The Shortlands Tavern, Shortlands, Bromley

Official site of The Shortlands Tavern - www.theshortlandstavern.com

Official site of The Shortlands Tavern - www.theshortlandstavern.com

Handily located just around the corner from Shortlands station and an easy 15-20 minute walk down the hill from Bromley town centre, this is a smartly kept pub with a nice community feel to it. The pub looks very nice on approach thanks to its fine external tiling and colourful hanging baskets. Inside there are three distinct areas, with two seating areas at either end of the building and the bar in between. A stained glass entrance leads into the split-level left hand seating area which is bare boarded, with half panelled walls topped in pastel shades. The lower area towards the rear of the room has a grand fireplace, whilst there is a full height panelled corner to the front with a sign saying 'Muppets Corner'. Banquettes and other such comfortable furniture options make this a very pleasant place to relax with your pint. Passing through a doorway flanked by various fine etched glass panes depicting birds in rural settings, you reach the central bar area with the dark wood servery on the back wall and a long banquette opposite. The rural theme continues with a stuffed pheasant in a case on the bar canopy and a boar's head on the front wall. The right hand seating area has slightly more basic furniture than the left side, including a drinking ledge that allows you to look through to the bar. There are quite a lot of old brewery mirrors on display here, as in the rest of the pub, which looks very nice in context. A top quality indie soundtrack played throughout my stay and a couple next to me were entertaining a hyperactive puppy they'd brought in with them. A door to the far right leads out to a beer garden and plenty of people were coming and going from out there, although I didn't get round to exploring myself. The pub has appeared in recent editions of the Good Beer Guide and had a pretty wide range of ales on the bar, comprising Kent Cobnut and Black Gold, Dorking DB One, 1648 Signature Brew, St Austell Tribute and Old Dairy Gold Top. I tried the latter at £3.90 a pint and thought it was a very nice pint, kept cellar cool in the warm weather we'd been having and full of flavour. A few folk around me were eating, but I didn't manage to see a menu for myself. I thought this was a very nice pub with a lot of attractive traditional features, but also a fresh, contemporary feel as well, which had helped draw a good, mixed mid-week evening crowd. The beer seemed to be in good shape and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. I don't really rate Bromley as a pub town but this place is a real winner and I'll be sure to return when I'm next passing through.

The Shortlands Tavern is a decent looking pub that faces the platforms on Shortlands station. Once inside there is a L shaped room that is divided into different areas,the area near the entrance has bench seating and chairs,the rear left area is down steps where there is small area with more seating,the main bar area is to the right,this is a long oblong shaped are which almost runs the full width of the pub,there is comfy bench seating facing the bar with chairs,the room is bare boared. There was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Brentwood Blonde,which was a very nice drink,the other real ales noted were Brentwood Chocwork Orange,Plain Ales Innocence,Tonbridge Coppernob,Kent Cob Nut and one more i failed to read my notes of. There were two large screens showing Rugby and food was being served. This is a very pleasant pub that was very busy on my Saturday afternoon visit. Pub visited 18/3/2017