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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th March 2026) with trainman
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Detail Pages
The Talbot, SE4
SE4
SE4 1QG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Talbot
Visited 24/11/25. Visited previously 07/10/19.
Single functioning hand pump on a bank of three providing Harvey's Sussex Best. Keg offering from taps on the wall behind the bar, namely Angelo Poretti, Estrella, Villages Rodeo, Hepcat, Brooklyn Pilsner and Stonewall IPA, Jubel Peach, Umbrella cider, Orbit Smoked Helles and Guinness.
Venue has quite a bit of outside covered seating in an Alpine sort of feel and some uncovered seating that will be for different times to this evening. The venue, inside and especially outside, was very festive on my visit with v large Xmas tree bejewelled in a multitude of warm white lights. Inside the bare boarded venue is sort of U shaped with an L shaped bar counter sort of following the shape of the venue. The left-hand side has a sort of pure dining area at the very back of that side with some ceramic floor tiles. Before that side there is a dark leather studded banquette along the left-hand wall serving regular tables. There is a small number of classy part wood, part resin tables either side of the entrance before a tan leather banquette on the right-hand wall, before the venue opens slightly beyond the end of the bar counter on this side. There is a doorway leading to the Dining Room clearly emphasising that this presents itself as a full-blown gastropub!! Whilst a very pleasant venue to visit at the time of year, can't see it as a drinking destination for cask enthusiasts.
On 1st March 2026
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1340 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Talbot
There were four ales on in here, which came as a pleasant surprise after already visiting several pubs in the area which did not serve real ale. The ales on were Fuller's Front Row, Harvey's Best, Salopian Shropshire Gold, and Brockley Pale Ale (£2 a half). I didn't see any sign of food, but I was in after 3.0 PM and maybe they had stopped serving by then.
Despite the remnants of Charrington's signage outside, there's nothing of heritage interest inside. It's now a thoroughly modernised pub. The walls up to dado level are painted a sort of indigo colour and cream above it; furnishings are mainly hard wooden recycled church chairs with mainly scrubbed light wood tables. Obviously there's a coffee machine on the bar counter, along with large jars of nuts and the like, as well as the now ubiquitous water container. Music was retro in the extreme - I recognised tracks by Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. There's also some bench seating outside.
The beer choice was pretty good, but I didn't think that it was really a comfortable enough place for me to want to spend any length of time, although I'm sure that it would suit many people down to the ground.
On 14th February 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2617 recommendations about 2531 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Talbot
I seem to have caught this place at exactly the wrong time, having visited not long after the pub changed ownership. This pub was, by all accounts, a bit of a dilapidated mess when the previous owners took it on, but they managed to turn things around and the pub appeared in recent editions of the Good Beer Guide as a result of their hard work. The current owners took over in August 2014 and my visit seems to have been timed during their redecorating phase, as all of the walls were painted white but had been left completely bare. Sadly, this left for a very bland, sterile feeling pub devoid of warmth or character, so one would hope that this gets addressed pretty quickly. The pub has a single room layout with the servery opposite the main front door and seating areas to either side. The room is bare boarded with an L-shaped servery which had a large coffee and tea making station at one end. Furniture is mostly scrubbed tables and standard chairs, with a few high tables and stools here and there. A few bits of CAMRA literature and flyers for local events were knocking about, but the lack of visual distraction was very, erm... distracting. There is a good amount of picnic bench seating out the front, but it's not the most pleasant spot you're likely to find. We had a good laugh watching one bloke have his bench invaded by the pub cat who seemed determined to position himself between the customer and his pint. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and obviously keen to make a good impression with their new enterprise. We were also afforded a warm welcome from the lovely pub dog.
Four handpulls were offering the choice of Clarence and Fredericks Cascadian Black, Brick Sir Thomas Gardyner, Harveys Best and Mighty Oak Sun Downer. I noticed a pretty good bottled beer range and my impressions were that the owners were keen to maintain their inherited reputation for good ale. My pint of the Brick enhanced that opinion and went down very well on a hot summer's afternoon.
This was clearly, at least I hope, a work in progress and merits a revisit to establish if it's going to emerge as the charming locals pub it could easily be transformed into. If the décor is to remain minimal, then it's possibly still worth a look for the beer range, but wouldn't merit more than a quick look before moving on. I'll be interested to see which way this one goes.
On 18th September 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Talbot
Refurbished pub - formerly a Charrington house, as evidenced by the exterior signage - located a few minutes walk from St Johns station. Looks fairly modern inside, with sparse decoration apart from one wall which has what seems to be a random collection of framed pictures. A few plain wooden benches outside by the parking area. Four real ales on handpump - Flowers IPA, Wadworth Bishop's Tipple, Doom Bar and Harveys (£3.25, and served in the right glass). Overall, one of the better places in the area.
On 18th February 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 9063 recommendations about 9063 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Felix Pearce left this review about The Talbot
This pub has now been renovated and reopened as a freehouse.The pub was lovingly restored across the summer, and opened in November '09 as a pub with great food and a nice atmosphere.
On 11th March 2010
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Talbot
CLOSED & EMPTY (09/03/09)
[admin edit: Remarked the pub as open, http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?1509-The-Talbot-Brockley 3/3/10]
On 10th March 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]