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Tulse Hill Hotel, Tulse Hill, SE24
SE24
SE24 9AY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about Tulse Hill Hotel
Super disappointed with this place as sort of feel it should be a worthwhile destination. So arrived here, immediately desiring thawing out after the Artic experience in the Bullfinch, only to be greeted with four hand pumps all beating a disappointing surrender. Venue was buzzing with lashings of millennials here for their smash burgers and the GK quiz. I assume that is General Knowledge rather than Greene King as it would have cause a meltdown amongst the young crowd to be faced with a barrage of Q’s around the history of the Bury St Edmonds brewer rather than current flavour of the month c list celeb love lives. I do agree there were some interesting keg options (witness the tap with the famous pink elephant) but I had to massively downgrade as I spect the lack of cask options GC pointed out in his review and still true now is a massive failing. The space is lovely especially after dark with the sumptuous lighting but so wasted IMHO, but I suspect I am not the target market here. Five mins into the quiz and definitely the predictable version of a GK quiz - glad I didn’t enter and pay by quid at this stage!
On 9th April 2024
- rating: 4
[User has posted 108 recommendations about 108 pubs]
Graham Coombs left this review about Tulse Hill Hotel
A big Victorian building overlooking the traffic system, done up quite reasonably in traditional style. The main room has a lounge area and a high-tabled section, a smart dining area adjoins and there is a large tabled garden beyond. Very disappointing to find the 5 handpumps had all reversed clips. The barmaid thought that the Signal Completely Fuggled was on, but one taste confirmed it definitely wasn't. There were a couple of slightly less usual craft amongst the keg taps so I had to settle for something cold and fizzy. GK IPA was one of the other missing ales. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in the rating - at least they were trying to have an interesting ale on - but they need to manage the casks better.
On 14th July 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Tulse Hill Hotel
Landmark hotel-style pub on a busy junction just over the road from Tulse Hill station. You enter through a small front patio seating area to a rather swanky looking front room with dark wood flooring and similarly dark walls, which combined to create a bit of a gloomy feeling on a very hot summer’s day, but I can imagine it might feel quite welcoming in colder months. Plenty of basic and comfortable seating has been mixed in throughout the room, offering a good choice of places at which to settle down. The servery is on the rear wall and has a nice dark wood counter and a fairly standard, characterless bar back. Beyond the bar, there is a large space full of formally set tables, which didn’t seem very welcoming to the casual drinker. This area is marginally brighter than the front room, thanks mainly to walls painted in lighter shades and some rear doors that can be opened out to the garden. I noticed some smart frosted panes and original woodwork, but overall, I found the place awkward and difficult to warm to, so I retreated to the nice, green-fringed patio garden which has bench booths around the perimeter and lots of typical garden furniture through the centre, with a pop music soundtrack playing which wasn’t audible within the pub.
There are five handpulls on the bar and the options on this visit were By The Horns Tropika, Greene King IPA and Truman’s Swift. A real cider made up the numbers, with the final pull left unclipped. The Tropika was a hefty £4.70 a pint and really rather poor – probably a victim of the extreme weather and perhaps not reflective of the usual standard of beer quality.
This is quite a nicely presented pub with a pleasant garden and comfortable seating areas. I found it a bit tricky to settle down in this pub and was glad it was still warm enough to enjoy the garden on my late-evening visit. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on the ale quality and might consider a revisit when I’m next passing.
On 25th November 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Tulse Hill Hotel
The Tulse Hill Hotel is a large pub that is situated by a very busy road junction.
Once inside this seemed to be quite a smart pub which has been opened out,the front area where the bar is is oblong shaped with the bar facing,the room is bare boarded,there is a mix of seating type with some tall tables and chairs and normal tables and chairs,there is another opened out room to the rear left which looked more like a dining room.
There was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Hackney Best Bitter which went down well,the other beers noted were Dark Star dark Side,Hop Studio Renegade IPA, GK IPA and Ship Full Sail which i think may be a GK beer.
There was decent background music playing.
I thought this was a comfortable and pleasant pub to have a drink in,though the yummy mummy's were appearing well before 12 on a Saturday dinner.
