BITE user comments - theoneandonlyjoe
Comments by theoneandonlyjoe
Went in for the first time for a long time on Friday and was pleasantly surprised. The Yellow Hammer was well kept though sadly me and my compatriots drunk them out of it and had to switch to the equally fine Doombar. The service was pretty quick for a Friday night and the bar staff were chatty and friendly. Overall a fine experience.
4 Mar 2013 14:09
Went in here for a quick couple on a trip down to Brighton. Was all very good with service with a smile and good beer. Didn't have the fodo but it looked good and I'd certainly be tempted.
10 Sep 2012 16:37
This still remains a favourite of mine. The food seems to have come into it's own and is now top notch. The beer is well kept and an excellent selction. It also seems to draw a surprisingly high caliber of comedian to the comedy night. Strange for zone 3 but there you go.
As for the bar staff yeah it can be a real mixed bag. Sometimes I've been served with a smile, good banter and efficiency other times the beer seems to have come from the brewery rather than the cellar for all the speed it's delivered and from the look on the bar staffs face you'd think they'd had to walk there and back.
10 Sep 2012 16:30
Good selection of lagers on tap at prices that are readily becoming the standard in Balham, not that that's a good thing but there you go. Bar staff are efficient if not overly friendly. The inside is a little cramped on a Friday night and, whilst it is nice to sit outside, I don't think the European cafe culture style outside seating works so well with the jobcentre being the main view. Though you can't really blame the bar for that. A decent bar in all and worth a visit.
10 Sep 2012 16:19
bland if unthreatening high street pub. Done to a standard that will be pleasant enough to passers by but not high enough to encourage regular visits or a long stay.
10 Sep 2012 15:55
Great little pub in Cheam. Friendly barstaff who are more than happy to let you have samples of their regularly rotating ale selection. This normally has 3 regular ones and 3 guest ales each week. Generally these are all really well kept and even when they did slip up the other week and serve us 1 pint that had gone off they were quite happy to replace it. No fuss, no bother just happy to serve.
10 Sep 2012 15:51
I usually don't go in but went in to meet a friend recently. There is nothing too wrong with this pub the beer was good with a decent selection, it's confortable, looks nice and the screen was great to watch the sport on. The only downside being the barstaff. Plenty of them on and friendly to chat to but did have the occaisional tendency to look through you, walking passed a couple of times before deciding to serve you. Didn't happen too often but I was waiting long enough when 1 or 2 bar staff were doing nothing for me to notice.
Overall though there is nothing particularly wrong with this pub that a quick word with the staff couldn't fix. That said there is nothing that would have me picking it out over the half dozen or more other pubs all within a 5 minute walk.
10 Sep 2012 15:48
The Bunch of Grapes, London Bridge
Fairly standard slightly higher than middle of the road Youngs pub. Ales were pretty good, food distinctly average and bar staff generally quite pleasant. I'd stop off here but probably wouldn't stay for long.
18 Jan 2012 13:26
Identikit high street pub with little to recommend it above the crowd but nothing really tp detract away from it either. Selection of beers is OK (though I will say the Tribute is really well kept), food is OK, atmosphere OK, decor OK, bar staff a mixed bag though one of the barmen is a really friendly bloke, prices a bit steep. Overall a safe if uninspiring choice of pub.
6 Jan 2012 12:29
Large pub that I'd guess mainly caters to a regulars crowd. Still the bar staff were friendly enough and the regulars in there were generally OK. That said one did come over to our group to 'tell us a joke' with the bet that for each one of us that laughed we'd give him a quid. No one did and he went away skint.
The place is pretty poor as pubs go with a limited selection of beers and not a great atmosphere. I can't see any reason to go there unless it was to get out of the rain.
6 Jan 2012 12:26
A great selection of ales one tap, about 10 on my visit, with them often changing the make once a barrell runs out (we had 5 changeovers whilst I was there so a total of about 15 different ales to try if you were quick). There was also a decent selection of bottled beers and non-high street lagers on tap. Prices are based on the strength of the beer and anything over about 4.5% will set you back considerably for a round. This is the only thing that would make this place a treat for me to visit rather than a regular trip.
6 Jan 2012 12:00
Was in here the other week and it still has a great selection of beers and excellent service. I ordered the roast which was good quality, relatively cheap but the portions were quite small. Still I suppose you can't have everything.
6 Jan 2012 11:56
Now a place called Dr. Inks (get it). Nice decor and nice beers haven't stopped this palce from being continuous dead. Maybe that's because the bar staff have turned surliness and unfriendliness into a fine art?
17 Nov 2011 16:53
Fairly bog standard, middle of the road pub that has quite a handy location. There is a decent selection of beers, generally well kept (the Tribute being especially good on a recent visit), with OK pub grub, nice enough staff and an OK if slightly too uniform decor. My impression is that this is a pub looking to pick up passing trade and tourists with little to recommend it above any other pub in the area but then little to drag it below any other pub, though the prices are pretty steep e(specially when charging almost �3 for a coke).
To sum up nothing to damn but nothing to praise either.
17 Nov 2011 16:44
Have gone in a few times since they started serving food and I'm generally impressed. The food is tasty but is not remarkable and just on the verge of being too pricy for what it is.
There is a wide choice of beers but the taps are often turned round on a lot of them (4 of the 6 ales and one of the lagers on my last visit) but I guess that just speaks of the popularity of the place.
A big plus point is that the staff were polite, friendly and couldn't have been more friendly. This is a massive plus point for this place and is typical of all the Antic pubs I've been in. So they certainly seem to ahve a very good hiring policy.
The main down point for me was the volume of the music on a Friday or Saturday night. Maybe I'm becoming a bit fusty as I grow older but it seemed to be too high and whilst conversation was still possible it did become a bit strained.
Still overall a massive improvement on what was there before and a real credit to the area.
27 Sep 2011 15:21
On the plus side the speed of service can't be faulted and the staff are nice enough. The beer is also well kept and a decent enough range.
