The Surprise, South Lambeth, SW8

Visited in June 2010 The Surprise is an excellent, unpretentious, traditional locals pub situated at the end of a small cul de sac off the Wandsworth Road and backing on to Larkhall Park. It's one of a sadly diminishing breed of old fashioned "proper" Youngs pubs - let's hope the Wells and Youngs changing rooms brigade can be persuaded to continue to leave it largely well alone. It's a small pub with a narrow curved bar area at the front which leads through to a further room at the back with a dartboard and which, pleasingly, retains the framed caricatures of regulars that I remember from previous visits, although I suspect that, by now, some of them are now drinking in that great pub in the sky. On my previous visit,I expressed my dislike at being incessantly barked at and licked all over by the pub dog. Whilst the landlord and the pub dog in question are no longer in situ, it was perhaps ironic, as I'm sitting outside in the evening sunshine thinking how much more enjoyable the pub is now, that I suddenly realise that I've trodden in ….( you can guess the rest ), necessitating a quick visit to the nearby park to clean my shoe on the grass. Unfortunately, I arrived too late for the advertised happy hour between 4-6pm, but the Youngs Special - £ 3.15p - was in good form. The pub has been in CAMRA Good Beer Guides. Pubs like this are sadly disappearing from the London landscape - even though I wouldn't describe it as my "lucky" pub, let's hope this one is still around for years to come

Randomness Guide to London - Surprise entry

Randomness Guide to London - Surprise entry

This is a Young’s house, so don’t expect anything unusual in the way of ales. That’s no problem for me as I quite like Young’s ales. I was in during a weekday lunchtime, when unfortunately they don’t serve food. But the lady behind the bar was very happy for me to pop round the corner to the local caff to buy a sarny to bring back to the pub to eat with my pint. I really appreciate that sort of helpful and accommodating approach. There is a front bar that is bare-boarded, but it leads on the left to a carpeted room at the back with some comfortable banquette seating. The wall of the back room is covered with some caricature prints. There were a few stools at the bar in the main front bar, plus some small armchairs around a table in front of a real wood fire, that was especially welcome on a cold day in January. The usual flatscreen TV was on the wall in the main bar, but switched off; some pop music was playing softly in the background; and those other mechanical monstrosities, the one-armed bandit and the games machine, were also present. There was some fairly attractive etched glass panels in the doors bearing the pub’s name, but it didn’t look good enough to be an original feature, though I could be wrong. From my description it doesn’t sound like an exceptional pub, but in fact I liked it a lot, and thought it a charming and friendly little watering hole. I would love to visit again.

Great for Thai food, gets busy Friday lunch time. Guinness is very good. The inside of the Dolphin. Got new people in to do the Thai food, must taste better because they get busy on other days not just Friday. Must try it some day.

Nice pub on the edge of Larkhall Park. Has real ale, though limited to Youngs & Charles Wells. Has an overweight Labrador, called Toffee, who wanders in & out and will flop on the floor in the most awkward places. Sells food. Has a back room with comedic pictures of regulars.