Lovely. I walked past the Barge Pole pub in Thamesmead recently and there was a horse on the patch of ground in front. It wasn't tethered, looked half-starved, and was cropping grass.
went into the hare and billet after the game Tuesday. Pubspy says the price was ok. f*ck off was it! spent a tenner on 1 pint of cider and 1 pint of bitter
Lovely. I walked past the Barge Pole pub in Thamesmead recently and there was a horse on the patch of ground in front. It wasn't tethered, looked half-starved, and was cropping grass.
They are always there and dont just stick to that patch of grass. khazi-hole.
ON FACE value, The Talbot is remarkably unremarkable.
Its fatigued green paint job would camouflage it in a pleasant Brockley street if it weren’t for an eyesore patio, while the inside space is at first glance small, plain and dilapidated.
But visiting this pub is like sifting through bric-a-brac at a jumble sale and finally unearthing a battered vintage whatnot to treasure.
Heading in, it didn’t seem like there was much to take in about The Talbot’s interior – a more muted green than the outside, some old pictures on the wall, wooden floors and a bunch of wooden tables.
There were half a dozen punters, mainly younger.
There is a decent choice of drinks; a small range of slightly leftfield lagers and a couple of varieties of Harvey’s. I was disappointed not to see any Brockley Brewing Company, though.
Despite a well-dressed lad on a stool not pausing to even draw breath in his conversation with the barman, I received quite good service.
He managed to take my order and serve my pint without making either me or the nattering chap feel neglected. Well played, sir.
I was aggrieved to hand over £4.80 for a pint, though it was a bright, hoppy Leffe.
It comes across as no-frills but then serves non-standard lagers and I spied a disused specials board flogging dishes such as game terrine, steamed mussels and venison.
Pub music is always contentious, but if I say I heard two Smiths songs in the space of half an hour, it probably gives you an impression.
The overheard bar chatter had a similar vibe – ‘literary canon’, how to define terrorism and class politics.
There was not one mention of Moyes In, Holloway Out, or Ibrahimovic’s screamers the night before – which on one hand I found refreshing and on the other disconcerting.
This is a pub where it does not feel wrong to sit in a corner reading a book, so I did. It was only Spike Milligan, though, I wouldn’t want to get too high brow.
The Talbot, Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley
How it rated:
Decor** Still can’t decide whether it was shabby or shabby chic Drinks**** Quirky range Price* Expensive Staff**** Multi-tasking pro Atmosphere**** Non-standard but interesting
PubSpy reviews The Talbot, Brockley PubSpy reviews The Black Horse, Locksbottom PubSpy reviews The White Cross, North Cray PubSpy reviews The Pembroke, Gravesend PubSpy reviews The Harp, Deptford
Friday 6th December 2013 in Leisure latest news By PubSpy
SOME might say that comparing the outside of The Foresters Arms to a public toilet is unfair – especially since the lavvy opposite is actually rather flash.
Horrid green tiles, a flaky sign and generally downtrodden exterior make for a package as wholly anti-seductive as a date talking about her psoriasis all through dinner.
Being an unfussy sort of guy devoid of any kind of class, I barrelled in, though I was concerned about what I’d find within.
Inside, it was not unlike being held in a forester’s burly arms in that space is at a premium and there’s not a lot of natural light.
That said, it’s dated interior is well-kept so that it feels cosy rather than squalid. Tired reds and browns, ceiling fans and old fashioned tables and benches, feel antiquated but are clean and well-preserved.
While all around feels very 20th century, the sparkling metal and lights on the bar are much more Starship Enterprise, with fancy tall taps selling relatively standard lagers like Stella and Carling and the added bonus of Cobra.
I was delighted to see Cobra on the bar, even if it did take the polite greying barman about a month to pour a pint that wasn’t half head. When he did, it tasted great. And only set me back £3.20.