On the negative side this pub is a bit like it's own decor. In that it's OK without standing out or being remarkable. As mentioned the staff are efficient and can pour a decent pint but they don't have character. That's not to say they themselves are dull it's just very apparent they're there to do their job and that's it really, which I guess is fair enough. The clientele are equally pefectly pleasant chatting to their own group and you won't find trouble but again they're not going to have you clamouring to come back thanks to the great atmosphere.
At the end of the day this pub does exactly what it seems to have been designed to do. Serve decent enough food and drink in a decent enough environment. There is no reason why you couldn't spend plenty of time in here with your friends but equally you could leave and have forgotten the name of the place in a couple of hours as it's completely unremarkable.
6 Jul 2011 16:14
Great pub that has consistently given me great beer at a reasonable price, in a nicely laid out pub with nice decor and great atmosphere. My only question is if Sam Smiths can do this from his brewery in Tadcaster how do Youngs mess this up so regularly from their brewery in London?
13 May 2011 00:12
The Windmill on the Common, Clapham Common
If this place wasn't on the only pub directly on the Common it would have closed down years ago. Badly served terrible food, just about average beer, nasty decor and seemingly constantly soaring prices make this place one to avoid.
12 Apr 2011 18:17
Dropped in here on St Patricks day this year and wasn't impressed. OK it's only a plastic paddy bar but I got the worst pint of Guiness I've ever had in here so any pretence at being an Irish bar is gone. The barman had to change the barrel, fair enough, so I paid for it and he went off whilst i waited. 25 minutes later he reappeared and served someone else. He then spied me waiting and remembered why I was waiting. He then poured a straight pint of Guiness with no waiting time between the original pour and the top up, basically as if it were a pint of lager. It also tasted pretty off.
Suffice it to say I wasn't impressed.
12 Apr 2011 17:47
Was here during the six nations earlier this year. The bar was heaving, as you'd expect, and one of the male bar staff did seem to serve any girl in a low cut top ahead of me which was fairly annoying. That said the rest of the staff were fine and were working well at a very busy time. Frustratingly the match seemed to coincide with cocktail happy hour though and this meant that the staff would often be occupied for some time making these whilst I was left wanting a pint.
I quite like the bar itself and it's laid out well with a nice crowd and a good vibe. Certainly somewhere I'd happily visit for a night out in Clapham.
12 Apr 2011 17:42
Went back here again to give it another go. God why do I put myself through it? Souless and overpriced with no saving graces or justification for the exorbitant charges on their food and drinks. Avoid.
12 Apr 2011 17:33
Have been back since my last review and it's mollified me somewhat. The place is OK and I hope it survives as it's all right to go to. That said I'm still convinced that the new decor isn't as nice as the old style (no accounting for taste I guess) and still seems to be an attempt to solve a problem that wasn't there in the first place. The service and selection of beers are still good though so this will probably keep me coming back but where as it used to be first on the list or the place you want to close out the night in now it's just another one on the list or another stop on the road.
12 Apr 2011 17:28
Reading some of the previous reviews I can only assume this place has been taken over. The fact that the negative ones seem to be mainly from 2009 only goes to reinforce my belief.
Went in on Saturday night and found the place to be a great find. The beers were well kept and there was a huge range of ales and lagers. The staff were very friendly and couldn't do enough. I didn't eat but some of my friends did and they all said it was good.
The only problem I had with the place is that it's a bit small and can get busy very quickly. But then there is not an awful lot you can do about that.
4 Apr 2011 11:23
Went in here on Saturday to watch the sport. The place had good coverage with plenty of TVs about. That said if you didn't want to watch sport you were out of luck. No where to get away from it.
A bit worrying to see a doorman on at 5 in the afternoon doing the standard 'how you doing?' line to see if you're drunk but I can't say once i was inside I felt like I was in any danger.
4 Apr 2011 11:16
I'm in two minds on this place really. I went in and had a leaisurely Sunday afternoon/evening with a group of friends and had more than a few beers and a meal. Overall the staff were great, the food was good and the beer was fine. There are a few points though
1) The only food on offer was the Sunday roast and then you only had a choice between beef, pork or a vegetarian tart. OK it's a Sunday and people will most likely want a roast but this is still pretty limited.
2) The beef I had was well done and I prefer it rare. Perhaps I should have mentioned this but I wasn't asked for a choice so I assumed you didn't have a choice. It was still very nice but I'd say that as standard it should be at least medium. Personal taste though I suppose.
3) They do that annoying piling the food in the middle of the plate thing. I guess this is to try and hide the fact that
4) The portions were a bit too small. Not enough to make you feel ripped off but enough that you thought they weren't being particularly generous. This is especially true as
5) The prices are fairly high. A pint of budvar was �4 which is about 50p more than I'm used to paying and about 30p more than I'd see even in a pricy pub. I also felt the meal was about �1-2 more than it probably should have been. I'd again judge this as a bit pricy rather than a rip off.
All in all I'd say that this is a good pub but the reasons I've posted above, and I fully admit they're minor ones, stop it from being a great pub.
4 Apr 2011 11:11
Pretty good pub that has a decent atmosphere and a nice crowd. It does suffer from having a small bar area that means it can be quite hard to get served when it's busy.
23 Mar 2011 02:45
Reasonably OK attempt at all things for everyone pub. Decor is comfortable, food all right, service reasonable, OK selection of beers but nothing here that realy sets it apart from any other pub or bar.
23 Mar 2011 02:42
It's a station pub but a damn fine example of one. The food is fairly good example of pub grub and nice selection of ales. Not generally somewhere you'd spend an evening but somewhere you wouldn't mind if you missed your train and had to have another pint.
23 Mar 2011 02:38
Was introduced to this place by a friend and have been back several times since, always with the same pleasurable result. It's slighty the wrong way from Clapham Junction location won't help to pull in passing trade but the fact it's generally busy shows it's doin things right.
It has a good selection of beers, both bottled and on tap and did a nice pint of mean time the last time I was there.
It may not be to everyones taste but to be honest It's nice to see a bar that's happy to cater to someone looking for something different than the middle of the road look a lot of bars seem to go for.
