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Old Sergeant, Wandsworth, SW18

104 Garratt Lane
SW18
SW18 4DJ
Phone: 02088744099

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


Tris C left this review about Old Sergeant

This place goes back to the early 19th century, but I suspect the present structure is a little newer, the current interior scheme arriving around 2019.
There’s a modern gastropub-style theme – though with games machine – and colour scheme to the interior, with mixed furniture and all visible on their website. Just four other customers on a Friday night, all I assume local, the ‘F’ and ‘C’ words flowing freely and not in relation to football, one customer regaling another with a story about taking a 28-oz hammer to someone.
A cask troika amounted to London Original, Small Beer’s Amber and Wimbledon Copper Leaf at £4.60 a pint (my request for a half ignored) and as always, tasting of burnt leaves and not very nice.
Glad to leave, this isn’t a great pub, the tone lowered by the calibre of its customers. If I want to hear about someone getting hammered, I prefer it to be in relation to cask ale intake.

On 22nd February 2024 - rating: 2
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Graham Coombs left this review about Old Sergeant

No longer owned by Youngs/Ram Pub Co, this is an old pub given a modern facelift with not-quite-trendy furnishing, mixed colours and arty lighting. It's actually not unpleasant and a relief to find somewhere open on a Tuesday lunchtime. A separate bar with its own entrance boasts pool, darts, live music etc. but only opens at certain times or is available for hire. The only cask ale on was Youngs Original, with Wimbledon Common and Thornbridge Heartland 'coming soon'. Food seemed to be of the Tex Mex variety.

On 9th November 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Old Sergeant

This is a former Youngs pub that has been opened out by their pub refurbishment team, but in this case, the remaining open-plan room is thankfully still quite compact, making it feel like a cosy enough place to relax over a pint or two. Two front sports now both lead into the same room, which has bare boards throughout, broken by a nice colourful rug to the far right. The walls have low wood panels with plain painted and wood-effect uppers, whilst the bar is positioned centrally along the rear wall and has a nice curved counter that extends quite far out into the room, with lots of space between it and the attractive dark wood bar back. A very large high table with a great many stools around it, fills the space directly opposite the bar and the table had a surface that is so uneven, it turned the simple act of putting your pint down into a thrilling game of chance. Over to the left, standard tables and chairs have been arranged around a small arched fireplace with a bright image on the TV screen above and various pictures covering a disparate array of subject matter on either side. The room runs a short way back here, possibly giving access to a beer garden - I didn’t fully explore. The right side of the room has more high tables and stools, button backed banquettes and a sofa around a tiled fireplace with a carriage clock on the mantelpiece, arty prints above and another TV, this time turned off, to one side. Stairs to the rear lead up to a function room which sounded very busy, so I didn’t go up and snoop around. Pop tunes were playing quietly in the background and aside from the large crowd in the function room, there was only one other group of customers on a Tuesday evening.
The pub is no longer tied to Youngs and as such, the two cask ales - Engine Pale Ale and Ram St Special - had instead been sourced from the Sly Beast Brewery, who brew just up the road in part of the old Ram Brewery. The lone barmaid poured me a pint of the Engine Pale Ale whilst taking a reservation on the phone - nice multi-tasking - which I thought was pretty good and definitely a big improvement on the usual Ordinary or Special options associated with this part of town. At £4.15, it was also competitively priced/
I liked this place and thought they’d done a good job of softening some of the interior design disasters Youngs no doubt inflicted before they left. The place felt comfortable and well presented with some interesting beer to top things off. You can’t really class this as anything like a destination pub, but if you’re crawling around Wandsworth, it would be worth the effort of a short detour to check it out.

On 21st January 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about Old Sergeant

Another Youngs pub but seems to be a bit scruffier than on my previous visit.Many as there were only a few customers I could see more of the pub.Youngs -original and Cityscape on cask.Some outside seating to front.

On 9th November 2019 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Ian Mapp left this review about Old Sergeant

Finishing off the Wandle Trail and the Camra guide to london pubs suggested this was the place in Wandsworth.

Nothing wrong with it - three Youngs Real Ales on and the Special was fine - but nothing that would demand a revisit.

Photos at my walking blog - http://mappiman.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/120316-wandering-wandle.html

On 13th March 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1329 recommendations about 1315 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about Old Sergeant

I was in here recently for a CAMRA meeting, held upstairs in the John Young Room. This room has masses of Young's memorabilia on the walls and in cases. It's worth a look if it's accessible during normal opening hours. As well as the Young's ales you would expect, they also had on a couple of guests - McMullen's Cask, and Otter Amber (£3.50 a pint). This is probably the best pub in Garratt Lane, although that isn't saying a lot. It's worth dropping in for a pint if you're in the area.

On 4th December 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


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Rex Rattus left this review about Old Sergeant

This is a Young’s house it seems, but with three handpumps on the bar they had Wadworth 6X; Special; and “Old Sarge” (£3.40 a pint) on. The latter ale was branded as a Christmas ale, and at 4.8% it had a bit of poke, and tasted pretty good as well. The inside of the pub has been modernised to some extent – there are sofas, light coloured bare boards on the floor – but the customer base when I was in during mid afternoon on a Wednesday appeared to be the sort of people who want a traditional pub, and by their presence to a large extent force it to be one. As we all know, a pub is made by its customers.
I guess I was in too late to see any menus, but the distinct aroma of fried food was still present, so clearly food is available at lunchtime. There are TVs (on but muted during my visit) at both ends of the room, and I also spotted a games machine which thankfully nobody had bothered to switch on, or perhaps, even more thankfully, it was broken. Despite the apparent attempts to move upmarket, this struck me as a traditional locals’ pub. I would be happy to visit again.

On 17th December 2010 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about Old Sergeant

Now a single room with a central horseshoe bar, fireplaces on each end wall. The original two entrance doors can be seen in the photos. Generally traditional seating where available with the majority of the floor being open, however I suspect this had been rearranged to provide standing room for the England World Cup game later on. TVs were present on each end wall.
Wooden polished floor, a few generally military themed prints, there were a few tired looking novels and such on a shelf plus unusually a pin board where regulars could leave business cards. One of these advertises "Sensuous massage for ladies of taste and also minor bicycle repairs".
Stairs rise to another area available for private hire. There is a walled garden to the side with a large overhead heater a bit like a donner kebab grill that won't do too much for the pub's carbon footprint.
Youngs beers, Ordinary, Special and London Gold on, but the Gold was rather cold I thought. Not a bad spot for a quick pint though.

On 19th June 2010 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Philip Carter left this review about Old Sergeant

Nice pub, sells real ale, Youngs. Has a garden out the back. Will be closing for refurbishment soon, was told it wasn't going to change too much. Visit now just in case.

On 5th January 2008 - rating: 6
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]