Though it is a small place, The Foresters pack in a dartboard, pool table, games machine, juke box, slot machine and a massive TV.
Judging by photos, notice boards and pool trophies above the bar, these pub activities indicate a nice community pub although there was just a smattering of folks the day I went in. Not bad for a public toilet.
The Foresters Arms, Parrock Street, Gravesend
How it rated:
Exterior When the toilet is better looking, you’re in trouble
Decor ** A palace compared to the outside
Atmosphere *** None while I was there, but I’m taking a punt
Staff ** Meh
Price *** Decent
Drink ** Not the biggest range, but bonus points for Cobra
PubSpy reviews The Foresters Arms, Gravesend PubSpy reviews The Jolly Woodman, Beckenham PubSpy reviews the Tailor's Chalk, Sidcup PubSpy reviews the Coach and Horses, Greenwich PubSpy reviews The Admiral Hardy, Greenwich
PubSpy's Golden Pint and Grotty Toilet awards 2013
EVERYONE seems to be dishing out gaudy plastic idols in recognition of any tut at this time of year – I saw one where Andy Murray won best ‘personality’ – so now it is time for me to wheel out this tired conceit which means I don’t have to leave the bedsit this week.
Drum roll, please...it’s PubSpy’s Golden Pint and Grotty Toilet Awards 2013.
THE GOLDEN PINT
It will be of no surprise to most of you when I say that our bit of south east London and north Kent has some truly epic pubs.
Whether you want to discuss aliens over an ale at The Alma in Sidcup or feel like Hemingway in the no frills, welcoming Jolly Woodman in Beckenham, there are great traditional style boozers aplenty.
If it’s atmosphere you’re after then south east London is oozing watering holes that don’t look so salubrious but you’ll struggle to leave – like The Harp in Deptford or the indie Wonderland of The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham.
Or maybe you want somewhere a bit more refine where you can get a posh bit of tucker – you could do worse than The Hare and Billet in Blackheath, The Ravensbourne Arms in Lewisham or The Rose and Crown in Green Street Green.
Winner: This year’s winner will not make everyone happy. In particular, it won’t please too many hard-working independent landlords, because it’s a chain pub. And not any old chain, it’s the Deathstar of chains – JD Wetherspoon.
The Tailor’s Chalk in Sidcup has it all. It looks great, it’s cheap, there are ales aplenty, the staff are happy and helpful and the place has a vibrant yet non-threatening buzz to it. Even the bogs are great.
News Shopper: PubSpy reviews the Tailor's Chalk, Sidcup
THE GROTTY TOILET
Sadly, our illustrious patch is also home to some real bottom-dwellers. There have been some miserable times sat in some dives this year - or worse yet - really bland, mediocre pubs that were more like badly painted waiting rooms.
But the shortlist for the worst is only two deep.
Hanging near the back like an obese asthmatic at sports day is the Lullingstone Castle in Swanley.
From the moment you pull into the lunarscape that is the car park, the hostile Guy Ritchie-meets-Shaun of the Dead stares fix themselves like lager lasers. And it doesn’t get any better from there.
Inside it smells like toilet cleaner, although you could sit outside – on a concrete bench in the shadow of Asda. Welcome to Swanley, the home of flowers.
But beyond even the Castle, and – to continue the sports day analogy - lagging so far behind that the paramedics have already started to charge the defibrillator and the caretaker’s trying to work out how to drag the sweat-soaked, blubbery corpse from the field, is The Portobello in West Kingsdown.
It is a pub so ugly, dispiriting and dated that even the punters seem to have been dragged back into the 90s.
Drinking gassy beer from dirty glasses at a scarred old table as the cars dash by was one of the low points of my life.
As I noted at the time “I wouldn’t even fancy pulling off the main road and popping into the Portobello for a leak on a long drive.”
Geographically, the Portobello is so close to the edge of the News Shopper patch that I strongly recommend redrawing the boundary around it and cutting it off for good.