On a final note if you're the owner/manager do whatever you can to keep hold of the staff here. They're friendly, helpful, efficient and generally just great.
23 Mar 2011 02:33
oh and Extropunk the snooker tables in the BBC have moved upstairs if you'd missed these. Though I agree the loss of these downstairs hasn't helped the place.
23 Mar 2011 02:18
I went in here after the refurb and i have to say I agree with the previous posters on it, not one for the better. The idea of the pizza bar is one that I can see being great on paper but didn't work for me in practise. The backroom area was always my favourite part of the old Clarence which now feels too much like an extension of the kitchen.
Gone are a lot of the more interesting furniture that seemed to be fairly unique to the Clarence (or at least not so common) in has come some more standardised pub furniture.
The brightness of the lights has shot up which for me is not a good thing (insert joke here). Overall the refurb has gone further to make this feel like a restaurant that serves beer than a pub. As my biggest complaint about the old Clarence was that I occaisionally felt like this was the case this really hasn't helped my opinion of the place.
I appreciate the comments from the owner on here and I'm sure the extra opening windows, air conditioning and extension of the toilets makes for an improved pub and it's good to see that you are thinking of the little things that can improve a place as well. That said I've never heard anyone say 'let's go to such and such a pub. It's got great toilets and air conditioning.' The atmosphere and feel to the place has dipped in my opinion. I'll probably be back to give this place another go but certainly first impressions did not bode well.
23 Mar 2011 02:17
Went in here with a decent sized crowd the other week and really liked it. I didn't get any food but some of the people I was with did and it looked good and was well priced.
The bar staff were friendly and worked well providing quick service doling out pints of well served and well kept beer.
There are TVs showing sport but kept in one section which is big enough to fit a crowd but doesn't take over the whole pub.
Got to be said a highly recomended pub.
8 Dec 2010 16:01
The Barrowboy and Banker, London Bridge
Have been in here a few times and though it's on the pricy side the beer is good in both range and quality. It's also laid out well and is a good looking pub in a handy location.
My one fault though comes from the last time I was in here. I'd gone in as part of a group of about 15-16 people at about 3.55 on a Sunday. A fair few of us were hungry and the food being eaten by those around us looked good. So we ordered a few drinks and asked for menus from behind the bar. Sat down made our choices and went back at about 4.10 only to be told the kitchen shut at 4.
Now I've got no problems with the kitchen shutting a bit early on a Sunday and I'm not one of those people that thinks it should re open just because I've come with a largish group who were planning on spending a fair bit of money in afternoon. My problem is why didn't the bar staff warn us that the kitchen was shutting in 5 minutes when we picked up the menus? It wouldn't have taken much and even if they decided they didn't want to fit so many orders in at the last minute they could at least of said this.
Unfortunately this has left a bit of a dent in what otherwise would be a glowing review.
8 Dec 2010 15:47
Decent enough high street pub that will both suffer and benefit from it's location. On the plus side it's on a main road and is the only pub for about a 10 minute walk, So bit of passing trade. On the down side it's by itself in a place where the trade is likely to pass through.
Still a good choice of beers that are decently kept, nice decor, decent pub food and fairly good staff makes this an all right choice without being remarkable. Worth heading in if you're passing by or in the area but not worth making a detour for.
8 Dec 2010 15:19
Things are stepping towards improvement here. Have been in a few times since the take over and I'd describe it currently as a work in progress. More beers on tap and some good ones too, a quick refurb is also making it look more friendly.
However it's still missing something and the lack of SKY has meant I watch sport at the Kings Head down the road. The movement is in the right direction but hopefully the journey's not done yet.
8 Dec 2010 15:14
OK found out it seems it's been bought up by the same guys who run the Balham Bowls Club, The Tramshed, The Antelope etc.
12 Oct 2010 00:35
Think you probably hit the nail on the head by saying before hitting the tube to Clapham. It's not an area to stay on a Friday or Saturday night so you might have one or two here before moving on so it's never going to get busy.
I always thought the place was OK bit trying too hard for the area and the prices set on the high side to keep out the people who would rather try the Wheatsheaf.
Plus the rumour I heard basically said that the owner is a local landlord who is trying to push up the rent prices in the area by introducing higher end businesses to the area. i could well believe it from the place.
11 Oct 2010 16:46
I used to go into the old wheatsheaf occaisionally prior to it going into administration. It was an old style boozer where if your face fitted you were OK but I certainly know a few people that were put off from the place but also a few hardcore regulars.
Anyway I passed there today on my way home and saw it was now a 'pop up pub' whatever that is. A young girl was doing some work on the windows and from the looks of things it's looking to drop the average age of the drinkers by at least 20 years.
11 Oct 2010 16:30
The Miller of Mansfield, Borough
Don't let the outside fool you inside lies a a really good pub. Great staff and a good atmosphere. Definitely worth a stop in.
9 Jun 2010 10:14
The Barrowboy and Banker, London Bridge
Was in there on Saturday night and came away pretty happy. A really good selection of beer with a very good London Porter on hand pump.
Reasonably priced and very close to the station if I'm in the area I'll definitely go back.
9 Jun 2010 10:11
A nice selection of ales, if a little lacing in choice. Very good for showin sport with a good number of tvs and now showing some football in 3d. However 2 things let this place down. The food looks pretty low quality and the staff are some of the most miserable people I've ever seen working in a pub. As it's every single one of them I can only think that the management are a nightmare to work for.
9 Jun 2010 01:02
bland carbon copy of every other O'Neils out there. Not good but not necessarily bad either.
9 Jun 2010 00:56
Massiely disappointed with this place tonight. However tonight I was sered two pints of heineken that tasted as if they had disinfectant in them. Now the staff were happy to replace these with new pints but to be honest I was told by my frined that went up they insisted on the first replacement being with another heineken. This was bad enough as I was only drinking it thans to the bar staff making a mix up with the drinks order but again the second pint was as bad as the first.
Ignoring this and switching to bottled beer I order a goats cheese and roast vegetable sandwich. This was supposed to come with a side sald and chips. Now the salad was good enough and I appreciate chips literallly just means plural but it came with just 8 chips. I dont expect a trough full of them but 8? Someone is taking the micky. Added to this was that the sandwich was the size that I'd describe as half a sandwich and overall the food was terrible value for money.
