The Antelope, Surbiton

A proper ale house,run by the folk at Big Smoke.There are a few benches outside,the interior is very traditional and is much larger than it appears from the outside.The bar is to the right and L shaped,while a rear extension allows for lots of seating at the rear at two levels.There is then a beer garden full of bench seating ,while the former brewhouse is now a dining area ,or can be hired for functions.There is a real fireplace,lots of dark wood finishes and some wall wood panelling,with a wooden floor throughout. The star attraction is 10 handpumps with a regular Black Smoke Solaris Session and then on my trip guests of Abbeydale Deception,Park Poets Corner,Five Points Best (NBSS 3),Pig & Porter Bitter,Kent Nelson Sauvin (NBSS 4),Wander Peak Ale,Leigh on Sea Boatyard IPA (NBSS 2 sadly) and Exeter Darkness.My only niggle is that there were a lot of low strength bitters and pales,the highest strength was the 5% Boatyard IPA which was well past it's prime and there was just one dark ale.However our large group sampled widely and a great evening was had. There are 14 keg taps which will provide as wide selection of Big Smoke beers together with continental lagers and some craft guests while down the short side of the bar there are 5 handpumps dedicated to real cider. Food is served ,and tables can be reserved with a note of when the table will be taken.We didn't sample the food. Very popular on my Friday evening visit,the drinking vibe made for a fun evening and with a huge rotation of real ale you should find something to tickle your fancy.

With pub crawling extremely difficult to manage with the latest government attack on the hospitality industry, I paid a first visit to the Antelope for a couple of years to enjoy a few beers and ciders with a substantial meal. The pub was clearly busy when we arrived. There were even people drinking outside on the pavement with plastic glasses. Our table (I hate reservations, but they're seemingly the only way you can guarantee a visit) was still taken. Rather than kick the occupants out, the staff gave us a different and larger table at the rear. The bar is straight ahead of you as you enter. Walking to the left of the bar past further seating takes you to another area opened up, where you will find more tables, the kitchen and the toilets. Beyond that is an outdoor area, which was busy on our late Sunday afternoon visit. The roast dinners we had were very nice, if a little on the pricy side. On the ale front, Big Smoke beers dominate the cask selection, with Solaris, Distant Lands, Northern Sun & Underworld. Although, I did order the Underworld only to be told that they only had the keg version. Given I'd already paid for the far cheaper cask version on their app, I ended up quids in. Guest ales were Kent Cobnut, Oakham Inferno, Mad Squirrel Hopfest, Five Points XPA & Laine's Best Bitter. The three real ciders were Iford Windfall, Lilley's Rhubarb Cider & Seacider Lemon Meringue Pie. Staff were very good. But visits to the pub have become far less enjoyable with the new restrictions. You cannot enjoy your substantial meal if it becomes cold whilst your still trying to have leave some to allow you to drink and drinking itself needs to be much more rushed than normal. Nevertheless, it was good to get back to a familiar pub with a decent ale and cider selection. Service was excellent, as always. The Antelope is still in my top 10 pubs in London.

The Big Smoke Brewery may have moved out, but they retain a strong presence on the bar, both keg (about 12 taps to the left) and cask (10 pumps - something like that). It's a busy pub, and with good reason - the beer range is top-quality with the guests well-chosen (for example Ilkley and Pig & Porter on my visit); the incoming crowd pounced on my vacated seat as I left. As well as that, there's a reasonably-priced menu, though the availability may not quite tally with the times quoted on the menu (as I was disappointed to discover). All-in-all then, I'd say The Antelope has to be a must-visit pub for anyone looking for great beer in a good pub.