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The Regent, Balham, SW12

21 Chestnut Grove
SW12
SW12 8JB

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Pub SignMan left this review about The Regent

This is a large, two room pub down a side street close to Balham station. The front room is the main bar and dining area and has some decent dark floorboards, bare brick and full height wood panelled walls, attractive arched windows down two sides, and many rows of tables and chairs through the centre with a few benches around the perimeter. The servery is on the left-hand wall and has a nice counter with detailed support pillars, an ugly metal gantry and matching bar back with some sort of weird original mirror to one side, which was adorned with a flowery model reindeer. A few odd pictures line the walls, there's a tidy fireplace to the rear and potted plants appear here and there to add some colour. The second room is out the back and has its own servery, some plusher seating and more of the same tidy wood panelling, plus a large TV screen on the back wall and banging music. This was perhaps because it was occupied by a private function when I arrived, which also meant I couldn't properly explore.
Three handpulls were sadly limited to just Sharps Doom Bar, with two reversed clips on the remaining handles. There was a modest craft keg line up though, including beers from the local Brockley and Brixton breweries. The barman who served me seemed very personable and it felt like there were loads of staff working on this Friday evening visit, which meant wait times at the bar were minimal.
This pub must being doing something right, as it was absolutely rocking when I arrived, with not a free seat in the house and a cracking atmosphere as a result. It's a shame that there was just the one mediocre cask ale to choose from and the formally arranged seating did make it feel a bit too food-led for my liking, but this ended up being much better than I'd expected and could be a good option for a swift pint before taking a train.

Date of visit - 8th December 2023

On 12th January 2024 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about Regent

The door opens into what is mainly a dining area with the bar to the left side. There is another room further along which was packed with football fans so I couldn't see if the bar extended down there, but I assume it did as the first room was fairly empty. Three weak real ales on offer. Outside area to the far right.

On 28th August 2017 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about Regent

I noticed Timothy Taylor Landlord and Doom Bar (£3.50 a pint) on, and I believe that there was a third ale which I failed to note. From the outside it looks like a late Victorian building, but inside it’s very much a product of the 21st Century. It has only been known as The Regent for a short while, previously it was the Balham Tup, and before that The Balham Hotel. It also looks as if it has been extended into a neighbouring building on the Chestnut Grove side. But it really is a pub of two halves. As you enter through the main corner entrance, you are in the first half, furnished with normal tables and chairs, with all tables set for diners. As you move through the pub to the right, the very long bar counter is on the left, with a number of tall banquettes (or perhaps upholstered benches) against the wall on the right. This in turn leads into the second half of the pub, which has to be regarded as the bar area. This is furnished with tall stools and tables, plus a couple or so sofas with low tables topped with either pewter or aluminium in a Union Flag pattern. The dining area is the half with no TV screens, but their absence is more than made up for by bar area of the pub, that has two very large pull-down projection screens (presumably deployed for major sporting events), as well as monitors fixed to the walls. This looks as if it is a traditional Victorian pub that has been given a very modern makeover designed to attract a younger crowd. It’s not really my sort of pub, but it’s a decent example of the breed if you are looking for that sort of pub.

On 15th September 2010 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Philip Carter left this review about Clouseaus

Has had a name change. Now called the Balham Tup. A very large pub, not many people there when I visited. 4 real ales on tap. Food served all day.

On 7th January 2009 - rating: 8
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]