Eltham GPO, Eltham, SE9

Visited 06/05/25. Visited previously 15/07/19. Three handpumps but only one dispensing and offering the cask version of Gypsy Hill Bandit pale ale (new one for me - didn't realise they produced cask beer). Keg offering of Caffrey's Irish stout, the London Pilsner and the Off-Peak IPA both from Portobello in this Portobello Pubco venue (surprised they didn't have one of their own cask beers on such as Star), Aspall, Jubel Peach lager, Hepcat and Hepcaf, Pravha, Madri, Guinness, Blue Moon and Efes (a rare one to see on tap). Grand venue, a large rectangle with the right-angled bar occupying the rear right-hand corner, with the open kitchen on the rear wall to the immediate left-hand side of that rear end of the bar counter. Tiled skirt around bar counter and rear of flooring a mixture of bare boards and original stone in parts. To the right of the entrance and in front of the bar counter are some tall tables with some funky upholstered booth tables in the front windows. The area to the left-hand end of the bar counter and the open kitchen is turned over to diners as is the front left-hand side with a mixture of seating options. Seating to the left-hand front is also a mixture of styles and most of these looked like they would also be prioritised to diners. There is some seating out the front via picnic benches and there is a small strip on the right-hand outside of the venue similarly staffed by picnic benches, some of which towards the rear of the space are covered. The venue was busy on my mid evening visit, mostly drinkers I would say. Lighting is ambient, low / background music and the screens here were switched off on my visit.

This is a Portobello pub, so you get their Star Best and, today, a 3.4% Pale from Gypsy Hill, priced at a reasonable £5, with the frothy head willingly topped up for that full pint satisfaction. The keg beers seemed fairly unremarkable. Reasonably busy for a late afternoon, though with plenty of tables still available, albeit some have reservations for later. A decent menu helps to offset the restricted beer selection. Worth a pit-stop, if not a full-on session.

This is one of a tranche of pubs that the Portobello Brewery bought off Antic in 2020 and it was shut down for three months in the second half of last year whilst it underwent a complete makeover, therefore none of the previous reviews now really apply. What we have instead is a very smart pub, both inside and outside. You can still see traces of the former Antic pub in the ceiling and the bare boarded wooden floor, but the furniture and décor is now much more modern, with a lot of the space aligned to dining but still with enough sections more aligned to sitting with a beer. And in that respect, there are now three ale hand pumps on the bar alongside some keg dispensers for modern craft ales. Portobello Star Bitter and Stiff Lip IPA were on with FivePoints XPA on the third pump as a guest. There were some interesting craft options such as Brixton Atlantic APA on the taps. I have a very soft spot for former GPO buildings turned into pubs and I thought this is now a particularly good example.