The Railway Tavern, Bexley

Locals pub, located near the station as the name would suggest, and looking like it may have extended from the original building into the neighbouring premises at some stage in its history. Having said that, the two-part interior has been comprehensively modernised and has lost any character it might once have had. Thankfully, though, it does still do real ale: Courage Best and Wooden Wonder from Mighty Oak.

This didn't look like the sort of pub that would have three ales on, but I was pleasantly surprised to see clips for Bombardier, Doom Bar, and Well's A Good Stuffing (£1.75 a half), with a fourth pump apparently unused. I saw no sign of menus or food on the Saturday afternoon I was in there. This seems to be more of a drinkers' pub than the other Bexley pubs, with what were obviously a bunch of locals around the bar and at a couple of the tables. It's carpeted, has a couple of tall tables/tall stools by the windows, but the majority of furnishings are traditional tables and chairs. A wrought iron gantry surmounts the bar in a very 70s way; there's a dartboard; a TV on (muted) showing the racing; and a radio playing over the sound system. I saw live music and a disco-karaoke advertised. All very pub-like actually. As others have said this pub is handily located near the station. It's another fairly ordinary, but well patronised pub. It's certainly not a destination pub, but it did have the best real ale of any of the Bexley pubs I visited.

Grubby station pub. Ignorant landlady wouldn't let me in with my young son even though the pub had just opened and we would have been the only customers. 'no bleedin kids in ere'. Usually I would agree with her but I just wanted a swift pint before a long train journey.

As the name would suggest this pub is ideally located by Bexley train station and I’m happy to report that it was very busy with locals and not just passing through commuters like many station pubs are. There are a couple of hand pumps which were drawing Courage Best and a guest and there is also a standard draught selection from which I received a well pulled pint of Guinness from the enthusiastic barman. It’s a thin pub with banquettes running along all of the exterior walls and there is a plasma screen which was switched off giving way to some dance music. This music can be escaped from at the far end of the pub where there is a door leading to a paved beer garden where some covered and uncovered picnic tables can be found. I liked the fact that this pub had a mixed crowd of all ages and the inclusion of a dartboard that was actually being used was a bonus. If I lived locally this would probably be my local and I would have no problems returning for a longer stay next time I’m in the area.