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Detail Pages
The Arab Boy, Putney, SW15
SW15
SW15 6SP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about The Arab Boy
This is one of four pubs along Upper Richmond Road and the only one situated in the residential part, nestled amidst rather large upmarket houses; What?ub paints an interesting history of the place.
Rex mentions that the pub claims to be probably the oldest in Putney, though dating from just 1849 means their claim is twaddle. With all traditional character removed and by 2011 too, a small totally modernised interior features a new boarded floor, vanilla colour scheme with white Anaglypta ceiling, contemporary mixed furniture, bright modern lighting, a silent TV tediously showing the news, then a rear area with tables laid for dining (no one eating at the time of my Friday mid-evening visit) with a dog sitting on one of the dining chairs and hardly hygienic; customers were mixed in age and few for a Friday night, the overall ambience reminding me of a doctors’ waiting room.
The beverage choice amounted to Eurofizz, an unused pump then just Pride at £2.75 a half and fine. By Pride standards.
With just one dull cask beer, I found this to be a disappointing and ultimately utterly unmemorable pub which I doubt will survive; Upper Richmond Road isn’t a great drinking venue, the Prince of Wales being the street’s pub of choice, but this place is miles better than the Fox & Hounds.
On 13th February 2024
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1982 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Arab Boy
A comfortable local, just out of the town centre but on a fairly busy road. The narrow front is compensated by the depth of the building, though the bar is where I imagine the back wall of the pub may have been originally. The staff were quite clearly waiting for a lunchtime rush which hadn't materialised just yet, and it certainly wasn't me they were looking for. There are three hand pumps, with Bombardier and Youngs Original on at the time of my visit. The Youngs was pretty ordinary, though nothing that changing the malt, hops, water and yeast wouldn't put right.
Date of visit: 3rd November 2021
On 24th March 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3724 recommendations about 3461 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Arab Boy
Refurbished Greene King pub with quite an attractive interior with semi-modern furniture and decor (if you like that kind of thing). Main seating area at the front of the bar, with tables set for dining on either side of the narrow room beyond that leads to the compact patio beer garden. Reasonable menu and friendly service. Bank of five hand pumps on the front counter, with IPA and the 'house' Sirries Gold supplemented by Morland Original, Ale Fresco and Betty Stogs as a guest.
On 5th July 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Arab Boy
This is a Greene King pub, so there is no reason to expect anything very exciting in the way of ales. They had on GKIPA, Morland Original, and Hansom & Hardy’s Rocking Rudolph (£3.20 a pint). I hadn’t had the Rocking Rudolph before, but it had the taste of another erzatz GK beer. I didn’t see any menus when I was in at 3.0 PM on Tuesday, but I spotted some bar snacks listed on a blackboard offering such delicacies as wasabi tempura vegetables for £4.50.
This is now nothing like the honest boozer I remember from 20 – 30 years ago. The bar counter has been moved back on the left, and the room has been completely opened up. The front part of the room is furnished with a bit of banquette seating, plus a mix of sofas, armchairs, and tall tables/stools, although a large group of diners at the back were enjoying their Christmas dinner with the benefit of sitting on the pub’s stock of normal tables and chairs. There’s also a smallish courtyard garden out at the back.
I’m not a great fan of Greene King beers, and although it claims to be “probably the oldest pub in Putney”, there isn’t any traditional character left in this place, and I can’t see any reason to return.
On 15th December 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Arab Boy
This is a long pub with a very small bar area and limited seating out the front and a beer garden at the rear. During my visit Abbott and GK IPA were available along with some standard lagers, Hoegarden, Guinness and Strongbow.
I found the barmaid to be nice and the pub to be comfortable. There is a plasma screen, but I saw no sport advertised.
This pub is worth popping into if passing.
On 19th November 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5228 recommendations about 5196 pubs]