The Althorp, Wandsworth Common, SW17

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Rex Rattus left this review about The Althorp

This pub is no doubt named after the family name of the Earls Spencer, who have traditionally owned masses of land in the Wandsworth area. This place brands itself as a bar and restaurant, and the dozen or more people in the bar on Friday afternoon were all eating, except for yours truly and one other bloke sitting at the bar. The main bar area has mainly normal tables and chairs, but there was the inevitable clutch of distressed leather sofas and armchairs by the window. It's an oddly shaped place - behind the main bar down a few steps is a sort of lounge area furnished with sofas and armchairs; keep going and there is another fairly large room with all tables laid for diners. But this room was unused during my visit, with diners presumably preferring the more convivial atmosphere of the main bar. A bit of seating outside at the front of the pub was being utilised by a couple of smokers. There were a couple of TVs on the walls (switched off during my visit), but no fruit machines or others of their ilk.

I didn't see a menu, but the Christmas bookings flyer was on my table advertising the 3-course Christmas lunch (but not on 25 or 31 December) for £28 plus 10% service charge. Most of the meals I saw being scoffed were not served on normal plates but on some sort of deep bowl affair. Preferably I like eating off plates, but I would guess that they would suit gravyphiles as you could probably get a couple of pints of the stuff in them.

This place is as much restaurant as pub, like so many places these days. It's not the sort of place in which I would choose to spend an evening session, but when I was in there were plenty of tables available for drinkers. Mustn't forget the beer - three ales on, being Sharp's Doom Bar and Cornish Coaster, and Timothy Taylor Landlord. The Cornish Coaster was £3.60 a pint which is OK by London standards, was in good nick although served in a dimpled jug with no choice offered (a typical gastropub affection of course). Nonetheless, this place makes a useful addition to the Wandsworth Common area and is worth dropping into for a pint or two.

On 7^th September 2013 - rating: 5
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