This is by far the worst experince I've had in a pub for a long time and only stayed as I was there on business. In it's defence the staff were frinedly and served quickly plus this is the only bad experience I'e ever had in the pub. Admitedly I haven't been in there in months so maybe it was just a one off bad time and I could put the terrible tasting beer, the face they wouldn't replace the pint with a different beer (een though I asked for one that cost the same as the off brand) until after the second bad pint and mixing up of the drinks order (though only two drinks do not massiely complicated) down to that. However the size of the portions of the food is the norm. Added to the fact that this seemed to be pricier than normal in RIchmond and I will not be coming back in a hurry. Obviously I'm not a regular but I can only recomend to those that may be to try somewhere else.
I don't normally give so damningly negatie reviews and you can feel free to check my comments history to show it but my experience tonight was really quite dreadful and I feel compelled to share it.
9 Jun 2010 00:52
The place has changed completely. New trendy decort, new loud music loss of a few beers on tap and a new team behind the bar.
It's pretty good but not great. It offers something new in Balham but not necessarily something that all will like. The only non-lagers on tap were guiness and london pride which is much more like a slight consideration to ale drinkers than any attempt to attract them in.
The place does have huge sports screens and will be great to watch a game in but I would say overall the place is passable at best.
5 Apr 2010 22:27
Don't believe the reports of bad staff. They've never been anything other than friendly and speedy for me. Maybe try smiling back at them and not tutting at them whilst waving your �20 note at them as you've been standing there for a whole 2 minutes.
1 Apr 2010 14:47
Has now reopened as The Regent. I haven't been in yet but it's supposed to be under new management so an instant improvement.
1 Apr 2010 14:15
Can't say it's a shame to see the old Tup go. Great location and used to be a nice place but the recent management team let it down to the point where no one I knew would go in. As such no surprises to see it close.
Hopefully it will reopen at some point in the future going back to the fun and friendly environment it used to be.
16 Feb 2010 15:10
Went in recently and have to say it's a fantastic pub. And that's just what it is a pub. Nothing fancy nothing grand but serves good beer, in a good atmosphere at reasonable prices. Thoroughly recomended
30 Nov 2009 18:56
The Famous 3 Kings (F3K), West Kensington
Decent pub with a good atmosphere on sports days. The manager does seem to have a funny policy regarding the sport he shows on the TVs though. He wont change them over even if no ones watching.
For example earlier in the year went in during a lions game. The game was on in the big back room but this was packed way before the start. The front part of the bar was showing the end of the F1, a second division football game, some hockey and a fishing channel. Fair enough great to have the diversity but whn it became clear that absolutely no one was watching with the front section entrirely populated by one table of girls not interested in sport at all and a few tables patiently waiting for it to be seapped over to the rugby making regular trips to the bar asking when this was going to be. The manager refused time and time again but also refused to give an explanation why just a flat refusal. Then 20 minutes in he makes the switch. Nothing had changed in any of the games apart from the F1 which had finished 10 minutes prior to this and was showing the commentators chatting about it, with the sound down.
As I said strange decisions and I can understand you might of had passing trade coming in to watch the alternative sports but come on how many people were likely to come in and settle down to watch the fishing? In the end I saw at least a couple of dozen people either leave or walk in and go out because they couldn't get a good view of the game.
Still staff are friendly though on game day you will have to wait half an hour plus to get drinks. However if you get them in early the atmosphere makes up for it.
30 Oct 2009 11:57
The refurb has done wonders for this backstreet pub. What used to be a run down, microwaved meal serving pub to avoid has now been transformed into one of the nicest pubs in Richmond. The food is good and hearty portions at a not too expensive rate. Good selection of ales and the staff are helpful and friendly.
Fine choice for drinking or eating. Well done guys.
22 Sep 2009 14:12
Have been in a few times since my last review and I think it's probably taken a turn for the better. The staff are OK, service is OK, they've got a nice selection of beers, there's always space and they've got a lot of deals on. Yet for some reason I still can't bring myself to drink in there regularly. As I said everything is OK but there is just nothing that would hook you to come in more often.
22 Sep 2009 12:05
I went in recently for the first time in a long time. It was very good. Friendly and helpful staff and a good range of beers and drinks.
I only ate the chips but they were excellent and the rest of the food I saw looked very good. I also took part in the quiz which was really good fun.
The only down side I'd say is that the place was very expensive a good 50p extra on a pint than you'd find in most other parts of Balham.
30 Apr 2009 16:08
Wow having to wait a whole 15 minutes to get served on a packed Saturday night! Sorry but you have very high standards. The staff have always been great to me (especially the French girl with the dark hair).
Also they've started doign Sunday roasts which are flipping fantastic and must be tried.
30 Apr 2009 16:04
If you have a look at my previous comments about this place you can see that they're generally positive however a nasy change has come over the Tup recently. The crowd is still the same, the decor hasn't changed, the food is still alright and there are still one or two nicely kept ales on tap.
The change? The attitude of the staff. They serve with a grudging attitude and are at times just plain rude. They give snide comments to the public and seem to have a real attitude problem. Since this started I've been in 3 or 4 times and it does seem to be the same 2 or 3 staff members like this and the rest are fine but this small group really let's the whole pub down.
30 Apr 2009 16:02
Probably the best pub in Balham. Good beers, good food, great staff. Fantastic unique furnishings add to what is a brilliant pub. This place is highly recomended.
31 Aug 2008 16:59
As you can tell from my previous post I really liek this pub. It's a great place for a drink and has a really friendly atmosphere.
However over the last few weeks something has spoilt my enjoyment of this fine establishment. One of the barmen now seems to have developed the worlds largest chip on his shoulder. His service comes with a scowl, he eyes anyone with suspicion, when moving people out of the side garden at the end of the night to lock up he says things like 'come on move on'. On a seperate night he also confiscated a mostly empty bottle of water from my group telling us off for bringing in outside drinks and saying if we wanted water we could get it at the bar for free. As we already had a round of beers and were all drinking them (the water was just brought in as we had been drinking it earlier) this seemed a little extreme and if they insist on not letting you bring in bottles of water a friendly word or a could you just put it in your bag would have been much more appreciated rather than snatching it from the table and a telling off like we were school children.
