Earl Ferrers, Streatham, SW16

The Earl Ferrers is a small, welcoming backstreet pub easily reached from Streatham station and Common. The main bar has scrubbed floorboards and some nice wood panelling which extends to the smart servery area. The walls have been painted in pastel shades and covered in a mixture of old photos and arty pictures which brightens the place up a bit. The bar back is nicely laid out and has been well decorated with numerous pump clips from a select range of breweries. An upright piano is squeezed into a corner near the front door and acts as a home for various leaflets and flyers. To the right of the servery there is access to a second room which is dominated by a pool table which doesn’t really fit in there and is almost impossible to play on if anyone else is sat in the room. There is also a dartboard, a small fireplace and a large portrait of the eponymous Earl. A decent contemporary soundtrack was playing at a quiet enough volume during my stay. A few people had taken their drinks out to one of the cafe style tables set up on the pavement at the front of the pub which is as peaceful as a rear garden given the lack of traffic. There are five hand pumps, but I was a bit disappointed to find just two in action upon my arrival, offering Sambrook’s Wandle and Pilgrim Weald Ale. I gave the Weald Ale a try and thought it was very well kept. The staff were a friendly bunch and seemed to know everyone who came in whilst I was there. Food is served with some dishes detailed on a blackboard near the door, but I didn’t sample any of it. I liked the feel of this place and thought it was a nice get away from the bustle of Streatham, although my enjoyment was tempered by my disappointment on the ale selection front. That said, I’d be more than happy to make a return visit the next time I’m in the area.

The ales on when I visited last week were a couple from Red Squirrel (Conservation Ale and Red Tail IPA), Sambrook Wandle and Twickenham Hornet. So clearly they have good policy of changing ales. The pub is as described below, except that I also spotted an old joanna near the door, although I suspect it doesn’t get a lot of use. There‘s a pool table in the smaller room on the right. Being a Victorian pub it has very high ceilings, which combined with the absence of carpets and precious little upholstery makes it very noisy indeed. They were also playing music of some kind, but all that could be heard of it above the din of conversation was the thumping base. Perhaps some like to hear a thumping base in the background, but for me all it does is make it necessary to shout louder to be heard. I suspect that during the afternoon it is a much quieter place, but late evening it’s certainly not somewhere to go for a relaxing drink. But there were a number of people clearly having a great time, the ale selection was pretty good, and the Conservation Ale I had was excellent, so it still has a lot going for it.

Randomness Guide to London - Earl Ferrers entry