The Fox on the Hill (JD Wetherspoon), SE5

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Pub SignMan left this review about The Fox on the Hill (JD Wetherspoon)

This is a large, landmark Wetherspoons pub sat at the top of Denmark Hill, a short uphill walk from the station of the same name. The first thing that strikes you on approach is the size of the pub’s beer garden – occupying an unusually large triangle of grass that slopes downhill from the pub and is covered with countless picnic benches – good luck to the staff who have to deal with table service-only orders out here on a hot summer’s day. Closer to the pub, there is a decent sized car park and a pleasant patio seating area lined with lots of colourful plants. The pub is divided into three main areas to the front, right and rear of the building, with the current one-way system taking you into the right-hand room, which sees the servery run along the left-hand wall, with seating in two rows opposite. This carpeted room has lincrusta decorations on the lower part of the walls and a mix of high tables and stools, mostly directly opposite the bar, with hard benches and chairs around the perimeter, some of which have been formed into booths by wooden partitioning screens with etched glass panes bearing the Wetherspoons logo. The bar has a nice dark wood counter with some detailed pillars supporting the gantry and a simple mirrored bar back. The walls have been decorated with the usual black and white photos and ‘Spoons information boards plus the occasional modern art print. The front bar is a much smaller space, with the servery dominating the rear of the room and limited seating along the front wall. It’s quite a nice space and far more ‘pubby’ than anything you’ll find in your average Wetherspoons, but its relatively compact size means that tables fill up quickly and I can imagine that, were we not under the current table-service restrictions, bar blockers and vertical drinkers could diminish the room’s appeal. Finally, the rear dining room is the largest of the three and had been set aside solely for customers intending to order food and drink via the Wetherspoons app. I therefore only had a brief glimpse of this room but appeared to be a well laid-out split-level space with ample seating options and plenty more of those etched glass partitioning screens. I’m told there is also a rear beer garden, as if any more al fresco seating were needed, but I didn’t bother trying to explore in the dark.
I counted six guest ales on the bar and just three ‘Spoons regulars, but clearly having nine ales on is too much of a stretch as my Roosters Yankee was very much on the turn. It also took me an eternity to get served here, with most staff busy shuttling food and drink to the app ordering types in the other room, although I eventually caught the attention of a polite barman who went through the farce of taking my order, bringing the drink to my table and then asking me to come to the bar anyway to pay by card. I also had some food here, opting for a panini which I thought would be impossible to screw up, but the kitchen staff here somehow obliged, presenting a barely toasted panini with severely undercooked chips.
This is a grand looking pub in an impressive location and with a smart interior, and as I entered, my hopes were high for a stand-out Wetherspoons visit. However, this place seems to be struggling to cope with basics such as getting the right number of beers on to match turnover, spotting food and drink-less customers desperate to place an order and not knowing how to warm up a pre-made panini. This ended up being a bit of a soul-destroying visit and only added to my notion that the usually ultra-reliable Wetherspoons chain is actually a bit of a liability in the Covid-era.

On 19^th October 2020 - rating: 5
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