ReviewThis small pop-up pub opposite Gipsy Hill station was originally set-up for a three month period by the Late Knights Brewery, but according to their Twitter feed, it still appears to be open now, so I thought I’d add it to the site, having visited a month or so back.
At first glance, the pub has a simple two room set up, with the bar and stilage dominating the front room, whilst seating can be found in the compact rear area. The bar area sees a servery lacking any hand pumps along the left hand wall, with all the ales racked up on stilage on the opposite side of the room. There are exposed red floorboards and a bare brick bar back (try saying that after a few pints), as well as an impressively sculpted light shade hanging from above. The back room has the same flooring and walls covered with a variety of wallpapers and some white tiles. Pews line two sides of the room with standard chairs and a button backed sofa in one corner. The tables all have a highly unfashionable floral pattern on their surface which makes you wonder which skip they dragged them out of. Overall though, it’s quite a nice place to enjoy a beer or two, and the close proximity of the tables means you inevitably end up chatting to other punters. Some steep stairs lead down to a dark lounge which was a bit of an unexpected surprise, offering some vast armchairs and a few books on shelves. It also gives access to a small paved garden, which doesn’t look like it gets a lot of sun, although there are a couple of cafe style tables on the front pavement for that purpose. Decent music played throughout my stay at a sensible volume.
The cask ale selection on my visit comprised Late Knights Old Red Eyes, Signature Brew Clear Heart, Head in a Hat Gin and Trilby, Brighton Bier Maple Porter, Adnams Ghost Ship and Purity Ubu. I tried the Old Red Eyes which I found to be a little flat and uninspiring unfortunately, although other customers were raving about the Maple Porter, so maybe I just got a bit unlucky with my choice. Some shelves behind the bar, decorated with a bottle top collection, were displaying a decent selection of bottled beer.
I’m pleased that an up-and-coming local brewery like Late Knights has taken the initiative in promoting their beer by opening an inventive venture like this and I certainly enjoyed my time here, despite the disappointing pint. I’d certainly consider returning and would suggest anyone doing a crawl around Crystal Palace might want to add a stroll down the hill to finish up here. I hope it continues trading.
