The Sultan, SW19

Randomness Guide to London - Sultan entry

Randomness Guide to London - Sultan entry

Tucked away in the backstreets of South Wimbledon, this is a good local’s pub serving well kept Hopback beers. The pub is split into two rooms, the larger public bar to the right having a traditional feel to it whilst the smaller room to the left seems a bit more formal and smarter. The furnishing is fairly modern and in good order and the pub as a whole seemed very clean and pleasant. Four hand pumps provided GFB (very good at £2.45), Summer Lightning and Entire Stout plus one guest, which was Downton Golden Goal. There was also a comprehensive stock of Hopback bottles on display behind the bar. The staff gave a bit of a muted welcome, but the service was otherwise fine. There is a dartboard in the smaller room and an outdoor seating area as well. I also spotted a poster which depicted all of the pub signs of Wimbledon, which I appreciated. A good backstreet pub with the novelty of being the capital's only Hopback pub, which certainly makes it worth some investigation.

They had GFB, Downton Apple Blossom Ale, Entire Stout, and Summer Lightning on. It’s interesting that they call their stout “Entire”, as that is a very old name for this style of beer. I had an excellent pint of Summer Lightning, at a wallet friendly price of £2.80 a pint. This is still a two-room pub, although I’ve only ever been in the public bar on the right hand side. Furnishings are mainly scrubbed solid pine tables, some banquette seating, small upholstered stools, and some solid pine chairs. The walls boast some wood panelling that is probably an inter-war fitting, possibly like the pub itself. The bar gantry looks a modern addition, as does the bar counter. I didn’t spot anything in the way of decor worth mentioning, and music was provided by a radio playing, although quietly enough to be background music. There is a small garden area on the right, with an attractive wisteria in flower when I visited on Tuesday lunchtime. It’s worth remembering that they don’t do food, other than crisps, peanuts, etc. From my description it perhaps doesn’t sound like much of a pub, but it is for some reason quite a good one. It’s mostly a locals’ backstreet pub selling decent ale at decent prices, which is exactly the sort of pub that I like. But as the only Hopback pub in London it does tend to attract some real ale and real pub enthusiasts. There’s nothing wrong with that of course. I’ve been here several times before, and will no doubt visit again.

Straight forward no nonsense two bar back street boozer selling "Hopback" beers. This is a traditional pub and has won awards from CAMRA and is well worth a visit. 10 minutes walk from Collier's Wood/South Wimbledon tube stations