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Disappointment of the week with Bucking Fastard
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The Sussex Arms, Twickenham
Twickenham
TW2 5BG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Sussex Arms
A suburban ale house,the exterior still shows three doors but the interior has been opened out ,and only the middle door gives way to the tap room.It's all classic 30's interior with lots of wood panelling,a long bar immediately ahead and a good brick fireplace to the right.The larger fireplace to the left is now a seating alcove ,while elsewhere there are lots of drinking shelves and high stools.A fitted bench in light brown leather arrangement to the right is a comfortable seating area.The stained glass in the front windows is a noteable feature.
Outside at the front is a seating area,while there is also a beer garden out the back.The large flatscreen and moveable screens will show sport,the soundtrack was rock standards and it's a proper boozer in a scruffy part of Twickenham.Pub grub food is served (median £15)and there is a cheaper lunchtime menu ,daily meal deals offering value.
The star here is the ale from 21 gleaming handpumps,it's a Big Smoke pub offering on my trip their Solaris along with Harvey's Sussex Bitter,Brentwood Lumberjack,VOG Well Drawn Summer IPA,Portobello Summer Blonde,Vocation Bread & Butter,Thornbridge Jaipur IPA,Oakham Citra and a very good By the Horns Hopadelic (£5.05 with a CAMRA discount offered without enquiry by the cheeky barmaid).
There are 5 real ciders and perry along with 15 keg taps offering another 4 Big Smoke beers,and a mix of continental lagers plus Guiness.
There were a lot of unused handpumps on my Wednesday afternoon visit and the only fly in the ointment was a focus on those that were drawing of a lot of pale ,blonde and golden ale and not much dark .
With the ceiling covered in handpump clips there will always be something here worth quaffing ,I liked the atmosphere and would happily return.The pub sign featuring a beer tun is a nice touch .Worth the hack out of the town centre.
On 4th August 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Sussex Arms
Was making a weekend of it for one of the recent Rugby Autumn internationals and without any intervention from me the good lady managed to book accommodation where we had to walk past the Sussex Arms to get to Twickenham Stadium. Consequently we utilised the pub pre-match, post-match and were back in for Sunday lunch the day after.
Pleasantly surprised to find all 20 pumps in operation for our Saturday visits and, although a few were doubled up, there was still 11 ales and 4 ciders available.
Alongside the Big Smoke Solaris and Underworld and the regular Harvey’s Best there was Citra and Heights of Oblivion from Oakham, Five Points XPA, Gorgeous Brewery Gunpowder IPA, Thornbridge Jaipur, Southwark Brewing Mayflower Session IPA, Exeter Brewery Falls Over and Ascot Brewing Anastasia Stout.
I tried the two Oakham brews and the Anastasia stout and they were all kept well, but the Oakham Citra was in particularly excellent form.
A couple of the other ales had gone by the Sunday lunchtime, but not the Citra which continued to be excellent, as was our Sunday lunches. And then on top of this the backing music comes from a turntable at the end of the bar by the coffee machine and the pubs collection of vinyl. But for this lunchtime the manager had brought in Pink Floyd Dark side of the Moon and Led Zep IV from his own collection. Happy days..
On 25th November 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
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Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Sussex Arms
Last night was my first visit to the Sussex Arms since pubs have been allowed to open this year.
There are still a couple of tables at the front where you can drink, whilst most people walk through the L-shaped pub itself to the outdoor area at the rear.
The patio and garden are quite large here. Whilst we couldn't get a booking last week, there was plenty of space on a Monday night for walk-ins. The patio area is undercover and next to the kitchen. It is undercover with tables nearest the pub benefitting from heaters. Beyond is a garden area with plenty of tables, albeit much more exposed.
The ale and cider range was slightly more limited than in normal times, but it was still decent. Regular beers are Big Smoke Solaris & Underworld, alongside Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter. Guests yesterday were Portobello Stiff Lip IPA, Ascot Gold Cup, Northern Monk Eternal, Kent Prohibition, Five Points XPA, Burning Sky Plateau & Oakham Citra. The 4 ciders were Lilley's Strawberry Cider, Seacider White Peach, Farmer Jim's Medium Farmhouse Scrumpy & Pulp Rhubarb Cider.
