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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th March 2026) with Wittenden
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Carlton Tavern, NW6
Maida Vale
Postal town: NW6
NW6 5EU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Jon Taylor left this review about Carlton Tavern
Lovely pub on sarf Kilburn/Maida Vale border. Been coming here on and off for over 30 years. GBG listed, ale trail on Mondays with cheap pints, happy hour on some weekday afternoons with discounts on wine and bitter. Good, reasonably-priced food. Hope to re-visit soon.
Musicwise, we went to a few 'Jazz on the Cobbles' summer Sunday afternoon events but not been to the 'Bright Nights' showcase on alternate Fridays yet.
Other attractions include comedy (Mon) and Quiz (Tue).
On 13th March 2026
- rating: 8
[User has posted 12 recommendations about 12 pubs]
David Walton left this review about Carlton Tavern
Visited 15/12/25. Visited previously 13/03/24.
Cask here was Sonoma from Track and Cheltenham Gold from Gods Brewery with an unclipped hand pump. Three unclipped hand pumps in the other bar. Keg offering was Budvar, Jupa from Five Points, Camden Hells, IPA and Camden Pale Ale, Hepcat, Jubel Peach, Leffe Blond, Mahou, the Helles from Lost & Grounded, the Larkspur session IPA from the WB Collective, the Ordinary Smooth Bitter and the Hop pickers Pale both from A&H, the Umbrella Apple Cider.
The right-hand side was bare boarded with the nicely lit bar counter along the left-hand side of the rear wall with some tall stool seating at the bar counter. Mixture of seating options on this side. The other side also bare boarded with its own bar counter again with tall stools, albeit more densely packed. Some leather studded banquettes around a couple of the external walls serving regular tables but seating pride of place here via two leather studded wingback armchairs by a fire grate, albeit the log burner not lit on my visit (it was v mild). There is another room, larger, with plenty of regular tables and chairs but it was not in play on my visit. Low lighting, no screens, and a low volume funk soundtrack. Noteworthy given its story, but was a little disappointed by the cask offering, but still well above average.
On 9th February 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1340 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Carlton Tavern
AKA “The one that was demolished illegally and the developers were forced to rebuild brick-by-brick”. Looks very impressive outside though when you get your eye in you can see some bits which are clearly newer, presumably due to irretrievably damaged original materials. No matter. It’s a two-room affair inside, fairly basic but homely enough and was very busy early Sunday afternoon with the impressive (and competitively-priced) roast dinners flying out. Three decent cask selections and my Five Points Gold was in very good nick (NBSS 4) and worth its GBG place – I was assuming it had snuck in based on ‘CAMRA campaigning reasons’. Also available were craftykegs and some ciders. Not bad at all, I might well head back over again sooner rather than later. 7.5
On 22nd January 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5992 recommendations about 5971 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Carlton Tavern
Similar to the previous reviewer, my visit here was long since overdue. I finally made it to this re-built pub yesterday. On a fine summer's day, nobody was experiencing the re-built 2-room interior, with all other customers sat in the pub garden to the rear.
The interior is fairly plain and unfussy. Stairs lead from the main bar area to a kitchen and the toilets. The house beer is from Anspach & Hobday and is called The Build Back Bitter, with London Brewing Company London Lush being the guest ale. The craft beer selection was much wider - Goodness Yes, Camden Pale, Off Menu & Hells, London Brewing Company Upright, Five Points Jupa, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger, Harbour Singlefin, Lost & Grounded Helles, Gipsy Hill Hepcat, Anspach & Hobday London Black & Paddington Pale & Umbrella Cider.
As with the other reviews below, I agree that this pub is well worth a visit due to the success story attached to it. But it is located in a bit of a beer desert and is not really worth the effort of a re-visit.
On 24th June 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3409 recommendations about 3407 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Carlton Tavern
Although it should never have happened, this place shows what can be done, and if one didn't know the story I don't think you would never know that it had once been reduced to a pile of rubble - where there's a will, there's a way! Apart from the very characterful (rebuilt) facade, the twin-room interior isn't that remarkable, except for the fact that it's here at all. Three handpumps on each counter, offering a trio of London Brewing beers, the 'house' Build Back Bitter from Anspach & Hobday (£5.40) and Titanic Plum Porter when I made my overdue visit.
On 10th April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 9063 recommendations about 9063 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Carlton Tavern
The pub has been very well described below from visits over the last year, I too was curious to see how the rebuild went and agree they've done a fantastic job inside and out. As a pub it was operating in a clean and efficient manner, the food aspect was being pushed but not enough to detract from the fact it is a pub. Three cask beers were on house beer Build Back Bitter (Anspach & Hobday), Hammerton N7 and Five Points Pale, unfortunately the latter was not at it's best though still drinkable. A decent pub but like Wills summary below I'd not go out of my way to return.