Pub visited 16/4/2016
On 15th May 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Tulse Hill Hotel
A large prominent building situated on a busy road junction which involved multiple crossings to get there from where I commenced. Inside there is an upmarket and rather foody feel, there is a central bar with the space effectively split either side but with the rear area seemingly a dining section with the food servery on one side. Very busy on Saturday early afternoon, lots of groups eating in both parts while enjoying the 6 Nations rugby, very child friendly too, plenty in, all well behaved, colouring and drawing. There is accommodation upstairs with en-suite rooms.
High tables in front of the bar but conventional elsewhere, some etched glass but otherwise little of original interest. Abstract artwork was food and dining related such as glassware and a corkscrew and to be honest passed me by. A bit of outdoor seating to the rear was evident but unusable on a cold wet day.
Five handpumps but they weren't doing very well despite it being a Saturday, one unclipped, GK IPA off, Truman's Zephyr "coming soon" leaving something unbadged called Ship Full Sail and Bedlam Brewery Pilgrim (£4.10).
It didn't really feel like a proper pub to be fair, one of my bugbears is when you have a wander around is being asked by staff if you are "ok there?". I self serve thank you. if I need you I will ask.
On 13th February 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Tulse Hill Hotel
This is a massive early Victorian landmark dominating the main junction at Tulse Hill. It's had a serious makeover within the last year, and is no longer the basic, but very comfortable, pub that I remember from the 60s. As you would expect it's quite large inside, but the existing screening, including the windows(!) behind the servery, and the entranceway to the hotel reception, effectively break up the space into separate areas. There isn't much left of heritage interest, except a bit of etched glass, the wood panelled hotel entrance in the pub, and the glazed screening behind the bar. It's now carpetless of course, with the usual mix of furnishings - banquettes, wingback armchairs, a massive table with backless benches, and tall tables/tall stools of course. A large area area to the rear of the servery has normal tables and chairs laid for diners, and this leads out to a sizeable garden at the back.
The ales on were GK IPA, Ship Full Sail (which I was advised by the barman is brewed by Greene King), and Portobello All Saints (£2.05 a half, and served in a half-pint jug). Single-sheet menus are rolled up in small glass containers on all the tables. They had something called a "robatayaki" (no, me neither) listing, which seems to be a Japanese method of cooking. As you might expect this wasn't much like pub grub, with stuff like porcini gnocchi at 12.5 (or £12.50 in real money I suppose). This isn't somewhere in which I would choose to eat, but perhaps others might think differently. They also had on the bar that other new thing that I've started to see in pubs - a sealed water container with the addition of ribbons of cucumber or courgette, or some similar vegetable. Harmless enough I suppose, and if you want water in your drink for some reason, I don't suppose a bit of veg would alter the taste much.
There were only a handful of people in when I visited on Thursday afternoon. It always used to be a thriving pub, and I hope it still is. It's anything but a cosy boozer now, but it's worth dropping in to see a large Victorian pub/hotel still functioning as such. This is a comfortable enough pub, but it will get noisy when it gets busy.
On 4th October 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
A C left this review about Tulse Hill Tavern
Have not been in the Tulse Hill Tavern for a while! Went in with a friend who drinks with me on a few pub tours of london, essex and suffolk.
After seeing an advert on their local website for a solo female singer, we decided to get the tube over, finding any decent live music in london, is a pain as when you do find some, they only appear once and then disappear!
The bitter was just right, in fact seemed cheaper than some of the pubs we have toured round for beers. Liked the music, girl was very good singer and looked like a model, she even sung some rock and roll songs. It was someones birthday and a bit noisy in there, but she soon had them listening with a couple of tracks by kings of leon, we left about 1130 and there was still a lot of people listening then to the music.
The only thing I would say is wrong (think it has new owners as spoke to a guy at the bar) is it was a bit cold inside, it is a massive pub and it needs a few people to fill it up each side of the bar! had a game of pool then went, all in all a very enjoyable night and we would go back to see the singer casey with some friends next time. Also going to the try one of the roast dinners on the website as they sound yummy and good value.
If you like real live music and like good bitter, then worth a visit to the tulsehill tavern, which is in Norwood Road, not Herne Road!
Andy
On 23rd December 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]