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The Dartmouth Arms, Dartmouth Park, NW5

35 York Rise
NW5
NW5 1SP
Phone: 02074853267

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


Steve of N21 left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

This one closed in about 2015 but reopened again in 2017 when it was awarded AVC status after a campaign by locals and CAMRA.
I somehow missed to visit here when it was under the same ownership as the Chesham Arms and a bit of a beer pub. Well nowadays it is owned by somebody called the Disappearing Dining Club, a food and drink collective, and the emphasis seems clearly on the food.
A one room internally with wooden floor, dark grey walls, and assorted tables mainly laid for dining with menus on every table which doesn’t sound much changed from the review below. The 6 handpumps are still in pride of place on the bar, but sadly all naked bar one which was badged with By the Horns Brewing Stiff Upper Lip Pale Ale. And this was almost covered by a small standing chalk board advertising a Choya Spritz for £11, which seemed to cement who the target demographic are nowadays and left me hoping that was for a bottle and not just a glass.
But for me the key feature of this pub was the very impressive vinyl record collection in a cabinet at the end of the bar with a turntable and the very serious hi-fi system, it was connected to. A mural on the wall opposite the bar details the system set up which includes six speakers set up and a couple of amps and boosters. I’m not surprised others have commented on it being a bit loud, there’s enough Watts here to knock the pub down.
In fact I thought the system was so out of place in a food led pub like this that I had to google their web site to see what it was all about. Apparently they have weekend vinyl sessions where “Vinyl-only DJs playing music to drink and dine to.” And then a monthly album listening which are “Full album listening sessions curated by Robert Ryan, with guest speakers, special guests and prizes.”
I hope they state the albums up front as it wouldn’t be a great evening if you come along hoping for an appraisal of LED ZEP IV and you get Robson and Jerone

On 7th May 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


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Tris C left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

The disappearance of the maroon, grey and blue colour scheme - not to mention the Branston Pickle mirror - are indications that this pub is no longer the sister of the Chesham in E9. A vintage Joshua Tetley lantern is now affixed above the door and the interior has been painted a rather gloomy dark grey with a part dark grey carpet (the remainder bare boarded), with trendy light fittings. This is currently a walk-in pub with just a spritz of gloop to the hands with no Orwellian details taken as barriers to entry.
Six pumps but with just the one in operation and understandable given the circumstances. None the less it was a very welcome pint of Five Points XPA at a wincing £5.00 a pint though on excellent form, delivered to my table by a very friendly barmaid.
This isn't a bad pub, but the colour scheme isn't exactly cosy - the previous incarnation was more welcomingly traditional though it still makes for a worthy inclusion on a crawl of some of the area's quality hostelries.

On 7th July 2020 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


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Pub SignMan left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

This is a large, modernised pub with a bit of a gastro feel to it – a look that is not entirely uncommon in this part of town. The spacious open plan room forms a vague C-shape and has bare floorboards to the front and rear, half panelled walls and uppers painted in various shades of cream, grey and green to create a remarkably boring colour palette. The front part of the pub offers numerous banquettes and chairs under large front windows, which make it a nice, bright daytime spot to retreat to, although this front space arguably possesses less character than the rest of the room. The servery appear midway into the room, along the right hand wall and occupies a terrific amount of space. The bar has a dark wood counter with nice brass foot rail and a check tile floor surround under some nice ‘globe’ lamps. The bar back appears to be miles away from the counter, so deep is the serving area, and is a fairly plain effort, livened up by a few pump clips. High tables and stools fill the space opposite the bar under some plain mirrors and a few old black and white photos. The rear part of the room looked initially like it was a dining room style area, but I ended up sitting there and found it quite a nice spot for a drink. A long, comfy banquette is fixed to the back wall, with tables and chairs filling the rest of the space. One wall has been studded with more pump clips and some random paintings, whilst the rear wall has a bookshelf with numerous potted plants draped across it. A TV screen could be found back here, switched off on this occasion, whilst to the other side, a fireplace had a stack of board games on top of it and an unusual Jacob’s Cream crackers mirror above. Next to the fireplace, an upright piano stood, with a collection of decanters on top, although it didn’t give the impression that any of these things got much use – the soundtrack instead supplied by some chilled out tracks piped quietly through the room.
There are six handpulls on the bar, four of which were in action on this visit, giving me a choice of Three Sods Session IPA, 360 Degrees Stout, Burning Sky Plateau and Hammerton N7. The pleasant, welcoming barman poured me a pint of the Session IPA, which I very much enjoyed and found to be in as good shape as the beers I’d been drinking in the nearby Southampton Arms earlier that evening.
I thought this was a pretty good pub that probably has tried to appeal to too wide a range of customers and ended up losing a bit of its sense of purpose as a result. I liked the comfy rear part of the room and though the beer and service were both more than sufficient. Not really a destination pub, but a good option to dip into now and again when in this part of town.