On 4th September 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2291 recommendations about 2255 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Carlton Tavern
When I read the story of how the prospective developer had demolished the original pub without waiting for permission, and had then been ordered to rebuild it brick by brick, tile by tile, I immediately thought I'll have to go there for a visit. This is something to see, something to celebrate. And so it is. Although without the back story this would be one of thousands of fairly mainstream pubs in an otherwise undistinguished London suburb. There were three hand pumps, and the obvious beer to drink was Build Back Bitter 4%, brewed for the pub by Anspach & Hobday, so I had a pint and enjoyed it. If I lived in the area I would certainly be back on a regular basis, but as I don't, I can't see me making a special trip to be here again.
On 2nd February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4658 recommendations about 4267 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Carlton Tavern
I paid my first visit to this rebuilt pub, following the dastardly deeds of a developer a few years ago in demolishing it without going through the accepted procedures. There were three ales on - Carlton Tavern Build Back Bitter, brewed by Anspach & Hobday (£5.30 a pint); Five Poinys XPA and Railway Porter. My pint of Build Back Bitter was in good nick, although served in a dimpled jug with no choice offered. I thought that £5.30 was a tad expensive for a 3.7% house ale even by North London standards. I suppose an upmarket dimpled jug is seen to justify the price I guess.
As it was lunchtime I had a cheese and ham hock toastie for £8, including fries which were a bit like thin and crispy chips. The fillings were good quality ham and cheese, but for some reason the outside had some buttery herby stuff on it which made it something of a greasy mess. Tasted good though.
This pub is an amazingly good reconstruction of the original. It could have fooled me. I know they recovered some of the original fittings; the bar counter doesn't look like a modern piece of work, so maybe that was one of the things saved. It's dog friendly - I saw a well behaved mutt with a bowl of water, and there were free doggie treats on the counter although a charitable donation is suggested. I saw live music advertised on alternate Fridays; a quiz on Tuesdays; comedy night on Monday; and Wednesday is wing Wednesday which I can only assume means that they flog chicken wings rather than having on Sir Paul's tribute band.
The beer was in excellent condition, if a tad on the expensive side. I would recommend this pub.
On 30th November 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2617 recommendations about 2531 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Carlton Tavern
A very good review from Tris C is comprehensive.The exterior is terrific while the two internal rooms are more functional ,although the left side has good cornicing.Each room has a seperate servery ,each with two handpumps but I didn't spot an ale listing board so had to inspect both sets to discover a range of Portobello Westway Pale,Ansbach & Hobday The Golden Bitter,Big Smoke Underground Stout (I would assume a stout is always served given the fine external frieze advertising such !) and Five Points XPA (Fine form,NBSS 4 ,£5.20).Even the 9 keg selection did include a smattering of leading craft brewer output.
From the cobbled beer garden at the side,the Lucheon & Tea Room frieze is visible and this back room is indeed exclusively for diners.I didn't inspect the menu and the pub was very busy with a Tuesday evening quiz.
Real care is taken here with ale and beer selection,conditioning and presentation.Great to see a vibrant local risen from the developers ashes.It's a must visit and one of the best ale pubs in the locality.
On 8th September 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3126 recommendations about 3126 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Carlton Tavern
The fairy tale story of this remarkable pub is documented in detail on its website (which oddly insists on taking bookings, which aren’t necessary), on the What?ub link and in the international press as well as here: https://whatpub.com/pubs/NLD/6149/carlton-tavern-demolished-kilburn
Beautifully rebuilt, the replica Charrington’s tiles are remarkable, the whole must have cost an absolute fortune; serves the bugger right.
The interior is painted a subtle green with a white ceiling and modern boarded floor, obviously (see photo). Some elements were salvaged and the attractive bar was celebrating its 100th birthday stylishly, with fluted glass lamps above and straddling a more functional room to the right with a cosseting, comfy lounge-style room to the left with rather clubby furniture, that to the right being simple with a few wooden pews, settles as well as conventional tables and chairs, some appearing to have been salvaged also; the smart new lavs are downstairs. A substantial beer garden is to the rear where there’s more impressive tiling; it overlooks the Paddington Recreation Ground where Roger Bannister trained before his epic jog at Oxford’s Iffley Road track. Customers seem mixed with perhaps some coming from neighbouring and very rich St. John’s Wood; perhaps Sir Fab comes here.
Décor comprises a few pot plants and a bookshelf along with prints of Sid James and Forest Gump, other prints coming from the pub’s rotating inhouse artists; music wafting out of the gramophone came courtesy of Gang of Youths. The pub also makes a point of having a blackboard listing all beers, all of which are from London without any Eurofizz or the likes: 11 keg taps (including a cider and Camden lager), the four on cask being Big Smoke’s Milk Stout, Hammerton’s IPA, Ansbach & Hobday’s Bitter and Five Points XPA at the ‘new normal’ of £5.10 and on excellent form, served by efficient and friendly staff.
This is a must-visit if in NW6, where it really has no competition - L'haim!
On 27th August 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2307 recommendations about 2251 pubs]