Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Bedford, Balham, SW12
SW12
SW12 9HD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about The Bedford
Originally dating from the 1870s as the Bedford Hotel, this grade II-listed pub was rebuilt for Watney’s in 1931 by their inhouse architect, A. W. Blomfield, also responsible for Soho’s French House.
The interior is huge and rambling, like exploring a stately home; just when you think you’ve been in every room, another chamber magically appears. The interior is very gloomy, revealing little if anything of the original features, save for the pretty cornice to a black coffered ceiling, leaded lights and herringbone floor. There’s some exposed concrete to the upper walls and ceiling, a couple of sets of antlers and eclectic décor with plenty of music flyers, attesting to the pub’s music and comedy club credentials; think Ed Sheeran and Joe Lycett. Or perhaps don’t. Furniture is diverse and conventional, customers young and trendy; what was new to me were the lavs, with rusty cubicles.
Beverages amounted to Sambrook’s Drop Kick, Sussex Best and Landlord, £2.90 a half, served in a plastic cup and too cold but drinkable.
This place may have more appeal when the gloom isn’t pierced by cinema-sized screens showing deafening sport to a near hysterical crowd, but otherwise it’s just about average.
On 27th March 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Bedford
A large lump of a pub but nothing to write home about, just Landlord and Wandle on.
On 13th June 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Bedford
Reverse L-shaped room with the bar in the angle. Three weak real ales. Two TVs. Nothing special at all.
On 28th August 2017
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Bedford
Large but not overly busy on my visit. Disappointing interior considering the external look.Dull range of cask beers with only Butcombe and Trooper on.Probably suits the locals.
On 26th March 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bedford
This large street corner pub, close to Balham station, is perhaps best known for its live music venue which sees it play a prominent role in the South London pub circuit, hosting the likes of U2 and The Clash in their formative years. However, there's more to the place than just the gigs and a recent visit suggested it's trying to cater for a wide range of customers. You enter into a large, opened out room with woodblock flooring, pastel shaded walls with decorative friezes and some large structural pillars that probably once formed partitioning walls, now covered in floral wallpaper. The L shaped servery runs along the back and into the extended right hand side of the room. Banquette seating can be found to the left of the entrance in an area that looks across to the open kitchen at the rear, whilst the rest of the room is filled with modern, padded chairs with high backs which are positioned around tables of various sizes, most of which have been sanded or have roughed up, painted surfaces. A solitary button backed sofa is rather incongruously positioned directly opposite the bar and there is a small raised seating area in the front corner, allowing a bit of people watching through the front windows. A huge TV screen on the right hand wall obscures a nice fireplace, and was showing a German football fixture to no-one in particular whilst I was in. Behind the fireplace there is a screened off seating area which might be the best place for diners to sit if they want to escape the clatter of the main room. Doors in this rear corner lead into the grandly named Globe Theatre, which, whilst not quite matching the spectacle of the bard's own theatre, is nevertheless an impressive room to find in a pub, with its memorable galleried viewing area in particular. The theatre has its own bar and was filled with standard tables and chairs which aren't always cleared away when a performance is on. A plaque in here commemorates the incredible feats of local man Paul Lynch who completed 2,754 one armed push ups in the theatre back in 1984, earning him the world record. Remarkably, he followed this up a few months later by breaking the two arm push up record in the same room, completing a mind-blowing 10,753. I hope someone bought him a pint after all that.
Latter day record breakers can shun Guinness and instead chose from three real ales, which on my visit comprised John Smith's Cask, Deuchars IPA and Wye Valley HPA (£3.80). I gave the latter a try which,whilst not quite in top condition, still went down pretty well. Staff seemed fairly efficient going about their duties, but smiles and pleasantries were at a premium.
For me, the highlight of this place is the theatre and I've enjoyed a few good nights watching various acts in there over the years. The rest of the pub is a bit of a mixed bag and it struck me as one of those places that, in trying to please everyone, ends up inadvertently putting people off. I'd give it a look if I was trying out a few pubs around Balham, but there are better options nearby.
