The Effra Hall Tavern, Brixton

I want to love you, Effra, but white washed walls and 100 watt light bulbs are great for interrogations, not pubs.
Repaint the walls back to that nice cosy tobacco, turn the lights down and you'll be truly great once again. I won't even mind drinking Red Stripe. Please!!

12 Oct 2010 10:30

The Railway, Tulse Hill

Great beer garden and the food is actually pretty decent. And they put on good quiz nights, bands etc. so they do make an effort.
But the staff all look as if they've been told they've got weeks left to live. I've seen cheerier faces at North Korean military parades. And the speed of service at the bar would make you think they brewed to order. Woeful. I don't suppose the two loafers who appear to run the place do much for morale, lumping around the place looking like something out of Builders From Hell and showing utterly no regard to the punters. Still, I'll keep going there like a sucker because the beer garden's good and the competition's poor. But for your own sake as well as ours, cheer up!

12 Oct 2010 10:24

The Florence, Herne Hill

I'd like to like this pub more. It is great to receive table service for drinks when they're less busy and it's a nice, spacious place. Also good to see they monitor their online reputation.
But the food has become way overpriced whilst the quality has declined massively. My wife used to love the "fillet steak" burgers here (I'm delighted to see that that menu item has been corrected - it certainly was never fillet and nobody in their right mind makes burgers from fillet steak) but the last couple of visits she has been served what look like two, shrivelled, dry little hockey pucks. The kitchen really isn't up to scratch - head chef needs the boot it would seem. I've been so unimpressed with the food on the last few visits that I genearlly eat before or afterwards now rather than spend a lot of money on mediocre food at best.
Do simple food, small menu and do it well. Used to live in NYC around the corner from a place called Corner Bistro - menu was one item: burger. The queues were invariably round the block because they were the best burgers in town.

12 Oct 2010 10:10