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Detail Pages
Carlton Tavern, NW6
Maida Vale
Postal town: NW6
NW6 5EU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about Carlton Tavern
AKA “The one that was demolished illegally and the developers were forced to rebuild brick-by-brick”. Looks very impressive outside though when you get your eye in you can see some bits which are clearly newer, presumably due to irretrievably damaged original materials. No matter. It’s a two-room affair inside, fairly basic but homely enough and was very busy early Sunday afternoon with the impressive (and competitively-priced) roast dinners flying out. Three decent cask selections and my Five Points Gold was in very good nick (NBSS 4) and worth its GBG place – I was assuming it had snuck in based on ‘CAMRA campaigning reasons’. Also available were craftykegs and some ciders. Not bad at all, I might well head back over again sooner rather than later. 7.5
On 22nd January 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Carlton Tavern
Similar to the previous reviewer, my visit here was long since overdue. I finally made it to this re-built pub yesterday. On a fine summer's day, nobody was experiencing the re-built 2-room interior, with all other customers sat in the pub garden to the rear.
The interior is fairly plain and unfussy. Stairs lead from the main bar area to a kitchen and the toilets. The house beer is from Anspach & Hobday and is called The Build Back Bitter, with London Brewing Company London Lush being the guest ale. The craft beer selection was much wider - Goodness Yes, Camden Pale, Off Menu & Hells, London Brewing Company Upright, Five Points Jupa, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger, Harbour Singlefin, Lost & Grounded Helles, Gipsy Hill Hepcat, Anspach & Hobday London Black & Paddington Pale & Umbrella Cider.
As with the other reviews below, I agree that this pub is well worth a visit due to the success story attached to it. But it is located in a bit of a beer desert and is not really worth the effort of a re-visit.
On 24th June 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2454 recommendations about 2453 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Carlton Tavern
Although it should never have happened, this place shows what can be done, and if one didn't know the story I don't think you would never know that it had once been reduced to a pile of rubble - where there's a will, there's a way! Apart from the very characterful (rebuilt) facade, the twin-room interior isn't that remarkable, except for the fact that it's here at all. Three handpumps on each counter, offering a trio of London Brewing beers, the 'house' Build Back Bitter from Anspach & Hobday (£5.40) and Titanic Plum Porter when I made my overdue visit.
On 10th April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Carlton Tavern
The pub has been very well described below from visits over the last year, I too was curious to see how the rebuild went and agree they've done a fantastic job inside and out. As a pub it was operating in a clean and efficient manner, the food aspect was being pushed but not enough to detract from the fact it is a pub. Three cask beers were on house beer Build Back Bitter (Anspach & Hobday), Hammerton N7 and Five Points Pale, unfortunately the latter was not at it's best though still drinkable. A decent pub but like Wills summary below I'd not go out of my way to return.
On 4th September 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Carlton Tavern
When I read the story of how the prospective developer had demolished the original pub without waiting for permission, and had then been ordered to rebuild it brick by brick, tile by tile, I immediately thought I'll have to go there for a visit. This is something to see, something to celebrate. And so it is. Although without the back story this would be one of thousands of fairly mainstream pubs in an otherwise undistinguished London suburb. There were three hand pumps, and the obvious beer to drink was Build Back Bitter 4%, brewed for the pub by Anspach & Hobday, so I had a pint and enjoyed it. If I lived in the area I would certainly be back on a regular basis, but as I don't, I can't see me making a special trip to be here again.
On 2nd February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Carlton Tavern
I paid my first visit to this rebuilt pub, following the dastardly deeds of a developer a few years ago in demolishing it without going through the accepted procedures. There were three ales on - Carlton Tavern Build Back Bitter, brewed by Anspach & Hobday (£5.30 a pint); Five Poinys XPA and Railway Porter. My pint of Build Back Bitter was in good nick, although served in a dimpled jug with no choice offered. I thought that £5.30 was a tad expensive for a 3.7% house ale even by North London standards. I suppose an upmarket dimpled jug is seen to justify the price I guess.
As it was lunchtime I had a cheese and ham hock toastie for £8, including fries which were a bit like thin and crispy chips. The fillings were good quality ham and cheese, but for some reason the outside had some buttery herby stuff on it which made it something of a greasy mess. Tasted good though.
