The Mawbey Arms, South Lambeth, SW8

A friendly back street local, increasingly rare nowadays. A single room around a central light coloured angular bar. The bar has a few ceramic tiles and terracotta figures stuck to it. Carpeted and comfortable with traditional bench seating at small tables, plus a few bar stools. Large lanterns hang from chains fixed to the high ceiling. The bar and the area to the side of it is where the chatty bunch of regulars seem to congregate, most concentrating on the horse racing showing on the TV. There is a dartboard in the other side of the pub with a selection of trophies on a shelf above. The brick fireplace has a large picture in an elaborate frame, but most of the decor consists of Chelsea FC stuff. Three handpumps, two in use, serving Youngs Bitter and Waggledance. The Bitter was in very good condition and still at a fair £2.80. Certainly a well looked after pub which I'd definitely visit again if in the area.

Randomness Guide to London - Mawbey Arms entry

Randomness Guide to London - Mawbey Arms entry

There were a couple of real ales on during my midweek lunchtime visit – Young’s Bitter and (Marston’s?) Resolution. The resolution was excellent, and at £2.80 a pint pretty reasonably priced (for London anyway). They don’t do food at lunchtimes. I’m not sure about other times, but I would suspect not. The Chelsea affiliation remains, as mentioned by previous posters, manifested by numerous team photos and suchlike on the walls and over the bar. There was a large flatscreen TV, but switched off when I was in, and presumably it’s only switched on when there is something worth watching – luckily Loose Women seems to be deemed to fall outside that criteria! There were a couple of dartboards, which looked as if they were well used, especially with the mass of trophies on display above one of them. There was a one-armed bandit flashing away by one of the walls, and some music being played not too loudly when I came in, but when the CD or whatever finished after a few minutes the ensuing silence was only interrupted by one of the handful of locals having a word with the landlady, or the workings of the cash register. As you would expect in what is evidently a locals’ backstreet pub, furnishings were normal tables, and normal chairs with a sort of red velvelette covering, plus a few high stools at the bar. Floor covering is a mainly red carpet. There’s also a small outside covered area for smokers. The light wood bar counter looks as if it was the result of an inter-war refit. These are the typical furnishings of the sort of pub that we saw on many street corners 30 or 40 years ago. I felt very comfortable in here. A previous poster mentions that this is a late Victorian pub from the 1890s, but unfortunately there are no original interior features remaining from its Victorian past. This is one of the dying breed of unpretentious backstreet boozers that I like so very much. I would be very happy to pay a return visit to this clean, comfortable and welcoming pub.

Nice corner pub. Outside seating area, had a large tv. Chelsea fans welcome. Real ale on sale, not sure about food.

this is a very nice and freindly pub tony and kelly are also very nice