ReviewStood next to the railway bridge at Penge West station, this is an imposing split level, gastro style pub. You enter into the front lower half of the pub, which is essentially a large seating area, broken up by a dividing wall to the left of the entrance. There is a mixture of seating here including sofas and square tub chairs as well as some more traditional table and chair arrangements. A small, modern fireplace can be found on the back wall with a large, elaborate mirror hung above. Elsewhere, the room is decorated with a stag's head and sets of antlers as well as a few artworks, some of which appeared to be for sale. A half flight of stairs leads up to the bar area which is bare boarded and has limited seating, most of which is in an alcove opposite the servery, allowing you to look down over the lower part of the pub. The servery runs along the back wall and has a door to the in-house theatre to the right, whilst to the left, the room extends into a restaurant type space with standard seating at formally arranged tables. The walls in this area are half panelled, with the top half painted in the dull pastel shades that characterises the décor throughout the pub. There is a fireplace on the left hand wall, out of action on our visit although some bright spark came up with the idea of putting a TV screen next to it showing an image of a flickering fire. There is a nice looking beer garden to the rear, lit on our evening visit by some attractive light fittings and furnished with plenty of picnic benches and lots of plants that probably came straight from the neighbouring Homebase store. Music played quietly in the background throughout our stay and blackboards listed a whole range of upcoming entertainment options including live comedy, cabaret nights and yoga lessons.
Three handpulls were dispensing the pleasantly surprising ale line-up of Roosters Wild Mule, Cross Bay Halo and St Austell Tribute, with a fourth pump out of action. My pint of Wild Mule was spot on, although I didn't think it was one of the better Roosters brews I've encountered. We ate here as well and whilst we both enjoyed our food, the prices seemed a bit excessive for what is essentially glorified pub grub.
I like the fact that this pub is trying to create a community feel by providing more than just food and drink, especially in an area devoid of great drinking options. Whilst the bid for inclusivity has resulted in a loss of real character, there is still a good deal to applaud and I hope the good people of Penge continue to support the pub's efforts.