IMAGINE describing scampi to a Martian, because they would probably come back with something remarkably similar to the mush I ate at The George Staples.
There was a sort of rough breadcrumb exterior and a whitish booger interior, so on paper it was nearly there I guess.
But this horrid approximation of a pub grub classic was only one component of a meal that looked and tasted as though it had moments before been ripped from the plastic of Iceland packaging.
Even the peas were like green musket balls, and being poorly drained, the moisture penetrated my scampi which made matters even worse.
Some of the blame must rest on my shoulders. No great meal has ever begun with curly fries so I have no idea why I panicked and said yes when given the option over regular chips, much less why I allowed myself to be charged extra for such pain.
And people wonder why PubSpy rarely eats.
It must be said, however, that expectations were not high.
Given the garish laminated menus, cheapish prices and big banners explaining how to order food, I had an inkling that this Blackfen boozer may not be the Fat Duck.
Despite the food, I actually quite liked The George Staples. It’s tidy and spacious and doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.
There are TVs and places to sit and friendly, down-to-earth staff who were happy to help.
It had all the usual suspects on the bar and a trio of ales thrown in.
And while you would expect to see a tumble weed blowing through most pubs in the month when punters are either skint or giving up booze, there was a decent spattering of clients on a weekday afternoon.
Sadly, though, it does sort of resemble a soulless dining room – which wouldn’t be so bad if the food was good.
The George Staples, Blackfen Road, Sidcup
How it rated:
Decor*** Bit bland, but pleasant Price**** Reasonable Atmosphere*** Considering my timing, it was good Staff **** Very nice, hardworking Food* That’s why PubSpy’s don’t shop at Iceland
To employ someone to review pubs who not only gets excited by the sight of Cobra but actually orders and drinks it too is quite simply ridiculous.
The jaw-dropping inanity of the reviewer neatly reflects the sheer dullness of the pubs he-or-she visits. I read the reviews with the same sceptical eye used for our 'Would Ya?' - and the answer is invariably: No.
PubSpy's Golden Pint and Grotty Toilet awards 2013
EVERYONE seems to be dishing out gaudy plastic idols in recognition of any tut at this time of year – I saw one where Andy Murray won best ‘personality’ – so now it is time for me to wheel out this tired conceit which means I don’t have to leave the bedsit this week.
Drum roll, please...it’s PubSpy’s Golden Pint and Grotty Toilet Awards 2013.
THE GOLDEN PINT
It will be of no surprise to most of you when I say that our bit of south east London and north Kent has some truly epic pubs.
Whether you want to discuss aliens over an ale at The Alma in Sidcup or feel like Hemingway in the no frills, welcoming Jolly Woodman in Beckenham, there are great traditional style boozers aplenty.
If it’s atmosphere you’re after then south east London is oozing watering holes that don’t look so salubrious but you’ll struggle to leave – like The Harp in Deptford or the indie Wonderland of The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham.
Or maybe you want somewhere a bit more refine where you can get a posh bit of tucker – you could do worse than The Hare and Billet in Blackheath, The Ravensbourne Arms in Lewisham or The Rose and Crown in Green Street Green.
Winner: This year’s winner will not make everyone happy. In particular, it won’t please too many hard-working independent landlords, because it’s a chain pub. And not any old chain, it’s the Deathstar of chains – JD Wetherspoon.
The Tailor’s Chalk in Sidcup has it all. It looks great, it’s cheap, there are ales aplenty, the staff are happy and helpful and the place has a vibrant yet non-threatening buzz to it. Even the bogs are great.
News Shopper: PubSpy reviews the Tailor's Chalk, Sidcup
THE GROTTY TOILET
Sadly, our illustrious patch is also home to some real bottom-dwellers. There have been some miserable times sat in some dives this year - or worse yet - really bland, mediocre pubs that were more like badly painted waiting rooms.
But the shortlist for the worst is only two deep.
