The Cockpit, Chislehurst

Part florist's, part micro-pub, so an unusual combination but both elements combine unexpectedly well. It comprises two small rooms, a nicely decorated front seating area with the bar (featuring a pumpless counter) located up a single step beyond. Also has some outdoor seating in screened area between the footway and the road. Eight cask ales in a range of styles are served by gravity from the cool room at the back, and my pint of Green Manalishi from Kent Brewery (£5.90) was first class. With a friendly welcome and some good conversation, I really enjoyed my first visit here.

This is a really impressive micropub, occupying an atmospheric old building on Chislehurst's Royal Parade. Strangely, the pub shares the premises with a florist, who has small counter to the right on entry and has added plenty of plants to the front part of the pub, making for quite a spectacle as you arrive. The interior has a two-part, split level room with nice exposed floorboards throughout and a similar wooden ceiling. The front part of the room is solely used as a seating area, with plain painted walls and a bit of exposed brickwork. Standard tables and chairs fill the space, with a grand, highly decorative fireplace to the left, enhanced by potted plants on the mantlepiece. The walls have been decorated with old black and white photos plus a few arty bits, whilst hops liberally hang from every beam available. A step up takes you into the rear bar area with high fixed benches along the right-hand wall and high tables and stools in a space to the left, with the servery in the rear left corner. The bar has a very basic counter with a big beer board dominating the bar back, next to which is a window through to the taproom where all the beer is poured from. Shelf partitioning separates these upper and lower levels and they've been lined with mini beer kegs, which are possibly for sale, whilst another shelf to the right is stacked full of local interest leaflets and the like. Another fireplace stands next to the bar, and has a small stove inside which looks more like an old oven. The door to the toilets at the rear is flanked by an intricately carved frame and there are lots more hops hung from the ceiling around the bar area, with pub merchandise displayed on the side wall. Out the front is a surprisingly large pavement seating area which was very popular, as was the pub in general, having filled up nicely not long after opening on a Sunday afternoon. Cask options amounted to house beer Pit The Cockpit, Iron Pier Cast Iron Stout (£4.90 a pint) and Fruit Cake, Moot Kapa, Pig and Porter Jumping Frog and Whispering Grass, and Tonbridge Countryman. Five ciders were also available on draught and four 'fine ciders' by bottle, although I've no idea what these were. My pint of the Cast Iron Stout was just about perfect and at one point I saw some sort of cheese board being brought out, which looked amazing, although I didnt spot any menus. I really liked this place, which had all the best parts of your typical micropub combined with a characterful building that was much more enjoyable to spend time in than your average shop conversion. The excellent beer range and quality make this the stand out pub in Chislehurst and I'll most certainly be back the next time I'm in the area. Date of visit - 4th February 2024

Official site of The Cockpit - www.thecockpitchislehurst.co.uk

Official site of The Cockpit - www.thecockpitchislehurst.co.uk

I was last in Chislehurst in September 2020, just 3 months before this micropub opened. My last visit was to take in 5 average and below average pubs. I have to say that the Cockpit trumps all of them hands down. I initially walked straight past the pub. The front of this micropub actually houses a florist and it was only the presence of some Cockpit signage on the pavement seating area outside that made me realise that it must be close by. When turning back, I still had to have a double take as I still could only see the florist! Once past the flowers, which make quite an unusual entrance to a pub, there is a reasonably large seating area leading up to the bar at the rear, which has a cool room behind it. Cask ales are listed on a blackboard behind the bar. Amongst other boards, there was also a cider list off to the right-hand side. Ales on were Cockpit Pit (presumably they also now brew their own beer), Full Circle Kiburi, Thornbridge Country Man, Kent Session Pale, Drop Project Flow & 360° Summer Breeze. Ciders were Pilton Labyrinth, Oliver's Wild Farmhouse Autumn Blend, Turner's Elderflower Cider & Rhubarb Cider, Ross-on-Wye Opposites Attract, Broadoak Perry & Nightingale Tenterden & Discovery. Customers seemed to be mainly locals and quite a few were indulging in substantial snacks, including pies and Ploughmans. This is Bromley CAMRA's Pub of the Year. There are some good pubs in the Bromley district. So, this is some feat given they've only been open for 2½ years. I can't argue with the choice of pub for the award, as this was certainly my favourite pub of a day in South East London. I'm sure I will return. Although, it's a shame that there are no other decent hostelries in Chislehurst.