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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
Zetland Arms, South Kensington, SW7
SW7
SW7 3EX
Pub Type
Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Zetland Arms
Dating from 1846, the name is Danish in origin. I came here once before around 2000, after visiting one of the myriad museums up the road; I recall that a lunar eclipse was due that evening.
The previous reviews do a good job at describing the place. There are some fine original details, such as mahogany bits and bobs and some etched mirrors. There was an ugly games machine and music was quite loud. Otherwise, it’s a by the numbers Greene King pub, very well attended on a Saturday night, by an overwhelmingly young crowd, in very high spirits, though I couldn’t tell if they were local or not.
Ales on the catwalk amounted to GK IPA, Abbot, Rudolph and Landlord, at a loony £2.95 a half and very nice.
This isn’t a bad pub, better than I remember and certainly above the SW7 average.
On 5th December 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Zetland Arms
Just a short walk from South Kensington tube station and the museum district, this is a simple Greene King pub with a few nice features. The pub has a bare boarded interior which wraps itself around a centrally positioned servery, with checkerboard tiling around the floor of the whole bar area. The servery has an angular dark wood counter, smart bar back with modern dark wood panels and etched glass mirrors, plus contemporary-styled pot shelves hung from a high canopy which has been decorated with lincrusta. High tables and stools stand beneath the front windows, one of which has a particularly attractive curved pane bearing an etching of the pub’s name. More high tables and stools clutter the space behind the bar, but there is a decent seating area through a series of arches along the back wall, where comfier seating has been arranged under wood panelled walls decorated with traditional paintings. A few fine etched glass mirrors to the rear right part of the bar add to the pub’s traditional feel, but for every nice feature such as that, there are plenty of corporate promotional items to spoil the overall effect. Music was playing quietly in the background and there were a lot of people eating throughout the pub, despite the post-work crush of the crowd.
There are six handpulls on the bar and these were dispensing Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale, Windsor & Eton Knight of the Garter and Guardsman, Enfield Speculation and Old Rosie Cider. The staff were particularly friendly but served up a rotten pint of the Speculation, which, at £4.95, was undrinkable – too many ales on to match demand I suspect.
I don’t think Greene King have done this place any favours. The corporate nonsense throughout this pub really detracts from what is otherwise quite an interesting building with some nice traditional features, whilst the expansion of the ale range seems to have adversely affected quality. Overall, this was a real let-down and has been struck off the list of potential watering holes when I’m in this part of town.
On 24th September 2019
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Zetland Arms
A good traditional pub with an island bar, a nice welcoming feel and not taken over too much by dining, although a fair stream of tourists looking for food. Upstairs bar and dining room not open at time of visit. Draught ales were IPA, Landlord, Wimbledon SW19 and Windsor Knights of the Garter. Happy to return if in area.
On 13th June 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Zetland Arms
Very close to South Ken tube ,this street corner pub was temporarily covered in scaffolding,so I didn't clock any interesting external features.Owned by Greene King,but still retaining a pub atmosphere ,the island bar is surrounded by differing sections,high tables to the front,a long red leather bench down the side,and a larger rear area with a mix of high tables,some banquettes in their own alcoves and a few dining type tables beneath an internal etched glass window.Corporate GK menus are everywhere on the numbered tables,so you may get punters eating next to you even if you just wanted a beer.However food doesn't dominate and there is an upstairs dining area.Given that it's dog friendly and has Wednesday live music,some community spirit exists.
There are 6 handpumps with just GK IPA as part of the ties,one pump unused,leaving the four guests on my visit as Trumans Zephyr and Lazarus,Twickenham Strange Brew and a decent Wimbledon Copper Leaf (unreasonable £2.45 the half,but I missed the 10% CAMRA discount).
I would pop in again,there aren't too many pubs in this neck of the woods and this is fine for a few jars.
