The Rose, Battersea, SW11

Facebook page of The Rose - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Rose - www.therosebattersea.co.uk

Facebook page of The Rose - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Rose - www.therosebattersea.co.uk

Originally the Prodigal’s Return, this pub dates from at least the mid-19th century, rebuilt in the 1920s, the current name applied in 2021 as this is now a ‘stealth’ BrewDog. I won’t bother describing the interior as there are piccies on their website, but there are sauce bottles on tables and menus, with offerings such as ‘buffalo wings’ (goin’ round the outside?) to a young crowd with a few out front, maybe more in the garden but no-one in the room at gone 9.15pm on a Saturday, making for a rather lifeless environment. Despite the brand, there was one pump aside from two unused, dispensing an Adnams/DEYA alliance called Boat Trip, £2.60 a half, dull, served by a friendly barmaid. The choice of one just about drinkable cask ale lifts the score, but otherwise it’s a very dull place though certainly better than the Union down the road. Rated: 4.5.

Least impressive interior of the 3 Drafthouses I have visited .Good outside space at the front for drinkers. The rear room seems now to be a dining room.3 handpumps but on 1 beer on from Sambrooke. Interesting and expensive keg beers but the beers from Stone and Wood (Aus) and the Magic rock I tried were worth it.Friendly staff.

I’ve been to a couple of the Draft House chain pubs, and have not been overly impressed. I guess they fall in the “OK” category. This one had three handpumps on the counter; one was unused; another was Wandle clipped but went off when I ordered (but the clip remained unreversed during the rest of my stay); and the third had on Rooster’s YPA. This was a decent enough, hoppy of course, ale at £3.80 a pint and served in a dimpled jug. There were, however, numerous unusual lagers and keg craft beers from the likes of the Brooklyn Brewery. They had a limited menu available when I was in on Tuesday evening. There were five main course specials – with, e.g., gammon and chips at £10.25. They also had three items in a “hop the pond” section- obviously USA themed as my “South Carolina pulled pork bun with slaw” (£8.75) came with a little Stars and Stripes on a stick stuck in it. The pub itself looks like a conversion of some kind. As you enter the open plan kitchen is on the left with the bar counter straight ahead of you. There are a couple of tall tables combined with tall stools, but the furnishings in the main bar area are solid scrubbed tables and normal chairs. At the back and to the right of the servery is another room, which looked to be the area of choice for diners. There’s a bit of decor on the walls, with the most bizarre being a very large framed photograph of some city at night with Chinese lanters floating around, but seemingly taken by someone with a shaky hand. I can’t see the point, but probably I’m missing something. There was some jazz/blues playing, I suppose to reinforce the USA brand. Behind the bar counter there’s a large framed sign on the wall with a John Churchill quote of “no soldier can fight unless he is properly fed on beef and beer.” Modern Army thinking probably wouldn’t agree with him. To be honest it’s not a bad pub - my pint of Rooster YPA was in good nick, but these bare-boarded and noisy places are not really to my taste. But it provides what it says on the tin, and there’s clearly a market for places such as this judging by the fact that they were doing a good trade early on a Tuesday evening.

The Draft House Westbridge has an irregularly-shaped bar and a back room. Basic wooden furniture, with retro decor throughout. Small front patio separated from the street by a screen. Plenty of interesting craft beers on draught and in bottled form, plus three handpumps offering Wandle, Hophead and Cottage Pride & Glory (£3.60). Overall, one of the better pubs in the area. (NB - Review dates from August 2012.)