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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Prince of Wales, Surbiton
Surbiton
KT6 6AL
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Prince of Wales
This is a pleasant, well presented Fullers pub located about five minutes walk up the hill from Surbiton station. You enter into a bare boarded front bar with exposed brick and neutral shaded walls, heavy beams crossing the ceiling and the servery along the back wall. Various seating options are available, including banquettes in the front window bays and high stools through the centre of the room including some around two central support pillars, with tub chairs filling the remaining gaps. The bar has a modern tongue and groove panelled counter, a rough and ready scaffold style shelving unit in the mirrored bar back and a glazed tile coffee station area to the right. A brick fireplace to the left has a grubby little stove inside, which suggests it gets some use, although admittedly not on a warm July evening. Decor includes lots of Guinness adverts, flags and the like, some plain mirrors and a few glib quotes painted on the walls. A sign to the rear suggests that there is a first floor dining area, although I was unable to explore during the course of my visit, and a passage to the rear leads out to the beer garden, whilst a few more seats are available under the colourful hanging baskets at the front of the pub. Music was playing quietly throughout my visit and some muted darts coverage kept a few old boys entertained on the TV.
On the bar, Fullers London Pride was clipped twice, along with a rare sighting of HSB and the more commonly found Dark Star Hophead. The HSB was in good nick but it's a bit of a pale shadow of its former self these days, so I didnt enjoy it all that much. The service was very friendly, from the welcoming barmaid to the genial landlord who popped over to say hello at one point.
This felt like a good local's pub of the sort that you'd happily keep returning to if you lived nearby. They seemed to be getting a lot of the basics right, whether that be the warm welcome, the well-kept ale or the comfortable interior designed to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. It's not a destination pub as such and it's located in the complete opposite direction to the rest of Surbiton's top pubs, but I'm really glad I made the effort to get out to this one.
Date of visit - 17th July 2024
On 31st October 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Prince of Wales
This was the last of the 293 London pubs in the Good Beer Guide left for me to visit. It was also the last of 11 new pubs visited on a sunny Friday afternoon/evening.
The Prince of Wales is well away from the main part of Surbiton and is quite an uphill walk from the station. Although there are a few buses that pass by.
The open-plan interior is quite light and airy and was a welcome respite from the warmth outside. Nevertheless, there were quite a few people in the beer garden at the rear. Hophead, London Pride & HSB are the real ales. Service was fine.
On 24th June 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The New Prince
The ale selection is much the same as that encountered by other reviewers, with London Pride (obviously), HSB, Gales Seafarers and Spring Sprinter available. I didn’t eat here, but the food seemed to be reasonably priced – sandwiches were £4.95 a pop, including salad and chips. There was a specials board with more reasonably priced grub, such as steak & kidney pie, chips and peas for £6.75.
The layout of the pub is largely unchanged from previous reviews, and looks to be the product of a relatively recent refurbishment. The two window bays still have leather sofas in them, otherwise furnishings are mainly normal tables and chairs but with a couple of tall tables/stools on the left. There’s a clean good quality carpet on the floor giving it a more warm and homely feel, and maroon painted walls up to the dado rail level also add to the warmth is some strange way.
When I was in there on a Wednesday afternoon there were only a few punters in, all looking like retired blokes – like me. This struck me as a friendly pub, and as I quite like Fuller’s/Gale’s beers this one suits me just fine. If I get the chance I’ll return.
On 21st April 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The New Prince
A pretty standard drinkers pub on the main Ewell Rd. This was unusually once for South West London a Gale's tied house prior to the takeover by Fullers, and this is reflected still in the beer choice. Three of four pumps were on, Gales HSB and Seafarers plus Pride.
The main front room is carpeted, with the bar ahead as you enter. Sofas in the two front bay windows, and high tables with similar stools along one side, with the middle area and far side having traditional proper chairs and tables. The room has black painted beams and posts in an attempt to provide a faux rustic look reinforced by old jugs and a few copper artifacts on a shelf, but a bit half hearted really. There are several old photos of the immediate area, some concentrating on the suburban development in the 1930's which were of interest to me.
A TV in the main room was showing 20-20 cricket, muted with low level music playing. A small bookcase in the same corner of the room had a number of old novels, sports books etc, possibly donated.
The front room/bar area now being one space shows signs of a possible previous layout as there are two opposite and identical fireplaces.
To the rear and on the left of the bar as you enter the pub extends back to a type of conservatory area with a pitched polycarbonate roof, clearly a later addition. Bright and airy, there is another TV here, women's football on this, interestingly gathering a crowd of watching blokes; this area has mainly standard seating.
Not sure about the food offered as I visited post work, but a chalkboard had a varied burger menu.
My pint of Seafarers was in good shape, and the pub itself feels welcoming and comfortable.
There are a couple of bench tables at the front facing the main road which may suit the smokers but are not really where you would sit out of choice. There may be an outdoor area at the back, but I didn't explore beyond the main area.
London Drinker available here..always a good sign..plus more unusually given the location a range of tourist leaflets for other parts of London.
On 27th July 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1710 recommendations about 1683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The New Prince
Quite nice local. Was a Gales pub for a time before their takeover by Fullers, and still sells some of their beer (brewed in Chiswick now though).
On 12th August 2008
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]