I go to this pub at least once a week with a group of friends and have always really liked it. However the attitude of this one member of staff (and it is only one member of staff) is really off putting and has led to talks of moving on else where.
19 Aug 2008 09:20
Never has a pub benefitted more from the smoking ban. With it's low ceilings this place used to have it's own personal fog bank making everything oredered beer, wine, food taste of cigarettes. Since the ban the smoke has gone and the taste has returned.
Nice bar staff, good beers and good location. Doesn't quite cater for the green like the Cricketers but is still a decent pub
25 Jul 2008 13:19
Braved the price of the food the other Sunday for their roast. I have to say that I was impressed and it was very good. The beer garden out the back is also very nice on a sunny day.
I'd go there for the roast again but I stand by my previous comments as a pub.
9 Jul 2008 13:14
My problem Vin is that this is another example of a place where the heart and soul has been ripped out of a fun lively pub and replaced with a bland identikit bar who seem to think that by charging a fortune for a drink you istantly add an element of class. This isn't the worst example of this in Richmond (see The Duke from The Racing Page for that) but it is a worrying trend. It makes me worried about what may happen to glorious drinking holes like The Angel and Crown, The Sun and The Cricketers.
When I lived in Richmond I used to say one of the best things about it was the selection and range of pubs on offer. We are moving more and more towards one kind could be anywhere pubs like The Hope.
4 Jul 2008 16:41
Went in last night and had yet another good night. Free music in the mini-globe theatre. The only thing they asked for was that you listened to the music and turned your mobile off. For me this was great as if you wanted a conversation you could go sit in the main bar quite happily and it meant you could hear the excellent music perfectly.
Again great venue, great pub.
19 Jun 2008 13:45
Yes it is now The Hope. Yet another souless gastro pub great just what Richmond really needs as it does indeed lack these.
How long will it be before every pub wont sell you crisps or peanuts but will sell you a small round bowl of olives or cashews for half the value of your house?
3 Jun 2008 16:02
Great pub in the traditional sense of pub. I've never had a bad pint (normally better than average) and they have a decent range to try as well.
The food has always been excellent when I've had it. Especially the roast which is just about the best I've had in London.
The bar staff have always been equally as good. Friendly, efficient and always with a smile.
Overall top pub.
13 May 2008 16:57
Have been in since the refurb. They've done a top notch job. All they've really done is give it a quick spruce up and some new wallpaper. This is all it needed.
Downside I think they have lost their best staff. Had to wait for a very long time to get served when not many people waiting and then had staff walk past me to serve people that had only just turned up.
12 May 2008 16:25
Had a really good night here last night. Excellent pub. Great staff, ok beer and great djs playing 10950s soul and rock and roll loved it. Keep it up.
10 May 2008 18:42
Very good selectin of beers (that's it main selling point) most of them at a high price. You can see why though as they are pretty specialised. The service is good but does lack atmosphere. Not bad but not great.
8 May 2008 14:00
Have been in a few times and have always enjoyed it. Personally I think there's a bit too much cr*p up on the walls but other than that it's pretty good. The Thai food I've had there was tasty and reasonably priced. The service was good and even though it felt busy enough to create a good atmosphere I could still easily find a table.
8 May 2008 13:56
Bog standard O'Neils. Nothing special to draw you in other than the convinient location but then there are much better places nearby.
8 May 2008 13:48
Not a real Irish pub? Well as far as I'm concerned the only real Irish pubs can be found in Ireland so no this isn't one. What it is is a fantastic pub in it's own right. The door opening on the Leicester Square side makes you think your going to enter a minute cramped pub but this opens up into a cavernous place with dozens of hidden side sections. The decor is great and whilst it is pretty pricy it's fairly typical for the area. It keeps me coming back time after time.
7 May 2008 15:22
Lovely pub for a drink. Great staff, good beer, great location. The food was not good when I had it, however it's a pub not a restaurant so who cares. I've never known the pub to be cold though on any of the times I went in. Could I suggest this was a one off?
7 May 2008 15:17
Do you know the bonus I get is criminal? Oh the housing market is great/awful at the moment. My new company car is huge.
If you like conversations along this line then please feel free to go along otherwise avoid like the plague.
6 May 2008 16:18
I'm not a huge fan of gastropubs (for a young guy I'm a bit of a traditionalist if you want to eat a good meal go to a restaurant a pubs for drinking) but this place does it very well. The food is good and the beer is nice. In general the staff are really friendly however I and a very large group of friends were in there one summer and so moved some of the tables and chairs in the garden around so we could sit together. One of the staff came out and demanded we move them back as not asking permission 'wasn't cricket' and that he probably would have let us if we'd asked first. This seemed bizarre to me as we weren't doing any harm or blocking anything in the garden and if it was ok to do something like that but you just needed to ask permission first then perhaps a calm, slight rebuke would have been better than an angry and condescending snap. They also lost themselves quite a bit of money as there were over twenty of us and were about to order food but decided to go somewhere else after that.
Having said that it was just a one off and when we've been in with smaller groups they seemed very friendly. Maybe they have a thing against big groups?
30 Apr 2008 13:39
A real local pub. You wouldn't walk to get here from anywhere else but if you live in the area it's definately worth popping in.
30 Apr 2008 13:30
Back when I lived in Richmond this was one of my regular haunts. Great drinkers pub with a good selection of beer and friendly bar staff. The view can't be beaten and it's great to feel that they trust you enough to take real glasses over the road to enjoy the view (I'm so fed up with plastic ones that are inevitably left strewn across the area).
I have eaten here once and was not impressed. In general the meals were cold and overpriced. However that said this is not the reason to go here and you can always eat somewhere else.