On 21st November 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Bedford
This is a massive edifice of a one-time Watney’s pub that will be a common sight to anyone who travels to, from or through Balham Train Station. The main bar room is large, perhaps on a Wetherspoon’s scale but there doesn’t seem to be much special about it. It’s mainly carpeted, but with some original looking parquet flooring. On the plus side furnishings seem to be mainly normal tables and chairs, but with a few of those large scrubbed pine type tables, and I did spot a sofa near the fireplace on the right. There is another much smaller bar on the Fernlea Rd side of the pub, but there was nobody in here during my midweek lunchtime visit so I didn’t really investigate it, although a glance through the window showed it to be a bit more basic than the main bar, with a few tables and chairs and with an attractive parquet floor. They had some pop music being played too loudly in my opinion, and although I didn’t spot a TV in the main bar, there may have been one lurking somewhere. There is also a very large function room in the middle of the building, obviously used as a music venue at times as there was a drum kit set up on the stage. They describe it as the “Shakespearean Globe Theatre”, which is pushing the bounds of credibility a bit, but it is circular, if not globular! Steve has already noted the pub’s closing times – it’s perhaps also worth noting that it doesn’t open until 3.0 PM Mon to Thurs, and 2.0 Friday.
They had four ales on – Timothy Taylor Landlord, Doom Bar, Young’s Bitter, and O’Hanlon’s Yellowhammer (£3.20 a pint). I don’t think this is the sort of pub I would rush back to, as it felt a bit impersonal to me, but it did have a reasonable ale selection, and is a decent stopping off place for a pint if you’re in the area.
On 16th September 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Bedford
This large imposing pub was reasonably busy with the young well heeled inhabitants of the area during my Saturday afternoon visit. A projector screen was pulled down in front of the large fireplace and most of the crowd were watching Germany demolish Argentina in the World Cup quarter final match. It was a bit of a struggle getting to the bar as people were standing at it watching the game and rather than them moving out of the way so that access could be gained to the bar they were asking me to move out of their way so they could see the screen, maybe a little common sense wouldn’t have gone amiss! When I did mange to get served the barmaid was very friendly and I was presented with a decent pint of Guinness which came in at £3.60 which is not cheap, but is no more expensive than any Fullers pub in London. There are four hand pumps on the bar which were pulling Harveys Best, Doom Bar, HSB and Yellow Hammer and alongside a few standard draught products were Stowford Press cider, Red Stripe and San Miguel.
Half of the bar area is taken up with an open kitchen which comprises an oven, grill and a couple of deep fat fryers. I didn’t spot anyone eating and the only food on the chalkboard menu above the kitchen was grilled goats cheese with something or other so I think I have a general idea of the culinary range.
It was a lovely afternoon so all of the picnic tables that line the front of the pub were full. It’s not the greatest location to sit outside as the adjacent road is very busy, but there is a small enclosed garden area to the side of the pub which is a much more comfortable.
This pub has extended opening hours every night as it closes at midnight Monday to Thursday, 2am on Friday and Saturday and midnight on Sunday. Regular dance and live music nights are held here in the pub and the Banana Cabaret comedy nights held here are well regarded. There is a ball room on the first floor and the Tavistock room is on the top floor and these are both available for hire. There is also a very impressive Shakespearian Globe theatre a the rear of the pub which is also available for hire when it is not being used for the comedy nights or when the big screen isn’t being used for major sporting events.
I’m not sure what to make of this pub as the clientele seemed a little too pretentious for my liking, but I would have no problem returning for one of the event nights.
A quite interesting fact is that in 1992 a Balham resident of the name Paul Lynch broke the world record for doing one finger press ups – ouch! This was done in the theatre area and there is a plaque up on the wall giving full details.
On 9th July 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The Bedford
Pretty dreadful. I didn't like it when it featured in the London Standard top10 years ago (not surprising, as choices can be laughable), and it was worse when I stopped by last week to find the main (front) bar locked, and the rear bar smelling bad (musty/sweaty?) even with no-one in it. Three of four pumps (or 2/3?) were reverse clipped. I wont be making the 2min walk from Balham stn again.
On 13th September 2009
- rating: 2
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]