On 15th January 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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Tris C left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

I came here once before around seven years ago and didn't care much for the place. With a shiny copper bar top, shiny copper lager founts and black and white floral print wallpaper with a barman in a waistcoat, it looked a bit naff.
Saved from the developers and this pub is no longer recognisable. The interior seems to have been opened up and appears much larger, so I assume that the former incarnation must have had a restaurant area to the rear; the bar is now on the right side rather than at the rear. The décor is much more traditional and if you hadn't seen the pub in its former guise, you'd think the place hadn't had much done to it in decades. The walls are a burgundy and blue colour, the same shade of burgundy applied to the walls of The Chesham Arms, E9. Like The Chesham, there's also a Branston Pickle mirror on the wall - I wonder why? I know! It's because The Chesham crew have taken over this pub too. Furniture is very conventional: ordinary chairs, padded stools and tables with t 'n' g-backed settles to the perimeter walls. There's a fireplace which I hope will be used and there are also some potted palms. The floor is rough bare boarded with some attractive rugs to soak up the sound (and spilt beer).
A few return visits and on the minus side, music is really a bit too loud and the incessantly barking dog is an irritant, noted as such by drinkers at other tables.
Ales: several, served by very friendly staff. A pint of Cloud 99 came in at a fairly reasonable £4.10 and was in decent nick.
I'd come here again, though there's not much in the immediate area and this would make a decent double with the Southampton Arms just down the road. I'd give the pub higher marks if the music were a little quieter and the barking were to cease.

On 6th July 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


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Moby Duck left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

An open plan modernised pub and as such found it lacking a bit in the atmosphere stakes,just three of the six pumps were in action but the choice was good, Redemption Hopspur, Dark Star Hylder Blonde and Thornbridge Brother Rabbit which was in top form. A nice pub but nowhere near in the same league as the nearby Southampton Arms.

On 3rd September 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

A street corner pub with a food menu on one external wall,but dont let that put you off,this isn't gastro.The interior is open plan with two wings either side of the front door,the bar in the middle to the right and a large rear section under a roof light.There is a lot of bench seating around the periphery,and traditional furniture elsewhere a little worn at the edges.Wooden floor throughout with a rug by the bar,a small fireplace to one side ,lots of wood panelling but not much else of real note.
The bar has 6 handpumps,not all used on my trip meaning a choice from First Chop AVA ,Windsor & Eton Guardsman and a very decent Dark Star Not into Yoga (£3.50).There was also a real cider.The 12 keg taps again not all working but including some craft keg from the likes of Kernal,Beavertown and Hammerton.
Although the area has gentrified,a lot of customers would hark back to a more earthy past ,but they were harmless if well oiled.However the bar stools are popular with the locals ,so you may get some annoying barblocking.However the barman was chatty and helpful .This is a perfectly decent place for a quiet pint or two,although the real ale options maybe limited.

On 27th August 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Alan Winfield left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

The Dartmouth Arms is a a corner pub that is situated on one of those streets i like with a few shops on it.
Once inside there is an oblong shaped room which runs to the rear,the bar is on the mid right side,the floor is part carpeted and bare boarded,there is comfy bench seating around the edge of the room with tables and small stools.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Ilkley Mary Jane,which went down well,the other real ales were Dark Star Sunburst and one more i failed to read my noted of.
Sadly the pub was empty on my Friday afternoon visit.
I though this was a decent pub on a nice street.
I am so pleased that i enjoy visiting pubs unlike some other reviewers on this site.

Pub visited 2/6/2017

On 6th August 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


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john gray left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

Pub and interior well described by Tris but no knuckle draggers or loud music on my visit.Friendly barperson. Great line up of keg beers at reasonable prices.Cask beers from Bristol Beer Factory,Pig and Porter and two from Bad Seed.Non London beers yippee.I would bypass the Southampton to drink here.Only minus is the ugly exterior to the pub.

On 31st July 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

The signboards outside promise much, "real pub, real ale", "London's best selection of cider" etc. Unfortunately the promises are fairly empty as once inside across two banks of chrome handpumps only Adnams Bitter and Young's Special (£3.60) were on offer, I didn't see any real ciders. There is an unusual copper topped island bar split between the rear dining room with its large roof lantern and the more drinker friendly front room. Old scuffed boarded floor, lower panelled walls painted brown with swirly wallpaper above. Behind the bar there is a large Bass mirror while another mirror has an antelope skull above. Shelves contain a selection of books and board games with an ancient radiogram on top, newspapers in a rack, standard issue seating with a single orchid in a small vase on each table. There are at least three fireplaces, a bucket of torn newspaper and kindling suggests they get some use in the colder months.
Meals and bar snacks are served, there were a couple dining in the restaurant on Saturday afternoon but I didn't check out the menu.
What stood out during my visit however was the utterly shambolic service, caused due to the unfortunate punter ahead of me ordering a Pimms. Not only did the clueless barmaid not know what a Pimms was, or how to mix one, but she couldn't manage the till either, resulting in the landlord getting involved and taking an age. The resulting kerfuffle meant that I waited well over 5 minutes to be served despite there being no one else waiting.
It could've been worse, the bloke got his Pimms just as I was draining the last drops of my pint, his patience was remarkable.

On 4th August 2013 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


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Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Dartmouth Arms

Looks tidy enough from the street, and there elements of gastro-pub furniture and decor in the square bar and rear dining area. However, this was supplemented by plenty of St Patrick's Day tat and some loud support for a football match showing on the TV screen (which is perhaps not typical?). Beer-wise, two of three handpumps were in operation, featuring Adnams Ghost Ship and Westerham Finchcocks (£3.70).

On 17th March 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]

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