This pub is an amazingly good reconstruction of the original. It could have fooled me. I know they recovered some of the original fittings; the bar counter doesn't look like a modern piece of work, so maybe that was one of the things saved. It's dog friendly - I saw a well behaved mutt with a bowl of water, and there were free doggie treats on the counter although a charitable donation is suggested. I saw live music advertised on alternate Fridays; a quiz on Tuesdays; comedy night on Monday; and Wednesday is wing Wednesday which I can only assume means that they flog chicken wings rather than having on Sir Paul's tribute band.
The beer was in excellent condition, if a tad on the expensive side. I would recommend this pub.
On 30th November 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Carlton Tavern
A very good review from Tris C is comprehensive.The exterior is terrific while the two internal rooms are more functional ,although the left side has good cornicing.Each room has a seperate servery ,each with two handpumps but I didn't spot an ale listing board so had to inspect both sets to discover a range of Portobello Westway Pale,Ansbach & Hobday The Golden Bitter,Big Smoke Underground Stout (I would assume a stout is always served given the fine external frieze advertising such !) and Five Points XPA (Fine form,NBSS 4 ,£5.20).Even the 9 keg selection did include a smattering of leading craft brewer output.
From the cobbled beer garden at the side,the Lucheon & Tea Room frieze is visible and this back room is indeed exclusively for diners.I didn't inspect the menu and the pub was very busy with a Tuesday evening quiz.
Real care is taken here with ale and beer selection,conditioning and presentation.Great to see a vibrant local risen from the developers ashes.It's a must visit and one of the best ale pubs in the locality.
On 8th September 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2728 recommendations about 2728 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Carlton Tavern
The fairy tale story of this remarkable pub is documented in detail on its website (which oddly insists on taking bookings, which aren’t necessary), on the What?ub link and in the international press as well as here: https://whatpub.com/pubs/NLD/6149/carlton-tavern-demolished-kilburn
Beautifully rebuilt, the replica Charrington’s tiles are remarkable, the whole must have cost an absolute fortune; serves the bugger right.
The interior is painted a subtle green with a white ceiling and modern boarded floor, obviously (see photo). Some elements were salvaged and the attractive bar was celebrating its 100th birthday stylishly, with fluted glass lamps above and straddling a more functional room to the right with a cosseting, comfy lounge-style room to the left with rather clubby furniture, that to the right being simple with a few wooden pews, settles as well as conventional tables and chairs, some appearing to have been salvaged also; the smart new lavs are downstairs. A substantial beer garden is to the rear where there’s more impressive tiling; it overlooks the Paddington Recreation Ground where Roger Bannister trained before his epic jog at Oxford’s Iffley Road track. Customers seem mixed with perhaps some coming from neighbouring and very rich St. John’s Wood; perhaps Sir Fab comes here.
Décor comprises a few pot plants and a bookshelf along with prints of Sid James and Forest Gump, other prints coming from the pub’s rotating inhouse artists; music wafting out of the gramophone came courtesy of Gang of Youths. The pub also makes a point of having a blackboard listing all beers, all of which are from London without any Eurofizz or the likes: 11 keg taps (including a cider and Camden lager), the four on cask being Big Smoke’s Milk Stout, Hammerton’s IPA, Ansbach & Hobday’s Bitter and Five Points XPA at the ‘new normal’ of £5.10 and on excellent form, served by efficient and friendly staff.
This is a must-visit if in NW6, where it really has no competition - L'haim!
On 27th August 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Carlton Tavern
London Pride and Young's Special on. The Special was in excellent nick, and at £2.80 a pint not too expensive. No food though. It's still a two-room pub, with what I guess would be regarded as the Saloon Bar furnished with sofas, and aspidistras on the window ledges. Quite quaint really, and very reminiscent of someone's front room. The larger of the two bars is furnished with normal tables and chairs, and includes the fruit machine, large TV screen, and dart board. The exterior has what looks like the original Charrington's signage, and the interior has somehow managed to retain its original inter-war features.
This is most definitely a locals' pub, but I nevertheless found it friendly and welcoming. The lady who served me – whom I took to be the landlady – seemed very happy to chat to me about the pub's provenance, and clearly took pride in how the pub was perceived. This is most certainly the sort of real pub that I like. Highly recommended.
On 16th July 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]