The Candlemaker, SW11

Official site of The Candlemaker - www.thecandlemakerpub.com

Official site of The Candlemaker - www.thecandlemakerpub.com

Dating from at least the mid-19th century as the Greyhound, this was a Hoare’s house by the early 1930s, so presumably became a Charrington’s joint shortly after, but now seemingly taken over by Laine’s – formerly the InnBrighton group – in 2012. Ignoring the reviews posted by Andy, Jim and Kat who presumably work here, it’s as described by the four most recent reviewers, with an interesting long ‘limb’ extending out to the rear, presumably once part of the beer garden, the current ‘garden’ being little more than a smoking corridor. Thereafter there are arty prints in gilt frames for décor along with a raised dais with mic stand for live entertainment and a good overall soundtrack in the meantime. Aside from a substantial choice of Scotch, though with no Laine’s ales on offer, there were two unused pumps then just Purity Gold at a pricey £3.00 a half, in reasonable nick, served by a friendly barman. This place ain’t too bad – certainly by the standards of Battersea – making for something different; a wider and more adventurous choice of cask would get the score up.

Formerly known as the Greyhound, this attractive tile fronted pub was re-opened in late 2012 by the Laine Pub Company, forming part of its small London pub estate. The place has an unusual layout, with the entrance leading you into a fairly conventional, square main bar area, which gives way to a remarkably long and narrow rear section, running at an odd angle all the way to the back of the building. The bar area has bare floorboards and a decent dark wood servery along the left hand wall. Sanded tables and good seating options including at least one button backed armchair fill the room, with those along the right hand wall looking out to the compact patio garden area to the side of the pub. The long part of the building has plenty of bench seating around large, chunky tables, including one in a nice recess with a large, graffiti-style 'Candlemaker' mural. The ceiling to the front of this section boasts a large skylight, which helps keep the place bright during daylight hours, a there are no windows the further back you head. Further back, the seating includes increasingly comfier looking options as well as a few smaller tables with standard chairs. A roaring fire, presumably gas, was on the go at the far end and I also spotted a pram full of board games, which is a pretty unexpected feature. The Mexican street food menu mentioned below seems to be a thing of the past, as our visit found a menu full of pub classics, from which we ate and found the food to be good quality with meals available over a range of prices. As we were leaving, some blokes had started to set up a poker night and I got the impression that the pub tried to put on a varied range of events. Three handpulls were in operation on this visit, dispensing Laines 48, Sambrooks Wandle and Kings Poachers Moon. A number of other Laines beers were available on keg along with a mix of mainstream and slightly more obscure keg products. I had a pint of the 48, which was unfortunately not in the best of condition. As with most Laines pubs I have visited, this place seemed like a decent pub with a reasonable beer range and friendly service, but sadly nothing to really make it stand out and encourage repeat visits. I certainly enjoyed eating here and could imagine settling down over a pint or two, but in many ways it was a fairly unmemorable experience.

The original glazed brown tiling remains externally however the interior is fully made over in a modern style leaving no evidence of original fittings. It's not a bad spot though, if a bit quirky. The bar is to the left on entering, this is a squareish boarded area with bench seats at rectangular tables. There were five handpumps, three in use offering Sambrook's Junction, Truman's Bold as Brass plus Laine's Best. I initially thought the friendly barmaid had given me too much change and feeling honest, queried the price. It turns out that the Laine's is now £2.80 a pint while the others are £3.80. That's a pretty decent offer around here these days. The pub extends back quite some way beyond the bar area where it kinks around to the left and narrows. The quirky candle related pictures remain and a huge candle featured in a projecting candleholder. At the end is a wood burner and wall mounted TV, seating in this area is more avant-garde with styled armchairs and stools as well as the inevitable sofas. Lots of exposed brickwork, flowers and candles (of course) on the tables and subdued lighting together with the low key background music gave a laid back feel. On the bar back are a number of small skull like figures, painted in bright colours, some stacked on top of each other resembling totem poles. Curious. Food is "Ranch Style" Mexican street food, a couple of blokes ordered some enchiladas while I was there, they didn't look half bad. You pick a type of wrap then your choice of meat or veg and then your salsa. A different concept in pub food. There is a large covered outdoor area to the side and another smaller one towards the rear. I enjoyed my brief stay here even if the place is not traditional in any way and getting a decent pint for under three quid no doubt played a big part in that.

Rather good pub with 4 decent beers on . Unusual shaped pub with nice artwork on the walls. Didnt notice the candles but thought the pub was called the Shoemaker so was looking for shoe related things. Really good outside seating to the side in the form of booths. Had a perfect pint of Laines -best(brewed at wj Kings

I work just up the road and had lunch here on Friday, there were 17 of us and they handled our food orders without any problems, I had a lovely Burrito off their express menu, they serve Wandle ale from Sambrooks round the corner, really cool inside and look forward to coming more often! Cheers!