The Railway, Blackheath, SE3

This is a rather anonymous impersonal pub, right by the station in Blackheath, sterile interior with a polished wood floor, lots of grey paint and a bit of exposed brickwork. The open L-shaped interior is partially broken up by some solid square brick columns, there is a small slightly raised area to one front corner. Numerous pot plants, vases of flowers and small posies on the tables, décor includes a few local scenes as always plus some arty prints to the rear in a mainly sofa area. Lots of tracks of spotlights on the ceiling, thankfully off otherwise it would have felt like a kitchen showroom, there is unusually a non-smoking walled rear garden area although I believe there is a smokers' roof terrace but I didn't spot it. Food served, slightly upmarket from pub grub, Saturday Brunch menu included the traditional breakfast for £8, paper table menus plus chalkboards had various mains eg, Gloucester Old Spot sausages, beer mustard mash, onion rings and gravy for £9.50. There were three beers on the handpumps, Doom Bar, Sambrook Junction and a new one for me, Sunny Republic Shark Head, this turned out to be a real style pilsner lager beer which was certainly different and not fizzy, but I doubt I'd go for it again. This pub could be anywhere, in anytown, it has little to offer in terms of individuality, ok for a pint if waiting for or just off the train and needing the facilities but nothing more for me I'm afraid.

Randomness Guide to London - Railway entry

Randomness Guide to London - Railway entry

Now I have a thing about railway taverns. Every good station should have a pub next door called the Railway Tavern (or similar). Every commuter should make an effort to go to their Railway Tavern on a Friday after work before trudging home to his nagging wife and screaming kids. The pubs should be basic with 2 bars and serve a decent pint of cheap Real Ale. They should be largely a male bastion with conversations dominated by weekend football and tales of work journeys. They should not be used for a full evening session, just as an end of week wind down. This brings me to Blackheath's very own member of the Railway pub fraternity. Having gone through more image and name changes than Prince, Bowie and Puff Daddy combined, they have reverted back to its Railway name. WHY? There is nothing remotely railway like about the place. They have done nothing to encapsulate its setting or past history. No railway pictures, no railway memorabilia, no timetables, no nameplates, no Flying Scostmans or Mallards puffing away as they race over viaducts, no railway anything that a Railway pub should have. Probably not even a commuter inside. Instead we have a gloomy, purple walled, modern art gallery aimed at servicing the well heeled Blackheath socialites rather than the poor sods pouring out of London on the overpriced, cattle wagons that stop next door. On the plus side it is has friendly enough staff and does some decent guest beers and whilst I don't have a problem drinking there if I have to meet someone, the pub is not befitting of a Railway Tavern. Move along please...

I found the barmaid here to be friendly, but I was offered no apology for having to wait whilst she had some lengthy dealings with a delivery driver and I received the shortest measure on a Guinness that I have ever seen. It would be forgivable if it was poured by a chimpanzee, but she seemed to know how to work the bar so it was an attempt to rip me off. There was a selection of premium lagers alongside Pride, Spitfire, Harveys Best and Adnams German Kolsch available during my visit. There is a covered area out the back with some potted plants and also an advertised roof terrace that I did not visit. I found this pub to be very pretentious and I would walk past if in the area again.