Hanging near the back like an obese asthmatic at sports day is the Lullingstone Castle in Swanley.
From the moment you pull into the lunarscape that is the car park, the hostile Guy Ritchie-meets-Shaun of the Dead stares fix themselves like lager lasers. And it doesn’t get any better from there.
Inside it smells like toilet cleaner, although you could sit outside – on a concrete bench in the shadow of Asda. Welcome to Swanley, the home of flowers.
But beyond even the Castle, and – to continue the sports day analogy - lagging so far behind that the paramedics have already started to charge the defibrillator and the caretaker’s trying to work out how to drag the sweat-soaked, blubbery corpse from the field, is The Portobello in West Kingsdown.
It is a pub so ugly, dispiriting and dated that even the punters seem to have been dragged back into the 90s.
Drinking gassy beer from dirty glasses at a scarred old table as the cars dash by was one of the low points of my life.
As I noted at the time “I wouldn’t even fancy pulling off the main road and popping into the Portobello for a leak on a long drive.”
Geographically, the Portobello is so close to the edge of the News Shopper patch that I strongly recommend redrawing the boundary around it and cutting it off for good.
glowing report for the Portobello there. it is a bit shit but the worst pub in the area?.... I don't know. there must be worse. the problem with it is that it has no atmosphere. other than that it's just a standard feeling sorry for itself boozer on a main road.
What was the pub called on the A20 round about W.Kingsdown.Sat on the left heading towards London.Not been in it for 25 years so it might be flats etc?
What was the pub called on the A20 round about W.Kingsdown.Sat on the left heading towards London.Not been in it for 25 years so it might be flats etc?
What was the pub called on the A20 round about W.Kingsdown.Sat on the left heading towards London.Not been in it for 25 years so it might be flats etc?
PLENTY of pubs can and do disappear every week with barely a neighbour batting an eyelid.
But people came out in force to save The Baring Hall Hotel in Grove Park so it was only natural to for me to go and see why.
What I wasn’t expecting was a tardy treasure trove vaguely in the spirit of Withnail and I.
It’s the sort of bar they would be at home, you understand, and not like the scary place they flee from.
The place is severely fire-scarred. To my knowledge, the fire was a while ago now but it has been left like that since re-opening and in my own opinion it gives the place a unique charm.
Receding paint teamed with peeling wall paper and charred wood was matched with vintage furniture – including a hefty three piece suite – and old clocks which all tell wildly different times. Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.
Add to that the old soul and jazz in the background and dim candlelight and it felt a bit - and I liked it.
The intentional tardiness is quite fun, though it will doubtless polarise opinion.
For those who demand to have some booze, you needn’t worry about having to drink lighter fluid.
There were six quirky ales and four ciders on tap when I popped in, including the Dark Arts Surreal Stout, the Otley O-Ho-Ho Blueberry Infused ale and Brighton Bier West Pier – all a far superior drink to meths, and even the w******s can afford it at £3.60 a pint for the latter.
I’m not sure you’ll get the finest wines available to humanity, but there is a decent wine list and hundreds of bottles of spirits behind the bar.
Food is on the way, I understand, but for now you’ll have to settle for bar snacks – the highlight of which is the five types of scotch egg.
I opted for the Aztec – free range pork, harrissa, chilli, paprika, red pepper and chocolate. It was sweet but deep in flavour. The best scotch egg ever.
The Baring Hall Hotel
How it rated:
Atmosphere *** Quirky Decor **** It’ll get mixed responses but I liked it. Price *** Ok considering the quality Drinks ***** Best range I’ve seen in many moons Staff *** Plentiful, fast and efficient
Antic, the company that has revived the Baring Hall, has quit the Catford Bridge Tavern but opened the Catford Constitutional Club, which is apparently up a neglected alley off the Broadway. The place has lain empty for 17 years and the hip 1970s décor has been retained. Good range of ales; opens at 4 p.m. during the week and noon at weekends.
