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The Trafalgar, SW19

High Path
SW19
SW19 2JY
Phone: 02085425342

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Trafalgar

Looks like a permanent goner - https://londondrinker.camra.org.uk/wordpress/index.php/2021/07/26/farewell-to-the-trafalgar/

December 2009
At first glance you don’t expect much – a fairly unattractive looking boozer in the shadow of a tower block and near an industrial estate. However this is a small, convivial freehouse with a really good selection of ale and a couple of ciders too. The interior appears to have altered little over the past 30-40 years and whilst not exactly an architectural gem is homely enough, with a large drape across the inside of the front door, real fire, dart board and large ships wheel. Five ales on during my visit, I wisely decided to go for the Dark Star critical mass, which at well-over 7% sent me into a bit of a tailspin, still a good pint though! Prices are very reasonable for the area. Regular live music is advertised and I reckon it’d be a good bet.
In tandem with the Sultan (10 minutes trot) this is the basis of a great drinking day out. Rated 8

On 10th October 2021 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


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hondo . left this review about The Trafalgar

Compact little boozer tucked away on the back streets. 6 real ales and a good bottle selection. Beers listed on a blackboard to the right of the bar.

On 28th October 2017 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


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john gray left this review about The Trafalgar

Tucked away on an unremarkable estate is this unremarkable former local Camra pub of the year.Very old fashioned interior with obscure glass windows letting little light to enter.Good beer selection 2 from Surry Hills,Downton -quadhop By the Horns-stout(it was st paddy,s day)and my choice Keystone -Cheer up which was good.No music so I had to listen to others conversation whether I like it or not in this little box of a pub.I did not like it.

On 21st March 2015 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


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John Bonser left this review about The Trafalgar

Visited in May 2010

Externally, a rather unattractive looking building, The Trafalgar is a small community orientated traditional local situated in a back street of South Wimbledon / Merton.

It's a single bar pub with two distinct drinking areas separated by a notable ship's wheel. There's some Nelson related memorabilia and frosted windows help contribute towards a cosy feel, but, taken as a whole, the interior is somewhat nondescript.

To be honest, I've never warmed to this pub in the past. Being only a small pub, there's not a lot of room and the regulars tend to congregate by the bar, leaving little room for the passing visitor to manoeuvre into a position to see what beers are on. In addition, the friendly welcoming atmosphere that other posters refer to has always appeared lacking to me. Plus of course, it's in an area that I would prefer to avoid after dark, thus restricting visiting opportunities in the winter months.

However, in my book, a pub is as good as I find it on my last visit and my visit on a May Sunday afternoon, coinciding with the afternoon jazz between 2.30pm and 5.30 pm, enabled me to see the pub in a more favourable light. Yes, it was busier than on my previous Saturday visits - and the regulars were still hogging the bar space - but I detected a much more welcoming and relaxed atmosphere overall, probably because there was a much wider customer mix, with a good number of people obviously there specifically for the jazz.

On the real ale front, there's six handpumps. Both beers sampled by me - Dark Star Hophead and a chocolatey tasting Lytham Dark ( both at £ 2.90p ) were in excellent condition, served incidentally by a barmaid who bore an uncanny resemblance to Becky in Coronation Street's Rovers Return ( but minus the permanent scowl )

The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular and has won local awards ( eg - CAMRA Greater London Pub of the Year 2008 )

Two smallish TV's were showing the afternoon's Premiership football, one oddly positioned in a corner behind and above where the jazz band was, but the game was attracting little interest and it didn't adversely affect the atmosphere.

I'm now more enthusiastic about this pub and I'll try and get here again soonish - probably on a Sunday. Finally, do note that, according to the CAMRA GBG, it doesn't open until 3pm in the afternoon between Mondays and Thursdays.

On 21st October 2010 - rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


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Pub SignMan left this review about The Trafalgar

Tucked away on an otherwise unremarkable estate in South Wimbledon, this is a fine little community pub with a clear commitment to providing an excellent variety of well kept real ale.
There were six pumps on when I recently visited, offering Dark Star Hophead and APA, Pilgrim Progress (£2.90), Sharp's Special, Ascot Market Ale (£2.70) and a real cider. The Pilgrim in particular was a fantastic pint and didn't last too long after my walk in the sweltering sun to get there.
The pub is pretty small, with a compact bar area affording enough room for a few people to sit on stools at the bar itself or on a settle in the far corner. The rest of the room is in a slightly partitioned area which has several standard tables with benches and chairs. The partition is created by an enormous ship's wheel and various other Trafalgar related odds and ends adorn the otherwise bare walls.
The pub has a dart board at one end and a small TV showing muted Sky Sports News at the other. There were posters promoting live music nights (although it's hard to picture where exactly the band would be able to fit) and a curry night (£6 for a curry and a pint).
Although the pub has a bit of a tatty feel to it in places, it is of little consequence as the main reason for visiting is the excellent beer served by friendly staff. The pub is a short walk from South Wimbledon tube station to the North or Morden Road tram stop to the South and is well worth seeking out for those looking for quality and variety of ale.

On 5th June 2010 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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Rex Rattus left this review about The Trafalgar

I’ve not much to add to what Maldenman has said. I would say, however, that the Trafalgar has again been voted the CAMRA SW London pub of the year – congratulations to Dave and his team. According to the pump clip, the Ascot Market Ale, the second of the Traf’s house ales, is apparently also going to be available as a bottle-conditioned version in the Abbey Mills market. This pub obviously remains one of the very best in the area, and I shall certainly be back. A word of warning might be sensible for those looking for somewhere with loud music, a young modernistic clientele, and a cheap lager fuelled evening – this isn’t the pub for you.

On 16th February 2010 - rating: 9
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about The Trafalgar

A very small and narrow pub, rather basic, certainly no frills, but a real fire and six handpumps serving well kept ales. Bench seats, stools and an odd settle at the end, obscure windows, a large ship's wheel forms a part of the semi seperation of the bar and sitting area. Well run by an enterprising landlord, music nights, jazz, blues etc plus curry evenings are regular features. Sport shown on the TV over the end door.
Six on last night, house beers Thru'penny Hop (Pilgrim brew this), Ascot Market Ale, plus Pilgrim Talisman (Winter Warmer), Northumberland Pit Pony, Sharps Special and Skinners Betty Stogs. Highly recommended. Noted interestingly that every drinker inside (20 or so) were on the real stuff.

On 16th February 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


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Steve C left this review about The Trafalgar

This is a very small pub which had a very hospitable woman behind the bar during my recent visit. I spotted six hand pumps, but I couldn’t get around the bar to check them out as a group of six blokes were blocking it – yes the pub is that small! There is also a bank of six draught taps from which I was served a fine pint of Guinness.

There is a dartboard by the entrance and a TV above the door that shows Sky Sports.

I’d be happy to have this place around the corner from my house for a few quiet mid week beers – Not before 3pm though.

On 11th February 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


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train man left this review about The Trafalgar

Small friendly local, no particular architectural merit but worth a diversion for 6 ever-changing real ales, currently at £2.70. Beware afternoon opening; Mon-Thurs is from 15:00. See website for details of curry night (£6 curry includes a pint), regular Sunday jazz & other periodic music events.

On 22nd December 2009 - rating: 9
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]


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Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Trafalgar

Small freehouse with an interesting selection of real ales (including a decent pint of 'Cog' from the Box Steam Brewery in Wiltshire). Fairly ordinary interior, but you are almost certainly here for the beer so that probably doesn't matter too much. One of those places that you are surprised to find still exists, but which you are very glad it does.

On 30th October 2009 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]

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