The Bulls Head, Chislehurst

This is a large, attractive pub and hotel at one end of the Royal Parade. The facade is covered in some pretty epic climbing plants, which gives it a striking and aged aspect. The pub is split across three areas, with a smart lounge bar to the left, a more basic main bar in the centre and a dining room to the right. The lounge bar is on the hotel side of the building and I was initially unsure if it was for guests only, but I think it's open to all and offers nice, comfy button backed banquettes, tub chairs and the like, in a carpeted space with its own servery down the right-hand wall. I took the safer option, and sat in the main bar, which has some nice old parquet flooring, full height, dark wood wall panels, and a large servery along the back wall. The bar has an impressive, curved, dark wood counter with a brass footrail, simple dark wood gantry and partly modernised bar back with the craft keg fonts in the centre. Seating is almost exclusively high tables and stools, most of which are under large front windows. Various arty photos line the walls and there were a couple of TV screens showing muted live football whilst a dance soundtrack played very quietly in the background. The dining room is through an opened out wall to the right and has simple table and chair seating in a decent space that ticks all the boxes for a hotel dining room. Food that came past looked great and the room was packed by midday on a Sunday afternoon. On the bar, Youngs Ordinary and Special were joined by the usual guest of St Austell Proper Job at a handsome £3.05 for half a pint. A row of Beaverton craft keg taps ran along the bar back for anyone who felt they weren't being overcharged enough for the cask. The bar staff were a uniformly nice bunch and one barmaid was remarkably happy to declare that the Proper Job was back on when her colleague enquired. I think for a hotel bar in a slightly self-important place like Chislehurst, this was actually not all that bad and I quite enjoyed my brief stop off here. It's almost certainly going to work better for hotel guests, diners and snobby locals, but as a precursor to the local micropub, it did a decent job and I have no real complaints. Date of visit - 4th February 2024

The Bulls Head Hotel has an impressive exterior and is located a short walk from the war memorial. Inside, the lounge is a large, but cosy affair with nice furnishings. The main bar is more simply decorated with high tables and chairs. As a Young's house, it had their Ordinary & Special, along with Proper Job as a guest. It is currently table service. The young staff were quite efficient, but prices are on the steep side.

Substantial Young's hotel at the eastern end of the Royal Parade, with the facades covered in creepers and the frontage enlivened with hanging baskets. The main 'L'-shaped Main Bar is located in the centre, with the dining rooms on the right-hand side and a separate (no children) Lounge Bar to the left. Modernised, yet semi-traditional furniture and decor throughout. Ordinary, Special and Hogs Back TEA (£4.85) available from the various handpumps on the two counters.

The Bulls Head is a former coaching inn dating back to 1753. It has been owned by Youngs since 1931 but had to be partially rebuilt after it was bombed in 1945. Previous guests have included Henry Cooper who regularly stayed at the hotel ahead of his boxing matches. The pretty exterior seems to have an ongoing battle with the ever creeping ivy that gradually obscures the pub before being severely hacked back when appropriate. A flag pole towers over the main door that leads to a porch and 2 separate bars, the main bar to the right and lounge bar to the left. The main bar stretches through 2 rooms and is long but quite shallow so apart from a few stools at the bar, furnishings are limited to a series of high tables opposite the bar although it does open up a bit the further down you go. The décor is quite generic with bare parquet flooring, a few old pictures and a TV. The carpeted lounge bar has a warm cosy feel with a more relaxing ambiance as one would expect. At the rear is a separate dining room and beyond this, a pleasant and spacious beer garden. There is also a ballroom for larger functions. There are 4 hand pumps in each bar, both dispensing the same 4 ales, these being the usual Youngs staples of Youngs Ordinary, Special, Bombardier and Courage Directors. Quality was very good. Not sure about prices as it wasn't my shout. Food is around £8-£15 and whilst I have never eaten here, it did appear to be popular and I could imagine this being a decent enough place for occasion meals. It is very much an all year pub, cosy in the winter with its open fires and good for al-fresco drinking in the garden in summer months. The major downside is that as it is a Youngs tied house, the chances of getting any imaginative beers here are limited. Worth a visit if passing through.