The Cavern, Raynes Park, SW20

The Cavern looked nothing like I had imagined it as I approached on our Saturday evening visit. In fact, the whole of Raynes Park seemed dead. The last time I was here, I'd visited the Raynes Park Tavern (still going) and the Edward Rayne (now closed) and I recall the area being quite lively. The pretty exterior of the Cavern belies the noisy nature of the interior when live music is on. We arrived just as a Deep Purple/Rainbow tribute act was about to start. The place was packed with loads of ageing rockers. But there was a good atmosphere. This pub has made its way into the Good Beer Guide, by way of its choice of 3 ales. Sharp's Doom Bar & Wimbledon Common are the regular ales. The guest beer for our visit was Ossett White Rat. My Common was in good condition and was much welcomed after a lengthy journey here via the closed Wimbledon Brewery Tap. There is plenty of music memorabilia and posters to admire on the walls. However, I think I would have preferred to have visited on a much quieter day, without the noise (I'm not a particular fan of extremely loud music) and the crowds.

Official site of The Cavern - www.thecavernfreehouse.co.uk

Official site of The Cavern - www.thecavernfreehouse.co.uk

Even though this is one of my local pubs, it’s a year or so since I’ve been in here. This pub was converted from a couple of shops 20 or so years ago, but it doesn’t have the constrained and characterless interiors that some conversions display. The bar counter is straight in front of you, with a couple of raised to the sides of the pub. The overriding theme here is classic rock and pop, with photographs of some of the greats covering every inch of the walls. I spotted Bob Marley and Gene Vincent, but most were of the Beatles and the Stones. They’ve now got two ales on – Pride and Doom Bar, with the latter being in excellent nick. There were no sparklers in use either, so I guess it has improved somewhat since the previous reviewer’s experience. This a decent enough little pub, not a classic must visit place, but definitely worthy of a vist if you’re in Raynes Park for some reason.