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The Surprise, South Lambeth, SW8

16 Southville
SW8
SW8 2PP
Phone: 02076224623

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Tris C left this review about The Surprise

Dating from the mid-19th century, this is a Young’s pub (or is it, given the lack of a website?) situated right on the edge of Larkhall Park, which came into existence as a result of World War II bombing.
I had thought that this was going to be some sort of gastrofied affair, but apart from the pale grey wood cladding to the front room, it’s really quite traditional, right down to the wrought iron and glass pot shelf (probably 1930s’) and L-shaped multi-room layout. There are no obvious TVs though there’s a games machine, with further entertainment in the form of darts (with trophies) and possibly pool to the rear. Furniture is traditional with mixed framed prints, some of which appear to be of something looking like a power station; a decent soundtrack played.
Despite the putative brand, a friendly landlady presided over a solitary London Original clip and although I don’t mind Special, LO is one of my safe words, so it was a half of Stella at £2.60.
This is an unexpectedly pleasant and traditional little place; Proper Job on offer would have resulted in a proper score, but it deserves support.

On 31st August 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Surprise

This is a two-bar side-street Youngs pub that has seemingly avoided the attention of their design team to retain the feel of a proper local’s boozer. The pub’s multiple room layout has been partly opened out, but enough of the old format remains that this is easily overlooked. You enter into the front bar area, which comprises a small L-shaped space with a similarly shaped servery in the rear right corner. The room is bare boarded and has a drinking ledge under the front windows and a banquette in a small section to the right, but otherwise limits seating options to stools along the bar. The servery has a nice traditional counter and bar back with an impressive old iron and glass gantry. Moving further into the pub, you reach a mid-section with a single table served by comfortable seating to the right and a small bit of standing room to the left. Diamond patterned walls give way to a conservatory-style space full of garden furniture that has been tacked onto one side of the pub. Continuing on, you reach the rear lounge, which I would argue is the nicest part of the pub, albeit much quieter than the front bar. Here you fin a tartan carpeted room with very comfortable button backed banquettes around two of the walls and smart chairs in support. There’s a nice fireplace with an attractive tiled surround and intricately carved mantle to the left with the pub’s trophy collection above. The walls have modern wood panels, but these have almost entirely been covered with a vast collection of caricatures, seemingly of pub regulars(?). A dartboard can be found on the rear wall and there were pop tunes playing quietly in the background through the course of my visit.
No surprises at the bar, with just Young’s Ordinary and Special available and a third pump unclipped. The Ordinary was £3.90 and despite not being a particular favourite of mine, went down pretty well as I relaxed and read my paper in the lounge. The landlady seemed like a stern but friendly old-school type and the locals were a mixed bunch, including plenty of old boys and a few dolled-up young ladies clearly enjoying a few quiet drinks before a big night out.
I had absolutely no expectations going into this one, but found it was a cracking little local’s boozer with plenty of character, a friendly welcome and some well-kept, if unadventurous, beer. Places like this are becoming increasingly difficult to find as vast swathes of South London get swept-up in the gentrification process, so it was nice to find this place and enjoy a bit of quality time here.

On 11th February 2020 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Philip Carter left this review about The Surprise

A Youngs pub, so only Youngs ale on sale, no hardship there. Has had a refurb, the seating area at the side, which was open to the elements, has now been converted to a conservatory. The bar area has been done up, all the mugs & things hanging behind the bar have gone. The drawings in the back area are still there. The gents toilet has been refurbed as well. Whole place looks good.

On 19th December 2018 - rating: 8
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john mcgraw left this review about The Surprise

Well this pub is a surprise after walking most of the Wandsworth Road it was a surprise to see a pub that is still open!A very small front bar and a drinking area at the back.Young's/Well's beers on offer with the special being on good form.Outside drinking area overlooking the park.

On 4th April 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


John Bonser left this review about The Surprise

Visited in June 2010

The Surprise is an excellent, unpretentious, traditional locals pub situated at the end of a small cul de sac off the Wandsworth Road and backing on to Larkhall Park. It's one of a sadly diminishing breed of old fashioned "proper" Youngs pubs - let's hope the Wells and Youngs changing rooms brigade can be persuaded to continue to leave it largely well alone.

It's a small pub with a narrow curved bar area at the front which leads through to a further room at the back with a dartboard and which, pleasingly, retains the framed caricatures of regulars that I remember from previous visits, although I suspect that, by now, some of them are now drinking in that great pub in the sky.

On my previous visit,I expressed my dislike at being incessantly barked at and licked all over by the pub dog. Whilst the landlord and the pub dog in question are no longer in situ, it was perhaps ironic, as I'm sitting outside in the evening sunshine thinking how much more enjoyable the pub is now, that I suddenly realise that I've trodden in ….( you can guess the rest ), necessitating a quick visit to the nearby park to clean my shoe on the grass.

Unfortunately, I arrived too late for the advertised happy hour between 4-6pm, but the Youngs Special - £ 3.15p - was in good form. The pub has been in CAMRA Good Beer Guides.

Pubs like this are sadly disappearing from the London landscape - even though I wouldn't describe it as my "lucky" pub, let's hope this one is still around for years to come

On 18th October 2010 - rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Surprise

This is a Young’s house, so don’t expect anything unusual in the way of ales. That’s no problem for me as I quite like Young’s ales. I was in during a weekday lunchtime, when unfortunately they don’t serve food. But the lady behind the bar was very happy for me to pop round the corner to the local caff to buy a sarny to bring back to the pub to eat with my pint. I really appreciate that sort of helpful and accommodating approach. There is a front bar that is bare-boarded, but it leads on the left to a carpeted room at the back with some comfortable banquette seating. The wall of the back room is covered with some caricature prints. There were a few stools at the bar in the main front bar, plus some small armchairs around a table in front of a real wood fire, that was especially welcome on a cold day in January.

The usual flatscreen TV was on the wall in the main bar, but switched off; some pop music was playing softly in the background; and those other mechanical monstrosities, the one-armed bandit and the games machine, were also present. There was some fairly attractive etched glass panels in the doors bearing the pub’s name, but it didn’t look good enough to be an original feature, though I could be wrong.

From my description it doesn’t sound like an exceptional pub, but in fact I liked it a lot, and thought it a charming and friendly little watering hole. I would love to visit again.

On 31st January 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Philip Carter left this review about The Surprise

Nice pub on the edge of Larkhall Park. Has real ale, though limited to Youngs & Charles Wells. Has an overweight Labrador, called Toffee, who wanders in & out and will flop on the floor in the most awkward places. Sells food. Has a back room with comedic pictures of regulars.

On 30th November 2007 - rating: 10
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]