Dog & Fox, Wimbledon Village, SW19

Sixth and last of the Wimbledon 8. That stat tells its own tale. I quite like this place - big, airy, full of paraphernalia , great location and beer as indifferent as the other six pubs. Photos and more info at my walking blog - http://bit.ly/1Tf0AGO

The Dog and Fox is a huge Young’s pub in the middle of Wimbledon Village. The pub was last rebuilt in 1869, but there has been an inn on the site since at least 1617. The current building has clearly undergone the Young’s refurbishment treatment in recent times, which sadly means that it’s now quite tricky to pick out anything of historical interest. The pub has a corridor running from the front door to the bar, either side of which are two very different areas. To the left is the dining area – a huge split level room with some banquette lined booths on the lower level and a draped off area higher up which stretches surprisingly far back, before reaching a conservatory type room. The overall look is that of a restaurant, and it’s only by moving to the right of the corridor that you are reminded that you are actually in a pub. The servery is sited on the rear wall and there is a centrally located fireplace opposite. The room has a lot of seating including some nice banquettes and the sort of fancy wallpaper that you seem to find in Young’s pubs nowadays. Several TV screens were dotted around the room, each showing different action from the Olympic Games whilst loud music played over the commentary. There are two outdoor seating areas including one which had a BBQ on the go. We tried some of the food off the standard menu and whilst quality was good, it didn’t come cheaply. Disappointingly there were just three ales available – Young’s Ordinary, Special and Wells Bombardier – although the full range of Young’s bottled beers were also on show in the fridges. I tried the Ordinary and thankfully it was pretty well kept. This place may once have been an appealing proposition, but it has been messed about with so much that it barely feels like a pub anymore and certainly not one with any history. It might be a worthwhile option for a bite to eat – it is after all, no more expensive than other eateries in the village – but I can’t imagine me coming back here for a pint.