The Long Room, Tooting, SW17

Judging by the signage, this used to be The Mitre Hotel, and quite a bit of the exterior signage still remains. Accommodation is still apparently available here. I guess the name is taken from the famous Long Room at Lord's, in which case it's aptly named as this really is a ribbon of a pub. As you enter you are facing the bar counter in the main bar area, which has its fair share of tall tables and stools. To the right of the bar counter the pub meanders round to a separate lounge bar, which is carpeted and furnished with normal tables and chairs. This is the sort of comfortable room to which I would normally gravitate, but on Friday afternoon it was occupied by a funeral party. Moving to the left of the bar counter is another room which has some normal tables and chairs plus some uncomfortable looking tall upholstered benches around the edges, complete with tall tables. This room has an original bare-boarded varnished floor with a few rugs breaking up the floor space, and things like standard lamps and an urn containing decorative twigs making it look a bit like a hotel lounge - which is what it may well have started out as. A vase of flowers on the end of the bar counter, and a back wall decorated with numerous mirrors reinforce the look. There were a couple of ales on. The Adnam's Shingle Shells (a scarlet festival ale according to the pump clip) got swerved in favour of Sambrook's Wandle, which at £3.80 a pint for a low ABV ale is not cheap. Menus were on the tables, advertising some basic pub staples like a light bite of BBQ chicken wings (£4.95), burger & chips (£7.95), and bangers & mash (£7.75). I didn't eat here so can't comment on the quality. I have mixed feelings about this place. This is not a bad pub, although the beer prices seem to be at the high the end of the scale for this area. But I found a comfortable seat at which to perch and enjoy my drink. I have to say that the Antelope down the road is a better bet ale-wise. This is a middle of the road pub, and is comfortable enough if you can bag a decent seat.

Official site of the Long Room Bar - www.thelongroombar.co.uk

Official site of the Long Room Bar - www.thelongroombar.co.uk