On 8th November 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Zetland Arms
The bar of the Zetland Arms is L shaped with high tables along one exterior wall and more conventional tables and chairs down the other. Around to the right of the bar is a flight of stairs that lead up to a dining area that was roped off during my recent 16:00 Thursday afternoon visit. To the left of the bar is a good sized seating area that was empty leaving myself, a Spanish couple and an old sleeping gentleman as the only customers. There was some background music playing and the television was off, although I did spot a live sport advertisement in the toilet.
The bar supports standard and premium draught products and I counted four hand pumps on the bar. These were drawing Taylor Walker’s 1730, Fuller’s London Pride, St Austell’s Tribute and Sharp’s Doom Bar. This is a Taylor Walker pub so their traditional pub grub menu is used where a main of cod and chips is priced at £12.30.
I found the service to be friendly and would have no problem returning in the future if passing.
On 2nd May 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Zetland Arms
Taylor Walker pub with a central horseshoe/island bar serving 4 real ales and food.
On 30th April 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Zetland Arms
The Zetland is one of the few traditional style pubs left in the area and actually claims to be the oldest building in the vicinity dating back to 1845. The pub was apparently once bought by Charlie Chaplin and managed by his brother but these days it falls under the ubiqitous Punch Taylor Walker banner, a hallmark of predictable sameyness that pervades Central London.
My occasional visits usually find it quite a bustling place with local office workers sharing floorspace with tourists and museum junkies. Whilst the interior is pleasant enough there is little of its Victorian character on show and displays little in the way of architecture, decor or furnishings that make it stand out. A couple of TVs were showing World Cup action on my recent visit making it busier than normal but service was prompt and friendly.
On the beer front there were 4 ales pooled from the Taylor Walker seasonal selection or, in other words, nothing you won’t find in any other of the numerous Taylor Walker pubs in the area. The choice included Westerham 1730 Pale Ale, supposedly a purpose brewed beer for Taylor Walker (or a rebadge?). Prices are what one would expect from the area and foodwise, it is the usual tourist fare.
The lack of any notable local competition makes the pub worthy of a visit if you need a beer fix in the area and if nothing else you will probably be able to put it at the bottom of your AtoZ list of pubs visited.
On 1st August 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Zetland Arms
A street corner pubco (Taylor Walker) outlet with all the usual signs of the genre, huge menus, meal deal posters, fancy chalkboards and so on. A single room downstairs with just about an island bar (not really any drinking room to the rear but you can get by), mostly wooden flooring but with some carpet at the front and a chequered splash tile area around the bar. Lots of dark wood, a red patterned possibly Lincrusta ceiling, a bit of etched glass remains in the windows and there are a couple of etched mirrors internally. High tables in the front window plus a couple towards the rear but the rest are reassuringly standard, not that I had a chance to check them for comfort, the place was heaving on early Saturday afternoon, standing room only remaining. Many were eating from the standard looking pub menu, but this is touristville, very close to the big three museums.
Decor included a few good framed prints of the aforementioned museum buildings as well as a Victorian map of the area, two TVs showed different rugby internationals.
Four hand pumps with offerings from the TW stable, Bombardier, Hobgoblin and Brains Rev James (£3.80) with Adnams Ghost Ship reversed. Beer quality was ok even if my pint was delivered at that level of shortness that feels marginal to complain about.
It's a Taylor Walker pub, you get what you expect but it seems to be doing ok feeding and watering the visitors to the area.
There is another room upstairs signed as for dining but I didn't take a look.
On 10th November 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Zetland Arms
A traditional-looking, if unspectacular, Taylor Walker pub with a nice old island bar and some features of interest such as the engraved mirrors at the back. Otherwise, it inevitably has a chain feel to the furniture and decor. Upstairs dining room (not visited). Four real ales on handpump: London Pride, Doom Bar, Rev James and Wainwright (£3.80).
On 1st November 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Zetland Arms
4 real ales served from the circular bar. Food served. Upstairs function & dining area.
On 29th February 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]