The Ivy House, Nunhead, SE15

Ex-Truman multi-room heritage pub from the 1930’s. A bare boarded front room with impressive wood panelling, curved bar counter and rather jaded padded bench seating. A large rear room beyond a pair of impressive double doors with a stage hosting a children's party on our visit (tomorrow’s punters, I suppose). Four pumps in the main bar with a blackboard advising of further options in the kiddywinks bar. Listed were a good selection; Brockley Pale (very good), Siren Craft Undercurrent (fine), Dark Star Hophead and Creme Brulee, Truman's Runner, something from Cronx plus Suzie Wong's (who she?) cider. Also a good number of unusual bottled beers. A huge amount of classes and events were listed on exterior blackboards and it’s clearly putting itself squarely as the ‘community hub’ (upon reading the reviews below, I see it was the first ever pub listed as an ACV and saved from development). Quite a young demographic (sprogs excepted) means that this one is bucking the general trend a bit and is obviously quite successful. I enjoyed my couple of pints here and it’s well-worth putting on the ‘to-do’ list for London. They are doing a very good job. 8.5

Probably the pub of the day on my trip around Nunhead, a fascinating story of people power to save this pub from the greedy developers, the first ever ACV and now run as a co-operative. I had a good long chat with an enthusiastic American lady behind the bar about this, she was very informative. At the same time a group were in making a film about the decline of the British pub and the reasons, I was a bit camera shy about getting too involved but added my views to be considered. The main room is on entering, the curve ended bar in a side corner, fireplace opposite. Some recycled school or church chairs in here with back pockets, the former Truman's name and products listed around a picture height timber rail. Decent wood panelling, a wall next to the bar has a plethora of posters for local events. Through a door to the rear, the bar continues here, this is the old ballroom and function room with a stage set at the end which has featured some celebrated acts over the years in the 70s when as the Newlands Tavern the pub hosted the likes of Ian Dury and Dr Feelgood, posters remain on the walls. Another room has a beamed ceiling with more wood panelling and some unusual heraldic style figures. There is a paved outdoor area beyond with some cover. Three pumps in the front room but three more through the door to the ballroom so you might want to check but they are all listed on a board. Brockley Pale Ale, Truman's Runner, Dark Star Hophead, Pentonville Oyster Stout, Brick Brewery Kinsale and Franklin's American Amber were on. Hallet's Real cider also available. Additionally the main bar has a large fridge of unusual bottles. This is an admirable venture which deserves support and is thriving thanks to people power. Some communities would benefit from the story here, well done to all and long may the place survive.

What can I add to the last review other than on a very warm night they had beer to match the temperature.About 8 cask ales and the two I tried were Tonbridge -rustic and Bristol Beer Factory -junga.Shocking condition and on a night when you want a cool refreshing beer.They have saved the pub next step save the beer.

Official site of The Ivy House - www.ivyhousenunhead.com

Official site of The Ivy House - www.ivyhousenunhead.com

This pub is a real survivor, having firstly seen the original Victorian building demolished to allow Truman's Brewery to build the present classic 1930's inter-war pub, then surviving the Luftwaffe bomb that wiped out the neighbouring row of shops in 1944 and more recently being rescued from the clutches of a property developer who intended to convert it to residential use. The last of these is in many ways the most significant, as the pub became a pioneer in the process - it was the first pub in the UK to be listed as an Asset of Community Value, the first pub to be bought under the 'community right to buy' clause of the Localism Act and is also London's first co-operatively owned pub, making it a beacon for hope and source of inspiration for many other pubs that have been and will be saved from developers up and down the country. The current incarnation opened in 2013 and presents a marvellous example of a well preserved inter-war pub, despite the fact that one wing of the pub has now been converted into accommodation. You enter into a small front bar with nice floorboards, a smart servery in the rear right corner and a nice fireplace with large modern art print above on the opposite wall. A smattering of standard and banquette seating runs around the perimeter with a larger table filling the middle of the room. A door to the rear leads through to two much larger rear rooms. The first you encounter has similar fittings and its own short section of servery with additional hand pumps (make sure you poke you're head round here to see the full ale range). A fireplace stands on the left hand wall and there are a few standard tables and chairs in the front half of the room. The rear half sees a couple of large sofas facing each other on what was presumably once used as a dance floor, given that the rear wall houses a pretty large stage with gold curtains, flanked by some big potted plants. The room has been decorated with an interesting collection of framed 1970's gig posters, hinting at the pub's live music legacy. Back in the days when the pub was known as the Newlands Tavern, it played host to many of the capital's pub rock and punk bands including Ian Dury, Hugh Cornwall, Dr Feelgood and Elvis Costello. Live music continues to be a part of the pub's remit and various flyers for upcoming shows were dotted around. Double doors lead through to a second large room to the right, this time with dark wood beam ceiling, attractive panelled walls, lots of standard tables and chairs, modern art prints and a book swap. Music played quietly throughout my stay and a number of well behaved children and dogs failed to spoil a pleasant visit, although rather remarkably I was eventually forced to leave because the staff lit a fireplace which turned out to have a blocked chimney, resulting in a most unpleasant smell. The ale range was very encouraging, comprising Brockley Pale and Porter, Clarkshaw Phoenix Rising, Hop Stuff Renegade IPA, Head in a Hat Tifter, Dark Star Hophead and, in a nice nod to the pub's former owners, Truman's Runner. I enjoyed a pretty good pint of the Porter, although at £4.25 for a pint that was brewed just down the road, I started to feel some of that community spirit wearing off. Pricey beer and blocked flues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this visit. It's almost unthinkable that the public came so close to losing such a wonderful building and it's good to see that those involved in the campaign to save the Ivy House are also advising other such campaign groups. This is a fine pub that now deserves to be well supported and I will certainly be heading back some time soon.

No answer on phone yesterday (14:00), is this place open or does it have non-pub hours?

The Ivy House will reopen in the late summer