Ravensbourne Arms, Ladywell, SE13

There were four ales on in here – Beyond the Pale (£3.90 a pint) and Enigma from Kent Brewery; Sharp’s Cornish Coaster; and Adnam’s Fat Sprat. There were single sheet menus on all the tables (some of which had cutlery and napkins laid out on them), with all kinds of stuff listed on them, some of which I rcognised. I went for the “Scotch beefburger, with coleslaw and rosemary chips with chipotle mayo”. Sounds a bit strange, but actually it was quite good. It cost about £11 or so as I recall. Being an Antic pub, a number of their trademark features were present, including the usual mismatched furnishings and both a table football and bar billiards. This building is a purpose built large, stand-alone, (inter-war I would say) pub previously called the Coach & Horses according to the tiled panel on the exterior wall. Thus in here we don’t have paraphernalia and décor recognising a previous guise, like so many Antic pubs that were once post offices, British Legion halls, job centres and the like. But there is inevitably quite a bit of memorabilia around the place, such as a row of presento style shields on one wall, books on shelves by the window, and a couple of stags heads on one wooden panel. It just wouldn’t be an Antic pub without this sort of stuff. There’s a dartboard on the left, plus I saw a quiz night advertised – these are definitely worthwhile pub activities. There are things I like about Antic pubs – such as the ale choice, and the fact that seating never seems to be crowded, but personally I prefer the smaller, more homely pub. This one is as large as a ‘spoons conversion, and really looks like something of a drinking barn. But overall I would give it the thumbs up.

A very spacious Antic outlet 5 minutes stroll from Ladywell BR, having been converted and renamed from the Coach and Horses in 2011. Décor includes parquet flooring, dark wood panelling with some duck egg walls and a modern take on flock wallpaper. A mish-mash of seating, some of which may well have come from the local skip. A couple of dining families in attendance with their little Leo's and Chloe's squawking away which might put some off. Eclectic piped music, as is usual in Antic pubs. A wide range of punter entertainment available in the form of bar billiards, board games, darts, table football and daily papers. A big screen TV was switched off. Apparently there’s a beer garden out back with table tennis(?) though that was unexplored by me. Four ales (Adnams Old, Titanic Steerage, Truman's Bold as Brass, ELB Pale) plus Butford Medium cider and some interesting bottled garb. My Old was decent (though may have been the first out for a while) and £1.70 - "only a half?" enquired the obligatory hipster barman. This place has something for everyone and is well-worth alighting for.

Previously known as the Coach and Horses, this pub has been taken over by the Antic pub group and given a new lease of life as the Ravensbourne Arms. The layout is formed by one very large L shaped room, with wooden floors, dark wood panels and walls painted in pastel shades giving it something of a modern-traditional feel, if that's not too much of an oxymoron. There is an eclectic mix of seating - I don't think any two chairs or tables were the same - including a few comfy looking sofas which were all taken up on my visit. The decor is fairly quirky in places, as seems to be a theme with Antic pubs, but without being to the detriment of the pub's overall look. Animal heads are mounted on the walls, and various old sporting trophies are displayed, giving the impression that the pub runs a number of successful team, although I'm fairly sure that's not the case. There is a bar billiards table, a table top arcade machine, table football, numerous board games and a windowsill full of books, so bored punters have an interesting range of distractions. Some trendy current indie tunes were being played at a sensible volume which reflected the predominantly young clientele and staff. There are a few benches outside the front door and if you follow the bar round to the back of the room, you will find more outdoor seating in a beer garden that is also home to a ping pong table. There were five handpulls offering Adnams Lighthouse and Pale Ale, Redemption Burnham No.6 (£3.20) and Thwaites Crafty Devil, with Brewdog 5am Saint having just gone off. My pint of Redemption was fantastic and I was helped in deciding which beer to pick by a blackboard on a pillar next to the bar which not only listed the beers available, but also gave comprehensive tasting notes, which I thought was an excellent idea. The barmaid, who was very welcoming despite being a bit slow to serve me, offered a choice of a straight glass or dimpled mug. A tidy bottled selection is also available, including the likes of Sierra Nevada and a few from Brewdog. There was a limited menu with main meals coming in around the £7-10 mark, but I didn't try anything from it. I'm not sure this pub would please the traditionalist, despite its attempts to create a contemporary version of the traditional pub, but I thought this was a really nice place to spend a bit of time in an area that is lacking in quality pubs.

Randomness Guide to London - Ravensbourne entry

Randomness Guide to London - Ravensbourne entry