condition - no life in them. Is this because they can't shift it fast enough and it goes off? Or aren't those pipes getting cleaned properly? Maybe they should downsize to two real ales only.
5 Apr 2006 14:12
Widmore, Bickley
A lot of money and effort went into smartening this pub up around 18 months ago, and the decor has been kept appealingly traditional. As a bonus, we saw that they were now serving Harvey's Sussex Best and Fuller's London Pride. But what a disappointment - unfortunately the people who run the pub lack experience in keeping real ales. They are always in disappointing condition and often have to be sent back. I suspect the problem is that the lines are not getting cleaned properly enough or often enough. It's such a shame - all the real ale drinkers are deserting this pub, when in fact the pub could have built up quite a following.
13 May 2011 08:52