Use of the Big Smoke app is encouraged, although it was playing up a little yesterday and staff were happy to take orders at the table. Unfortunately, there still doesn't seem to be a way to use the loyalty cards that the chain used to have, where every 10th pint was free.
Still one of the most reliable pubs in London.
On 27th April 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Sussex Arms
Splendid beer exhibition pub run by the Big Smoke brewery. An impressive bank of 20 handpumps serves a wide selection of ales and ciders including a few of their own and numerous changing guests from the region and further afield, plus various craft keg taps also. Condition of those sampled was excellent. The pub itself is a well-worn 1930s-ish house with lots of original features, nicely unmodernised and pleasingly tatty round the edges. There is a covered patio and garden at the rear. Recommended.
On 5th August 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Sussex Arms
A good traditional pub with an extensive array of ales on offer backed up a selection of real cider,5 on my visit.Bare floorboards throughout and dark much in evidence all around gives the place a basic yet very effective feel.Most of the beers on my visit were plus 5% which is OK but not what I was really looking for at just after mid-day and second pub in,so was left with a choice between Darkstar Partridge which is the most ordinary beer they do in my opinion so I went for Binghams Hop Harvest which was a little hazy and lacking in flavour,that aside it is a good pub and nice to see and hear a vinyl record playing in the background. A pub certainly worth returning to but I think I prefer its sister pub the Antelope in Surbiton based on this visit.
On 10th October 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
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Pub SignMan left this review about The Sussex Arms
Much has been made of this destination ale house since it reopened almost three years ago, so it was good to finally make my long overdue maiden visit last month. The pub has a slightly off-the-beaten-track location, close to the pleasant Twickenham Green, but far enough away from the station and natural path of the rugby-going masses to ensure that it doesn’t get too badly mobbed when there’s a game on up the road. The place has a fairly traditional feel to it, with a broad main bar to the front accessed via a nice stained glass porch with the servery directly opposite. The room is bare boarded and has some particularly appealing curved banquettes in each of the two front bay windows. The servery has plenty of dark wood, including an attractive shelf for the empty glasses, supported by nicely worked wooden pillars. The walls are three quarter panelled, with the space above filled by the inevitable swathe of pump clips which have also spilled over onto the ceiling. The left hand side of the room has a nice, small brick fireplace with a couple of low padded benches either side, as well as a book swap on the rear wall. A door here leads you into a second room, which looks a lot smarter than the main bar. The walls here are tiled and there are some comfy looking modern seating options to choose from. Doors to the rear lead out to a nice paved garden with plenty of typical bench seating. I didn’t notice anyone eating, but blackboards announced the availability of Sunday roasts, although a pie menu suffices for the rest of the week. Music played in the background throughout my stay and I noticed a turntable behind the bar with a stack of vinyl next to it.
The rather daunting row of hand pumps that greet you as soon as you enter, were dispensing XT 6 and 7, Twickenham Sundancer, Bingham’s Brickwork Bitter and Hot Dog Stout, Roosters Astro, Great Heck Citra, Arbor Bravo, Late Knights Hop of the Morning and Wild Beer Co Fresh, with six real ciders and perries occupying the left hand bank of pumps. I tried the Astro, which was pretty good, but not quite as sparkling as I’d hoped for. The staff were extremely courteous and very helpful, answering endless questions about beer styles.
I was expecting a bit of a ‘beer tickers’ feel to this place, but was pleased to see a good clientele mix relaxing in a traditional pub environment. The beer range is the undoubted star here, but it doesn’t feel like it’s the only reason to visit, which is not always an easy balance to get right. I think this should rightly be regarded as one of London’s finest.