I noticed one of the earlier posters said they should get Sky TV here. If the landlord/lady read this site can I just do NOT listen to them. TVs blaring in what is a fairly low ceilinged environment would ruin the small place of calm and relaxtion this place provides.
30 Apr 2008 13:22
A great place to watch sport as it has screens on every available wall and plays different games and sports in the same area but on different screens depending on which way your facing. As such I've been able to sit in a group whilst I watch the rugby, another guy watches football and a third watched the cricket all at the same table. Very convinient. The beer is pretty standard chain pub fare with no guest ales or anything particularly special. The food is cheap if your ordering two meals (it's permanently 2 for 1) but I've eaten there three times now trying differant things off the menu and have yet to have something good but I guess you get what you pay for.
30 Apr 2008 13:07
nice enough version of this chain cocktail bar. Good bar staff (which seems to be a trend in these places that is worth continueing) the cocktails are nice, though outside of happy hour way too expensive. the main difference between this one and the one in Richmond (which is the only other one I've been to) is that this actually has space inside this is a massive benefit.
Seems to attract 20 something women like no tomorrow.
27 Apr 2008 23:59
One of the nicest pubs in the area. This is my regular call after playing touch rugby on old deer park and is always a highlight of the night. Good choice of beer which is always served with a smile. The food is pub grub which is actually a nice change from the wealth of gastropubs in Richmond. IT'S A PUB NOT A RESTAURANT.
The only down point is that the crowd of stools right by the bar make it a bit difficult to get served when it's busy.
Am looking forward to my next visit.
17 Apr 2008 14:04
When I lived in Richmond and wanted to watch sport during the day I'd generally go here. Mainly because every where else would be packed and you always knew you'd get a seat here. The food is cheap and cheerful the quality is not good but suits the price they charge for it so you can't really complain. If your ucky enough to have a yellow card the beer is very cheap especially for Richmond if not it's probably still the cheapest pub around, though again the quality is not great.
The staff are friendly enough, some more than others, though I've yet to see the new manageress so can't comment there.
The last thing I'd say was that I would NEVER and I repeat NEVER go in their on a weekend night. I felt as if I was about 10 years older than the majority of the people in there and I'm 27. Generally full of 16-17 year old getting smashed off 3 pints. Having said that when I was their age I also used to go to pubs and getted smashed so can't really complain. However it was a similar place and anyone older avoided it like the plague. Same goes.
17 Apr 2008 13:59
It would be a good pub if your a regular however if your not the welcome is not so warm. I've gone in a few times mainly to watch sport and I've generally received a lukish warm welcome. However whilst I was in there once a girl who came in and sat at a table was told to buy something or get out when she explained she was waiting for someone she was given a 10 minute time limit for them to turn up or she would be chucked out. The guy did turn up and they left straight away. This place will either survive unchanged for decades on the strength of it's large regular crowd or will be bought out within the year and turned into a gastro pub as that's the way Tooting Bec seems to be creeping towards
17 Apr 2008 13:28
I've been in a couple of times since my last posting and just wanted to say that each visit raises my opinion of the place. OK I still stand by my comments that this is much more focused towards food but what really helps to impress me is the staff. They are without doubt some of the friendliest bar staff I've come across. They always seeem to serve with a smile and are a credit to the place. The last time I went in my friends an I sat in the back section and pretended not to notice the reserved sign on the table (very bad I know but there were no other free tables and no one was sitting there) the girl that saw this politely and correctly told us that we would have to move which we did with no complaints. Later on she searched for us and found us as soon as another table was free. OK it's just a small point but when I've done this before in similar circumstances in differant pubs I've had a very surley and aggresive response and so thought this was really nice.
A piece of advice to the manager DO NOT lose these staff they are part of what makes this place good
16 Apr 2008 13:49
Went in here for the first time last night. It was fairly quiet but it was a Tuesday night and so were the other places I'd been to. Overall I'd say this place was pretty decent. The candle light was good and music was not too loud (note every person in there were in groups of two one guy one girl think that says a lot about what the lighting and music were aimimg for).
No ales or bitters on sale as far as I could tell but then this wasn't a surprise from the looks of the place. The lager tasted pretty good though and the service was good (however as I've said before it was a quiet Tuesday night).
Other things I like about the place is that it oes have the cinema option (much needed as there isn't a proper cinema for miles as far as I know) and the place offer cocktail making courses which I guess is a bit of a change in things to do. Also I love the giant fishtank. It makes the place look very 80s but I do love fish tanks so there you go.
16 Apr 2008 13:26
Yes the place has a strange smell (a combination of death and p*ss) yes the clientel look like they have come straight from collecting their pension/dole, yes it looks as if it should have been kncoked down years ago but it's a weatherspoons. There really should be a seperate section on this site for weatherspoons pubs. Everyone I've been into is a mixture of the damned and the near dead crammed into nasty surronding dinking whatever they can get their hands on but thats what weatherspoons are for isn;t it? You know what they're like before you go through the door so you can't treat them like a normal pub you have to give them special treatment as they're not really pubs they're weatherspoons drinking establishments. Commenting on how run doen and nasty they are is a bit like saying a fishmonger stinks of fish. Yep they do but it goes with the territory. This place is slightly better than some other weatherspoons I've been into but compared to a pub still not nice.
14 Apr 2008 11:00
Nice pub. Had never been in here before but went in as it was the only pub I could find that had a quiz on a Thursday. I'm glad I did though as it's a nice pub. The food looked good (Didn't have any though) and the beer was nice. The quiz was good especially for a free one. Overall a good pub.
14 Apr 2008 10:53
Ok I'm neither a CAMRA-anorak or an over 50s moaner, though I must admot a few of the comments on the pubs in Balham do seem to be full of comments by people who could fall into this catergory..the comments on The Bedford would be a prime example. I'm actually in a late 20s professional so probably just the kind of person the refurb was done to attract.