"There were six quirky ales and four ciders on tap when I popped in, including the Dark Arts Surreal Stout, the Otley O-Ho-Ho Blueberry Infused ale and Brighton Bier West Pier – all a far superior drink to meths, and even the w******s can afford it at £3.60 a pint for the latter."
Comments
ON FACE value, The Talbot is remarkably unremarkable.
Its fatigued green paint job would camouflage it in a pleasant Brockley street if it weren’t for an eyesore patio, while the inside space is at first glance small, plain and dilapidated.
But visiting this pub is like sifting through bric-a-brac at a jumble sale and finally unearthing a battered vintage whatnot to treasure.
Heading in, it didn’t seem like there was much to take in about The Talbot’s interior – a more muted green than the outside, some old pictures on the wall, wooden floors and a bunch of wooden tables.
There were half a dozen punters, mainly younger.
There is a decent choice of drinks; a small range of slightly leftfield lagers and a couple of varieties of Harvey’s. I was disappointed not to see any Brockley Brewing Company, though.
Despite a well-dressed lad on a stool not pausing to even draw breath in his conversation with the barman, I received quite good service.
He managed to take my order and serve my pint without making either me or the nattering chap feel neglected. Well played, sir.
I was aggrieved to hand over £4.80 for a pint, though it was a bright, hoppy Leffe.
It comes across as no-frills but then serves non-standard lagers and I spied a disused specials board flogging dishes such as game terrine, steamed mussels and venison.
Pub music is always contentious, but if I say I heard two Smiths songs in the space of half an hour, it probably gives you an impression.
The overheard bar chatter had a similar vibe – ‘literary canon’, how to define terrorism and class politics.
There was not one mention of Moyes In, Holloway Out, or Ibrahimovic’s screamers the night before – which on one hand I found refreshing and on the other disconcerting.
This is a pub where it does not feel wrong to sit in a corner reading a book, so I did. It was only Spike Milligan, though, I wouldn’t want to get too high brow.
The Talbot, Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley
How it rated:
Decor** Still can’t decide whether it was shabby or shabby chic
Drinks**** Quirky range
Price* Expensive
Staff**** Multi-tasking pro
Atmosphere**** Non-standard but interesting
PubSpy reviews The Talbot, Brockley
PubSpy reviews The Black Horse, Locksbottom
PubSpy reviews The White Cross, North Cray
PubSpy reviews The Pembroke, Gravesend
PubSpy reviews The Harp, Deptford
Friday 6th December 2013 in Leisure latest news By PubSpy
SOME might say that comparing the outside of The Foresters Arms to a public toilet is unfair – especially since the lavvy opposite is actually rather flash.
Horrid green tiles, a flaky sign and generally downtrodden exterior make for a package as wholly anti-seductive as a date talking about her psoriasis all through dinner.
Being an unfussy sort of guy devoid of any kind of class, I barrelled in, though I was concerned about what I’d find within.
Inside, it was not unlike being held in a forester’s burly arms in that space is at a premium and there’s not a lot of natural light.
That said, it’s dated interior is well-kept so that it feels cosy rather than squalid. Tired reds and browns, ceiling fans and old fashioned tables and benches, feel antiquated but are clean and well-preserved.
While all around feels very 20th century, the sparkling metal and lights on the bar are much more Starship Enterprise, with fancy tall taps selling relatively standard lagers like Stella and Carling and the added bonus of Cobra.
I was delighted to see Cobra on the bar, even if it did take the polite greying barman about a month to pour a pint that wasn’t half head.
When he did, it tasted great. And only set me back £3.20.
Though it is a small place, The Foresters pack in a dartboard, pool table, games machine, juke box, slot machine and a massive TV.
Judging by photos, notice boards and pool trophies above the bar, these pub activities indicate a nice community pub although there was just a smattering of folks the day I went in.