On 3rd June 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Sussex Arms
It seems impossible that this beer and cider festival sort of place was once a humble Bass Charrington pub. It is an unashamed imitation of the likes of the Southampton Arms in Gospel Oak. Happily it has a bit more room than that establishment. In common with those pubs on the other side of London they play vinyl LPs. I had a Eureka moment half way through my second pint as to why these vinyl records never seem to be scratched as I remember from back in the day. The reason is because the records are such a load of crap that they only ever get played once and rarely all the way through. The record pn my visit was what sounded like Otis Redding's Greatest Hits, a record that seemed to go on far longer than it should.
Of the eighteen pumps six have cider and the rest have beers which could be just about anything. I noticed beers from Windsor & Eton and Belleville but none from Twickenham. All beers were priced at £3.60 apart from the silly (8.5%) one. I went for the Wild Beer Company Madness IPA which was in good nick
apart from a haze and with a 6.8% ABV good value. I then went for the silly option at £4.00 a pint in the form of Arbor Tiny The Welder. This was a Double American IPA that sadly was cloudy but tasted OK.
Because of the beer and cider selection it's a great place, but I have doubts about it given that neither of my two pints were clear.
On 3rd May 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
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Kate Gowers left this review about The Sussex Arms
Once upon a time, pubs were places where the people provided the entertainment - not fruit machines, not large screen TVs, but people. Perhaps some live music, a game of shove ha'penny, a pint or three and lively conversation. Once upon a time has come again at the Sussex Arms.
This pub, just off Twickenham Green harks back to the old days. There are up to 12 (I think) real ales on offer and six real ciders. The ales vary constantly and there is no one 'regular' ale. Just a different selection, even from tiny microbreweries, every day. All draught beer and cider is (as of this writing) £3.50 a pint and they operate a superb loyalty card scheme. Buy 9 beers, get the 10th for free. I use mine regularly.
The food is good, though slightly pricey. The pies are made by AJ and are usually excellent, though the last couple I've had were slightly less good than usually (slightly over cooked meat and pastry).
The atmosphere is lovely. It is an old-fashioned pub - no posh gastro seating here. A long bar displays the plethora of ales on offer and also hides the record player (yep, vinyl) that supplies any recorded (as opposed to live) music. There is a large, decently tended garden.
There is live music many evenings. Again, like with the beer, there is something for (nearly) every taste. I attend with friends every second Monday for the Sessioneers (yep, not a great name, but you get the jist) - acoustic rock, folk, rock n roll and the like. You can also find Irish music, bluegrass, blues - whatever (older) music takes your fancy (I've never seen hip hop or the like, thankfully).
The clientèle varies from the stereotypical real ale drinker (beardy, male, older - including a guy who is the spit of Walder Frey from Game of Thrones) through to younger families and singles.
All in all, a pub I thoroughly recommend.
On 9th September 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]
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Quinno _ left this review about The Sussex Arms
I had been told in hushed tones about this ale and cider mecca at the Nags Head, so thought I’d better pop along and see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately for me I visited it on a whim coming back off a crawl from London and – unwittingly – managed to hit the immediate aftermath of the army and navy games. Anyhow after dodging the wasteland and inebriates, it took about 15 minutes from the station to get here on foot. On entering, it was rammed. We were lucky to nab a small table that came vacant just as we arrived. Eighteen pumps dispensing real ale and proper cider/perry apparently, though the bar was so packed we had no way of counting them all. Quantity, of course, does not necessarily relate to quality however most of what we tried was in a good state if not quite tip-top. Staff were young, enthusiastic and trying their best though I think an older, wiser head to steady the pace a little would have helped. Inevitably, the clips from beers past were snaking round the ceiling which is de rigueur in destination ale pubs these days. There was what looked like a proper fire, some banquette seating, dark wood panelling and large potted plants. A number of high-up stained windows sensibly swing open so the atmosphere was not as hot and stuffy as it perhaps could have been. There’s a slight fake-Tudor feel to the place, ‘like a Berni Inn’ or so my semi-legible email to myself says anyway. As noted by Mr Bonser the bus right outside the door so if you are on an all-day Travelcard, the skip back to the Reading-Waterloo line is fairly easy if you aren’t inclined to walk back to Twickenham BR. So all-in-all, quite impressive; I imagine I’ll be darkening its doors again before long.
