The Compass, Bromley

This pub is defiantly a dive. Quite surprising really seen as there are 3 very quaint pubs in its immediate area. I think that the only reason this pub survives is by soaking up all the borderline alcoholics and trouble makers in the area. To look at it from the outside it looks like an inner city pub with a look that dose not jump out and say; �drink in here!�
The inside is not much different. There are usually some middle aged men who are unemployed sitting at the bar drinking their troubles away until they can no longer stand, which is usually 3.30pm. After they have left you have remaining the miserable bar staff who want to talk to you about how bad the government is and the crime on the council estate where they live, even though they insist that they won�t vote because; �it�s a waste of time�. General moaning and complaining comes from all customers and staff which is slightly annoying when you want to sit down and read the paper.
The quality of the beer is ok but nothing special, the attitude seems to be that it will be drunk anyway so the odd doggy pint and chipped glass doesn�t matter. There was food being served there however I did not stop for lunch. There was some food being served to a guy sitting down however when it arrived from the kitchen it didn�t look very appetizing. I�m sure that it was ok to eat but not much effort was put in to the presentation.
There was satellite TV in the pub showing the horse racing, also big football games were advertized. I�m not sure that I would want to stay to watch them though, I�m sure that a pub such as this would have trouble once everyone has had 14 pints of Stella.
Over all I would not recommend this pub to anyone.

4 Jun 2010 10:55

The Crown and Anchor, Bromley

After visiting this pub post refurbishment I must say I was very impressed. The garden is lit up with decretive lights and there is an undercover seating area, again with decretive lighting illuminating it.
There is a very good selection of wines from all over the world and the beer that is being sold is of a high quality and caliber. This pub would not be a place to come if you have been working on a building site all day after getting covered in dust searching for a thrust quenching pint, more so to have a glass of wine in the afternoon and enjoy good conversation.
Working in the construction industry myself I would much rather go to a nice boozer after work than the Crown And Anchor however after swilling 5 pints and munching a bit of grub I would enjoy going to the C&A for a glass of wine or too, after a shower of course!
The down side to the pub is that the management will charge you for using their debit card payment facility even if your transaction is over a certain amount. Also the pub is quite highly priced, even for Bromley. Its prices are more comparable to central London which might deter some people however if you are looking to have quality beverages then you should expect to pay for them.
The best time to visit this pub in my opinion is on a warm summers evening, sit in the garden and relax.
Worth a visit.

4 Jun 2010 10:28

The Freelands Tavern, Bromley

Been in the Freelands Tavern a few times and it�s a good pub. Nice and clean inside with a central square bar. There is sport regularly shown and decent ales on tap accompanied by standard lagers.
A nice place to go for a quiet drink and read the paper as well as a good old Friday night session. The garden could do with some attention, even though there are some flower beds along the side and back wall their not much to look at. The garden is all paving slabs and concrete with a few picnic tables. Nice for a beer after work in the summer but I would rather be in a pub garden that is well looked after. Saying that it doesn�t let the pub down too much.
The toilets are clean and smell nice, unfortunately I didn�t get chance to sample any of the food there however I�m sure its of a good quality as I did see the kitchen on the way through to the garden and there was a cook who seemed to be very passionate, even when making sandwiches.
All in all a good pub

4 Jun 2010 10:04