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The Latchmere, Battersea, SW11

503 Battersea Park Road
SW11
SW11 3BW
Phone: 02072233549

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


Tris C left this review about The Latchmere

Once a Huggin’s house called the Latchmere Hotel, this is a really rather grand Victorian edifice with brown glazed tiling to the ground floor, situated in a part of Battersea that has largely escaped gentrification. It would also seem that it may have had a makeover since the previous reviews, which paint a rather downmarket picture of the place; no more. Bare boarded of course, the walls feature grey paint to the rear, to the front dark wood wainscoting then ochre walls, an attractive combination. Better still are the textured cast iron columns, quality Lincrusta ceiling and lovely cornice, interesting octagonal recessed ceiling feature and as mentioned, there’s a fine bar back with very good etched mirrors; there’s a theatre upstairs, the lavs now clean and downstairs. Furniture is conventional with tables featuring pullout leaves. On the downside, golf played in silence on the TVs (no-one watching) and an otherwise decent soundtrack played, but at such a tinny volume that it sounded like a swarm of mosquitos. Lighting is mixed though free of trendy gimmicks and customers are a mixed bunch but obviously local.
The ale choice amounted to just Wandle and Landlord, price forgotten, in good nick and served by a pleasant barmaid.
This is a decent place, benefitting from some remnants of authenticity and is certainly better than the Duke of Cambridge over the road, likewise the Victoria and Masons up the road, though a wider and more adventurous choice of ales would get the score up.

On 1st September 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about The Latchmere

Basic interior but impressive gantry. Beers on wereLandlord and Doombar.Okay pint in an okay pub.

On 19th October 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Latchmere

I’ve not much to add to John’s review below. The mosaic flooring that remains would have been in an entranceway, which now leads to what John describes as the area with a public bar feel, but which I suspect may have been a billiards room originally. There’s a large TV on the wall here, and a doorway at the back leads to a small courtyard garden. If this was a billiards room, it seems appropriate that it is now effectively a sports bar area. Anyway, the pub also still has a bit of etched and cut glass in some screening above one of the erstwhile partitions between bars, and the floorboards may even be original. There are now some tall tables and stools at the front by the windows, some sofas on the left, as well as a fair number of normal tables and chairs.
When I was in they had on Doom Bar, Hook Norton Old hooky, and Young’s Bitter (£3.20 a pint). The menu I saw featured the usual sort of pubco food, and a chalkboard on one of the walls advertised the “two meals for £7.99” offer. Most of the Victorian grandeur of this pub has now been lost, but it’s still an “OK” pub that is not really worth going far out of your way to visit, but fair enough for a pint if you’re nearby. I certainly wouldn’t object to having another pint in here.

On 10th April 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


John Bonser left this review about The Latchmere

Prominently situated on a busy road junction close to Battersea Park is The Latchmere, a large mid-Victorian corner pub that has been opened out in a fairly typical style.

A long bar counter runs parallel to the street with additional areas at each end that would evidently have been separate bars in Victorian times. One of these areas is a dedicated area for diners, whilst the area at the other end has a public bar feel with, probably rare for the area, a dartboard and pool table. In keeping with its Victorian origins, there’s high ceilings and large tall windows, which are probably replacements for former etched Victorian glasswork. Separate entrances, one retaining an original floor mosaic, are further evidence of the pub’s Victorian roots and the overall interior is not too unpleasant by modern standards.

Promotional drinks posters and 2 for 1 offers etc give the pub something of a slightly downmarket chain pub feel and we discover that the pub is part of the Smith and Jones brand operated by Barracuda.

There’s a pub theatre upstairs.

On my recent Sunday afternoon visit, the pub was desperately quiet, with little more than a few regulars watching the conclusion of the Scotland v Brazil match on one of the silent unobtrusive TV sets dotted around the interior.

Beers on were Adnams Broadside, Youngs Bitter and Old Hooky. The Broadside – at a cheapish ( by London standards ) price of £ 3.20p – was excellent.

I wouldn’t be averse to calling in here again if the opportunity presented itself.

On 5th April 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Philip Carter left this review about The Latchmere

Here is an internal view of the pub. Better than nothing. Sells real ale. Has a theatre upstairs. Not a bad place.

On 2nd January 2008 - rating: 6
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Latchmere

As a pub, this place is completely forgettable – a large open interior with few features. Just one ale on (Pride) when I went and not much atmosphere either. The upstairs toilets were pretty nasty. This appears to be a pub aimed squarely at blokes wearing football tops and drinking lager who would call it a “top boozah!” – far from it, in reality.

The pub does play host to a small theatre however, which is pretty cool (it’s why I was attendance), but overall a bit more care and attention is needed in here; especially with so many alternatives nearby. A missed opportunity.

On 11th April 2006 - rating: 3
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]