On 30th April 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
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John Bonser left this review about The Sussex Arms
Update - June 2012
This pub continues to go from strength to strength. A very enjoyable pint of Grey Ghost IPA from Derbyshire's Raw Brewery was enjoyed early last Saturday evening. All beers are priced at £ 3.20p which, with a loyalty card that gives you a tenth pint free, works out at just under £ 2.90p per pint. For a beer with an ABV of 5.9% that's pretty good value in my book, especially when you compare it with the prices charged by a certain well known brewery just over the river in Chiswick. It would appear that my initial doubts that this pub would be able to maintain such an extensive range are unfounded. Do look this pub out if you haven't already been
Original review from August 2011 - A full page advertisement in the latest issue of London Drinker referring to “18 hand pulls of rotating real ales and ciders” encouraged me to seek out the newly re-opened Sussex Arms in Twickenham earlier this week. It re-opened on 28 July 2011
The pub is situated away from Twickenham Town Centre just past The Green and, conveniently, local buses H 22 and 490 from Richmond stop, literally, right outside the door.
Notably, despite living only a few miles away, this is a pub that I had never previously visited, due to a reputation that might diplomatically be described as “not good”.
As we approach the pub, we see a round barrel pub sign welcoming us to The Sussex Arms Ale and Cider House.
Central doors lead into an attractive interior with a number of restored traditional features such as wood panelling, two fireplaces ( one with built in seating), a wooden bar counter with glasses gantry and Victorian lamps, and some coloured patterned leaded windows. The central bar area is narrowish, but the interior opens out at each end with a mixture of comfortable upholstered seating round the perimeter and circular traditional three legged tables and padded stools.
The area on the left leads through to a back room with rather clinical looking glazed wall tiles. This room leads out to the surprisingly large garden at the back which comprises a concrete terraced area and a grass lawn. This lawn appears to be very much still a work in progress and a notice tells us to “please bare(?!) with us while we work on Twickenham’s only petanque pitch".
There’s a few modern touches such as the part light pine wooden flooring and small candles on each table, but the overall feel is of a sympathetic refurbishment tastefully done. “It’s got that proper pub feel”, a chap in the garden commented to me.
There’s no TV’s or fruit machines. An old style vinyl record player was playing The Beatles, Beach Boys etc on my two visits. A basic food menu is offered. Prices are on the high side, but portions appear generous.
The real attraction here, if you haven’t already twigged, is the 18 handpumps offering a splendid range of real ales and ciders. On both my visits last week, approx 14-15 of these were in use with 6 offering ciders ( mainly Millwhites ) and the rest being real ales, mainly from micros with an emphasis on local brews. On my two visits, beers on included W J King Red River, Purity Mad Goose, Dark Star Saison and Hophead, Twickenham Naked Ladies, Woodforde Wherry, Ringwood Best, Triple fff Pressed Rat and Warthog and Windsor and Eton Conqueror Black IPA. Two blackboards either side of the main doors list the beers on with brief tasting notes. Most notably, all real ales were priced at £ 3.00p per pint which, by South East price standards, represents excellent value, particularly for the higher gravity beers. All beers tasted were in excellent condition and temperature. The youngish bar staff appear keen and enthusiastic and tasters are offered.
Often, in the first week of a newly reopened pub like this, there’s several niggles / teething problems to report ( eg – not enough staff, short measures, untrained staff, the odd rogue pint), but I’ve nothing adverse to report in respect of either visit, I’m pleased to say.
It’s still early days and I do wonder if they will be able to keep such an extensive range of ales and ciders going once the initial honeymoon period is over. Having said that, it’s got off to a really flying start as far as I’m concerned. I sense it’s destined to become one of the areas top real ale pubs and I envisage many more visits to come in the months ahead. This is definitely one to watch.
On 25th June 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]