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The Brompton Cross, SW3

283 Brompton Road
SW3
SW3 2DY

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Brompton Cross

The Hour Glass first gained its licence in 1852 as a beer house, the current incarnation dating from 1936. I came here once before in the late ‘80s, to find the place – and customers – less than inviting; we didn’t stay; I also recall bullseye glass and most likely the original Charrington’s windows, now gone. What still remains is a very fine example of a period exterior, with great faience tiling and some of the best Charrington’s ceramic plaques I’ve seen (see photo), also featured is a very rare pre-Hoare’s ‘winged tankard’ mosaic between the first and second floors; the Charrington’s lanterns are original too and may once have had Toby jug motifs applied to the glass panes.
The interior is relatively wide in comparison to its incredibly shallow depth, with a boarded floor, sea green woodwork, terracotta hessian wallpaper with some floral patterns. A notable feature is the illuminated Charrington’s bar back parapet, the name flanked by the brand’s ‘snob’ character and Toby jug. Furniture is traditional and minimal, with just seating for around four at each end of the pub, otherwise drinking to ledges, with traditional studded velour bar stool tops. Lighting came from fluted sconces, other notable touches being the doorknobs, looking suitably 1930s’; indeed, the place does have something of a time warp feel to it, save for the two TVs showing the football, with the sound off so as not to interfere with a decent soundtrack, Squeeze on my visit. Customers didn’t seem typical to the area, so may come from the neighbouring Peabody estates; no braying in here.
A rather dull ale front amounted to an unused pump, then Pride and Landlord, price forgotten and not in great condition, served by an unmemorable barmaid.
This isn’t a bad place and probably one of the few places in Chelsea to watch the football, despite the area having its own team, apparently. Otherwise though, it’s yet another typical poor Chelsea pub experience, but for reasons that are entirely different from the area’s other pubs; a better quality and more exciting ale range would get the score up.

On 8th November 2022 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Hour Glass

This is a former Charrington’s pub which has retained its excellent façade, including original tiling and the Toby House sign, located at the Southern end of Brompton Road. The pub has a wide but shallow interior with doors at either end leading you in to the same simple room with the servery along the mid-part of the rear wall. The room has dark floorboards, plain windows along the front wall and a full height mirrored wall to the right which makes the pub appear a lot bigger than it really is. There are limited tables and chairs at either end of the room, plus a few short, button backed banquettes, with the only options being the row of high stools along a drinking ledge under the front windows. The bar has a square ended, dark wood counter, impressive modern gantry and basic mirrored bar back, all embellished with a fancy looking coffee machine and a spectacular bouquet of flowers. A TV screen on the right-hand wall remained turned off throughout the course of my visit, despite a high-profile Chelsea fixture taking place at that very moment in time, suggesting live sports coverage is unlikely. The left side of the room has a few old local photos on the walls alongside a nice Charrington’s mirror, a rather bleak and solitary painting and a small book swap scheme.
There are four handpulls which had a line-up of Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted, Fullers London pride and Wimbledon Copper Leaf (£5.00) on this visit. The friendly barman served up a pretty good pint of the Copper leaf and I noted that the keg lines also included several Harviestoun beers, whilst lots of their promotional material could be seen around the room, suggesting they may have some sorts of link to the brewery.
I liked this pleasant, uncomplicated pub with its fantastic exterior, unfussy interior and decent, well-kept ale range. The pub felt a lot more homely and welcoming than a lot of the other pubs in this part of town and I was glad I went out of my way to check it out.

On 24th September 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Hour Glass

A refreshing change from the typical 'traditional' pubs in the area; a splendid 1930s building sympathetically restored inside with good original features. The uncluttered décor gives a pleasant, restful feel. the level of seating seems to have improved over earlier reviews, although it is not a large pub but there is a function room upstairs. Also refreshingly different were the draught beers, with Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted and Harviestoun Pale alongside Wimbledon SW19, and in good order.

On 14th June 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


hondo . left this review about The Hour Glass

Tiled exterior with Charrington / Toby logo. Quite a narrow bare boarded interior with some mini bar games on the window ledge. 3 real ales and "craft keg". Food served.

On 13th October 2015 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Hour Glass

Deceptive façade, with two doors (each with an attractive Charrington / Toby tiled plaque) set a fair distance apart both leading into the same narrow tapered bar with a counter along the back wall. Limited amount of seating, with some tables set aside for dining, and quite plain decor. For the area, I thought the daily menu to be reasonably-priced. Two of three handpumps working, dispensing the regular Pride and a changing weekly guest (Portobello London Spring Ale, £3.85, when I visited).

On 8th June 2014 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Nick Davies left this review about The Hour Glass

Traditional local owned by the South Kensington Estate. The vintage House of Toby plaque outside suggests it was a Charrington's pub rather than Truman's. it is as said below long and thin inside with a central bar opening with open areas at each end with real fire but with unfortunately nowhere much to sit apart from near the bar, half a dozen people in there and you've had it. They still persist with their diners only setup.
Sambrook's Wandle and Pride on the pumps, and no question about the quality, but I wouldn't recommend this pub for more than a quick one due the seating policy.

On 30th June 2011 - rating: 5
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]


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Rex Rattus left this review about The Hour Glass

This is a rather strangely shaped pub. It’s a sort of reverse TARDIS, with a long frontage giving the impression of a large pub, but actually with no depth to it. It’s wedge shaped actually. The frontage is nevertheless quite attractive, with some old Truman signage still in place. Anyway, inside there are a handful of tables with some banquette seating coupled with small stools, but during my visit all had “for diners only” signs on them. Stools at the bar or at high tables at the front of the pub were available to be used by drinkers. They had two ales on during my visit – London Pride and Black Sheep. I went for the latter, which at £3.40 a pint is at the top end of the price scale, even for this well-heeled area of the capital. There seemed to be a daily menu, with main courses around the £8 - £10 mark. Ciabbatta sarnies were around a fiver.
I spotted a games machine, but no one armed bandit. There was some pop music playing – some 60s Motown classics, which is better than what one usually hears, and there was a fire adding some cheer to the place. There were some newspapers in one rack, and some tourist type leaflets in another – it’s that sort of area. While I was in there the friendly and helpful barman got asked by tourists about the availability of local parking, and the whereabouts of the Saatchi Gallery. It’s a nice enough little pub – but the minus points for me are the fact that tables are denied to those who only want a drink (at least at some times), and the ale prices are top of the range. I wouldn’t mind dropping in again, but can’t see any reason to make a special effort to do so.

On 21st February 2010 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Hour Glass

This is a very small and narrow pub that has a plasma screen and real fire at either end of the bar. It is popular with diners and the food smelt good, but it is still a proper pub in an area that seems to have lost most of them.

Black Sheep and Pride were the ale options along with a standard draught selection and my Guinness was well served by a very friendly barman.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to drink here again, but if I lived or worked locally I would pop in for a mid week pint every now and again.

On 4th February 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]