Not bad for a public toilet.
The Foresters Arms, Parrock Street, Gravesend
How it rated:
Exterior When the toilet is better looking, you’re in trouble
Decor ** A palace compared to the outside
Atmosphere *** None while I was there, but I’m taking a punt
Staff ** Meh
Price *** Decent
Drink ** Not the biggest range, but bonus points for Cobra
PubSpy reviews The Foresters Arms, Gravesend
PubSpy reviews The Jolly Woodman, Beckenham
PubSpy reviews the Tailor's Chalk, Sidcup
PubSpy reviews the Coach and Horses, Greenwich
PubSpy reviews The Admiral Hardy, Greenwich
PubSpy's Golden Pint and Grotty Toilet awards 2013
EVERYONE seems to be dishing out gaudy plastic idols in recognition of any tut at this time of year – I saw one where Andy Murray won best ‘personality’ – so now it is time for me to wheel out this tired conceit which means I don’t have to leave the bedsit this week.
Drum roll, please...it’s PubSpy’s Golden Pint and Grotty Toilet Awards 2013.
THE GOLDEN PINT
It will be of no surprise to most of you when I say that our bit of south east London and north Kent has some truly epic pubs.
Whether you want to discuss aliens over an ale at The Alma in Sidcup or feel like Hemingway in the no frills, welcoming Jolly Woodman in Beckenham, there are great traditional style boozers aplenty.
If it’s atmosphere you’re after then south east London is oozing watering holes that don’t look so salubrious but you’ll struggle to leave – like The Harp in Deptford or the indie Wonderland of The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham.
Or maybe you want somewhere a bit more refine where you can get a posh bit of tucker – you could do worse than The Hare and Billet in Blackheath, The Ravensbourne Arms in Lewisham or The Rose and Crown in Green Street Green.
Winner: This year’s winner will not make everyone happy. In particular, it won’t please too many hard-working independent landlords, because it’s a chain pub. And not any old chain, it’s the Deathstar of chains – JD Wetherspoon.
The Tailor’s Chalk in Sidcup has it all. It looks great, it’s cheap, there are ales aplenty, the staff are happy and helpful and the place has a vibrant yet non-threatening buzz to it. Even the bogs are great.
News Shopper: PubSpy reviews the Tailor's Chalk, Sidcup
THE GROTTY TOILET
Sadly, our illustrious patch is also home to some real bottom-dwellers. There have been some miserable times sat in some dives this year - or worse yet - really bland, mediocre pubs that were more like badly painted waiting rooms.
But the shortlist for the worst is only two deep.
Hanging near the back like an obese asthmatic at sports day is the Lullingstone Castle in Swanley.
From the moment you pull into the lunarscape that is the car park, the hostile Guy Ritchie-meets-Shaun of the Dead stares fix themselves like lager lasers. And it doesn’t get any better from there.
Inside it smells like toilet cleaner, although you could sit outside – on a concrete bench in the shadow of Asda. Welcome to Swanley, the home of flowers.
But beyond even the Castle, and – to continue the sports day analogy - lagging so far behind that the paramedics have already started to charge the defibrillator and the caretaker’s trying to work out how to drag the sweat-soaked, blubbery corpse from the field, is The Portobello in West Kingsdown.
It is a pub so ugly, dispiriting and dated that even the punters seem to have been dragged back into the 90s.
Drinking gassy beer from dirty glasses at a scarred old table as the cars dash by was one of the low points of my life.
As I noted at the time “I wouldn’t even fancy pulling off the main road and popping into the Portobello for a leak on a long drive.”
Geographically, the Portobello is so close to the edge of the News Shopper patch that I strongly recommend redrawing the boundary around it and cutting it off for good.
IMAGINE describing scampi to a Martian, because they would probably come back with something remarkably similar to the mush I ate at The George Staples.
There was a sort of rough breadcrumb exterior and a whitish booger interior, so on paper it was nearly there I guess.