I also don't know what the DOD was like before the refurb as I've only just moved to the area. So I don't have happy memories of years gone by dancing around there. However I decided to check the place out with a few friends this weekend to see what the refurb was like. Basically we walked in, had a look around and walked out. My understanding was that it was supposed to be a pub not a gaudily designed restaurant with a limited menu. Staff were way to overattentive we hadn't gone anywhere near the bar or mentioned wanting to eat before 2 (not just one) staff tried to usher us into the back room to eat, no mention of just getting a drink. Their attitude also made it feel a bit like being frog marched in and forced to eat.
From the sound sof it before this place offered an alternative local venue to have a late night drink and a dance in. I must admit I'd prefer to have seen a return to that than this overpriced eatery. If I wanted a gastro pub I'd rather head to the Clarence, at least it's decor didn't make me think I was in a bad copy of a 19th French brothel. If I want a quiet drink the BBC is a much better bet. In short whatever you would want from the place can be found better else where. OK maybe the food is ok I didn't try it but it does seem like they tried to cover all the bases and hit none of them. Overall I would avoid it. What a waste of money
11 Apr 2008 16:27
This is now probably the best drinking pub in Richmond now that the Racing Page has become the Duke. The staff are great, a good selection of beers and 99% of the time they have been served really well. I did have one pint that tasted a bit off once but the staff were happy to exchange it for something else so no complaints.
The place can become a bit crowded at times but that is only testament to how good the pub is. Ok if there is a big sporting event on it will be packed out and you will have problems getting to the bar so if your not interested in that game I wouldn't go. If you are interested in that game the atmosphere in the place more than makes up for it.
The down side I guess is the food. I had the roast in there once and it wasn't very good. However if you want to eat in Richmond there are more than enough options out there for you and the area really could use some places more focused towards the drinker rather than the diner and this website is beerintheevening not foodintheevening. So in all a really good pub try it you will like it.
10 Apr 2008 12:26
I've eaten and drunk here several times and have to say that I have had a really good experience on every occaision. The food was excellent and whilst a bit exspensive the quality was such that I wouldn't say overpriced. A nice selection of beers, friendly staff and a good atmosphere tops off a very enjoyable experience.
10 Apr 2008 12:15
Great pub with more rooms than you can count. I'm sure there are some tucked away somewhere that I haven't found yet.
Out of the three on the ground floor the mini-globe theatre bit offers a good stage for bands and comedy. Generally has a fairly good standard of both. The larger bar offers a place where you can comfortably chat with mates or meet new people. I don't like the food serving bit they have in there though as I don't think it looks quite right in the setting. It does show some sport (be warned at this point it will be packed and your be lucky to squeeze through the door). If I was going to watch sport here I'd go to the smaller bar with it's entrance round the corner from the main one (do not call this 'the old mans bar' within earshot of the regulars there as you probably get a slightly grumpy look and a hmmmpphhh). It's also good if you want a quiet chat as the noise and music played in the main bar is well contained in there. The down side of sitting in there is that service can be quite slow as the staff can't see in from the other side and do not dedicate a member of staff for that side so they may get bored and drift round to the main bar. Also the toilets (even as a bloke) do leave quite a bit to be desired or offer more than desired depending on the way you look at it.
The staff can be a little variable as well have known great really friendly staff who work efficiently and efectively and among the best you'll find in Balham. Also have had someone who forgot my drinks order twice despite me only ordering one drink and some crisps.
The beer again can be a bit variable. I've had some good pints and some bad ones. I've only had the food once and it was pretty good standard pub food bit overpriced but I seem to feel that way about all pub food in Balham so who knows.
As previous comments have stated it is pretty much full of younger new Balhamites moving down from the spread of Clapham but I find the seperation of rooms offers a space and atmosphere for everyone.
9 Apr 2008 13:31
This place is all right to be honest. It does get packed when showing sport, got my hand stamped by the world's shortest doorman when I went in to watch a 6 nations game which I thought was a bit odd. Does favour football over rugby if both are shown at the same time despite putting up rugby flags. Thoguh it will show one at one end of the bar and the other at the other end I have always found the commentary on teh footbal much louder.
When the sport isn't on there is plenty of space without feeling like the place is empty. The bar staff are friendly and the beer has always been good. It just doesn't offer anything particularly special or unique that would set it apart from the crowd though.
9 Apr 2008 13:07
Good pub in general. The range of beers is fantastic, the outside area is fantastic. I don't know about the food as I didn't have any. The down side well I had enough time to grow a beard, have a shave, and develop a three o'clock shadow before I got served. Sort that out and you have a great place not just a good one.
8 Apr 2008 13:41
I've got mixed views on this place to be honest. The front section is definately not a pub but is a restaurant. The back part however is definately a pub and is really nice does feel a little like it's been tagged on as an after thought after someone said 'hey isn't this supposed to be a pub?'. The restaurant style front part and close confines of the back (which one group can easily fill) means that you should expect to meet anyone new when you go there and the atmosphere suffers for it.
On the plus side the food is really good (as you'd hope from a restaurant), the staff are excellent and the selection of beers is also really good. I actually really liked the Budvar black but I guess thats personal taste for you. As such I really don't know how to score it as a fairly nice restaurant 8/10 as a straight pub 4/10. I'd say go there to get something to eat and then head on somewhere else for the rest of your evening.
7 Apr 2008 16:23
Not one of my favourite places in Balham. The service is slow even when quiet. The manager actually called both members of staff for a 10 minute talk whilst I stood at the bar. I was the only one at the bar at the time, more joined while I waited, so would it have killed him to wait the 2 minutes for me to have been served? Also when the staff were allowed back they served the guys who had turned up after me. I was not happy.
That said the quailty of beer is ok nothing special still pricy, the food looks ok (never tried it. It's way too expensive). The music is pretty good as well and at a good volume.
I really don't like the decor though as the images of rock stars looks really try hard and out of place. That's just my opinion and others may like it but not really my thing.
Overall not bad but not great and there are far better places close by so I can't really see why you'd go in unless it's because you really want to sit down as there are always seats (normally loads and loads)
7 Apr 2008 15:49
Really good place. It offers so much and has a really cool decor. Wothout the right atmosphere it could feel like a gentlemans club (think Botherby's not Spearmint Rhino) but it does have the right atmosphere so good on it.