But this horrid approximation of a pub grub classic was only one component of a meal that looked and tasted as though it had moments before been ripped from the plastic of Iceland packaging.
Even the peas were like green musket balls, and being poorly drained, the moisture penetrated my scampi which made matters even worse.
Some of the blame must rest on my shoulders. No great meal has ever begun with curly fries so I have no idea why I panicked and said yes when given the option over regular chips, much less why I allowed myself to be charged extra for such pain.
And people wonder why PubSpy rarely eats.
It must be said, however, that expectations were not high.
Given the garish laminated menus, cheapish prices and big banners explaining how to order food, I had an inkling that this Blackfen boozer may not be the Fat Duck.
Despite the food, I actually quite liked The George Staples. It’s tidy and spacious and doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.
There are TVs and places to sit and friendly, down-to-earth staff who were happy to help.
It had all the usual suspects on the bar and a trio of ales thrown in.
And while you would expect to see a tumble weed blowing through most pubs in the month when punters are either skint or giving up booze, there was a decent spattering of clients on a weekday afternoon.
Sadly, though, it does sort of resemble a soulless dining room – which wouldn’t be so bad if the food was good.
The George Staples, Blackfen Road, Sidcup
How it rated:
Decor*** Bit bland, but pleasant
Price**** Reasonable
Atmosphere*** Considering my timing, it was good
Staff **** Very nice, hardworking
Food* That’s why PubSpy’s don’t shop at Iceland
Cobra but actually orders and drinks it too is quite simply ridiculous.
glowing report for the Portobello there. it is a bit shit but the worst pub in the area?.... I don't know. there must be worse.
the problem with it is that it has no atmosphere. other than that it's just a standard feeling sorry for itself boozer on a main road.
PLENTY of pubs can and do disappear every week with barely a neighbour batting an eyelid.
But people came out in force to save The Baring Hall Hotel in Grove Park so it was only natural to for me to go and see why.
What I wasn’t expecting was a tardy treasure trove vaguely in the spirit of Withnail and I.
It’s the sort of bar they would be at home, you understand, and not like the scary place they flee from.
The place is severely fire-scarred. To my knowledge, the fire was a while ago now but it has been left like that since re-opening and in my own opinion it gives the place a unique charm.
Receding paint teamed with peeling wall paper and charred wood was matched with vintage furniture – including a hefty three piece suite – and old clocks which all tell wildly different times. Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.
Add to that the old soul and jazz in the background and dim candlelight and it felt a bit - and I liked it.
The intentional tardiness is quite fun, though it will doubtless polarise opinion.
For those who demand to have some booze, you needn’t worry about having to drink lighter fluid.
There were six quirky ales and four ciders on tap when I popped in, including the Dark Arts Surreal Stout, the Otley O-Ho-Ho Blueberry Infused ale and Brighton Bier West Pier – all a far superior drink to meths, and even the w******s can afford it at £3.60 a pint for the latter.
I’m not sure you’ll get the finest wines available to humanity, but there is a decent wine list and hundreds of bottles of spirits behind the bar.
Food is on the way, I understand, but for now you’ll have to settle for bar snacks – the highlight of which is the five types of scotch egg.
I opted for the Aztec – free range pork, harrissa, chilli, paprika, red pepper and chocolate. It was sweet but deep in flavour. The best scotch egg ever.
The Baring Hall Hotel
How it rated:
Atmosphere *** Quirky
Decor **** It’ll get mixed responses but I liked it.
Price *** Ok considering the quality
Drinks ***** Best range I’ve seen in many moons
Staff *** Plentiful, fast and efficient
may even look in for old times sake
am I missing something here? who's the wankers?
Never/rarely come across a decent pub with a flat roof.
NB I see the Lounge Bar is closing down.
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/11107272.The_Lounge_bar_in_Chislehurst_is_closing_down/?ref=mr