A few comments about the bar staff making the heinous crime of calling you 'mate'. Well maybe it's just me but that strikes me as friendly and a much welcome change to being called 'sir' which I suspect the previous reviewers are hoping for Overall I found them friendly and efficient.
The food is an eclectic mix of overpriced (though the only pub I've found cheap food in in Balham is The Moon Under the Water) tapas and gastro style food and cheap cornish pasties and sausage rolls (both of which are excellent) though the last time I was in there they had a 'special' menu (read cut back think the chef was off sick or something) which had a great lamb burger for �3.50 bargin if only this was every week.
A decent enough selection of beers though again they're a bit pricy. Does have Groslch Weissen on tap which I love.
The people it attracts again is a bonus. Really nice friendly crowd. Went in to watch the football at the weekend and there was an atmosphere of friendly rivalry which kept me laughing all the way through. It also helps that it has different rooms so can allow the sports fans to watch whilst those who didn't want to watch to have a bit of peace and quiet.
So good food check, excellent layout and decor check, friendly staff check, good beer check, good crowd check oh also has full sized snooker tables. Hmmm sounds like all the ingredients for a damn fine pub. Could be a bit cheaper though but no real difference to the rest of the pubs in Balham
7 Apr 2008 15:29
I don't think you could ask for more from a pub. It is certainly the best pub I've been to in Croydon and I've been to a few though any suggestions are welcome. The staff are really warm and friendly. They manage the fantastic art of being sociable yet fast at serving drinks which seems to be an almost dead skill. The crowd are a good mix of friendly older locals and younger patrons who all seem to rub shoulders and mix really well. The food is top notch, o.k. I've only had the Sunday roast but it's always been good, well priced and a decent size portion. Nice garden out the back and a top notch quiz machine (ok not everyone's cup of tea but I like them) which still has the sound tuned on (good for players) but it's turned down enough that it doesn't annoy everyone else. Good selection of beers as well.
The faults? Bit of a trek to get to the toilets and the location is a bit tucked away. As neither of these can be helped without major refurbishment/moving there's not a lot you can do about it. Highly recomended.
7 Apr 2008 15:04
The Smoke Bar And Diner, Tooting
Bit small but generally ok. The size of the bar is a bit of a problem in itself as it can't have more than two bar staff behind it at any one time and so expect to wait a while if their busy. though it seldom is as it can't actually fit enough people on to make it so. I don't want to be too down on it as I actually think it's quite nice could never see myself staying here for more than 2 drinks but they would be good drinks so no real problem.
7 Apr 2008 14:21
Really nice old pub. I loved the decor and the staff were very efficient. However it does suffer from it's size as it's very big and will be hard to fill. It's undergoing rennovation at the moment which I hold some reservations over. It would be great to keep the original fixtures but they really need to do something with all that space to attract the crowds in and so make it feel less like your the last man on earth going for a drink. With the terrible job done on the Duke of Devonshire just up the road though I fear for what may happen.
7 Apr 2008 14:13
I did hear a rumour that it was opened by a guy who owns a load of rental properties in the area and wanted to attract a more professional crowd to the area and so could charge more rent. I don't know if it's true but I think it's certainly a possibility. I've been in there a few times since moving to the area. Not much to say really the place is ok the drinks are ok not a great deal of choice if you don't like lager but ok. I did find the soft drinks horrendously overpriced though. I've never seen the Wii in use even when I went in for the Wii tennis competition they advertised. Also the price I saw was �5 for half an hour which seems like an almighty rip off considering how little they actually cost.
Overall though the decor is ok, the staff are very good, it's never been a problem to get a seat or get served so it's alright. The crowd are ok your never get any trouble out of them but I doubt you'll get much of a conversation from them either and the atmosphere is more subdued calm tham vibrancy. I'd say if your a local it's alright for a couple of drinks during the week when you don't want to go too far or to start the night of with and as a meeting point but I wouldn't plan a night around it or make a trek to get here but then i don't think they aimed for that when they opened it.
7 Apr 2008 14:07
The Duke of Devonshire, Balham
p.s. Is there anyway that this site can split off the scores this pub used to have from the ones it gets now? I have a feeling that it's currently reasonably high scores are left over from before the refurb and so are artificially high. Plus I really would like to see if a pub can manage to score lower than the Moon Under the Water...maybe thats what Young's were aiming for?
7 Apr 2008 13:57
Got to be said nice place overall. I was put off the first time I went in here. The pint of Honeydew I had at first tasted a little off so I switched to pride. The pint I ordered wasn't pulled but was presented to me from a number that were sitting behind the bar. It tasted ok but was still a little off putting and I left after this drink. However the bar staff were really nice and the place itself was great so I went back another time, after a recomendation, and was pleasently surprised. Again the same friendly bar staff, again the same good set up and this time the beer was ok and pulled properly. I've gone back a couple of times since the first experience is the only bad one I've had great place.
14 Feb 2008 13:50
Ok a lot of reviews talk about the less than repreable clientel. Well it's true taht the snatcehs of over heard conversation I've heard include talk about 'time inside' and 'people shoiwing me respect' etc. Yeah the inside still reeks of smoke despite the smoking ban being in place for months. Yeah it does do wine on tap (never a good sign) yeah most of the guys inside have only one black tooth left and the only women you'll find inside look like guys so it's not the best. BUT it's a weatherspoons for god's sake what do you expect? The bar staff have never been less than friendly to me, whilst the guys who come into the bar look like they might stab you or collapse at any time they've always been pretty friendly too and a lot less likely to look down their noses at you if you didn't go to Eton. The Sunday roast is cheap and tasty with a good portion of meat too. This place makes a refreshing change from the other places in Balham as it does add a little variety to it. OK I wouldn't go in on a Friday or Saturday night after 9 but overall its cheap, good selection of beers and provides exactly what it says on the tin.
11 Feb 2008 11:37
Back to theoneandonlyjoe's profile
The White Hart, Waterloo
Lovely pub with a great food and a fantastic range of beers. The only down side is that it's pretty small and so it's hard to find a table at peak times.
22 Mar 2013 12:14