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The Hope, Carshalton
Carshalton
SM5 2PR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Hope
The Hope is a small boozer with an L shaped bar area and a small room at the rear where there is a bar billiards table that was covered and out of use. Out the back of the pub is a paved area with some picnic tables and beyond is a huge marquee that I took as being in the pubs beer garden.
The twenty or so people present during my recent Saturday afternoon visit made this place feel very busy and the locals around the bar were very vocal in rating the latest addition to the real ale selection. I counted six hand pumps and from a blackboard by the front door I noted the ale choice as Windsor & Eton’s Knight of the Garter, WJ King’s Horsham Best Bitter, Brodies Awesomestow, Kent KGB, Buxton Imperial Black, Gadd’s No 7 Ale and RCH Old Slug Porter (maybe I missed a spout). There are also three real ciders and less interestingly there are four standard draught products. Cheap pub food is available from midday until 15:00 every day.
There was no background music playing and I didn’t spot any televisions, but there is a live acoustic night every second and forth Wednesday.
This is a decent local and well worth making a detour for as the staff and locals are friendly and the ale well kept.
On 8th April 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Hope
I visited this pub again for an excellent afternoon session just before Christmas. As always, there was an excellent selection of well kept ales. I didn’t note them all, but do recall that the Critical Mass was available. There’s one piece of advice for visitors, who think they deserve a top up. Take a close look at the glass first, as they were using lined glasses here instead of the usually seen brim measures. This remains a top-notch destination pub. The following from April 2010: There is no doubt that this is a proper pub. During the beer festival there were three or four ales on handpump in the bar on the left, plus a further nine on stillage at the back. The main room wraps itself around the bar counter to the left, and there is a much smaller bar area to the right, with a few tables and stools and a piano in the corner. Between the rooms is a brick structure in the centre, which was possibly a fireplace at some time; at present it seems to be used as a depository for magazines. There are numerous pump clips on the bar gantries, indicating a commitment to providing a varied choice of real ales. The ceiling is very low with the (mainly false I believe) beams painted, or varnished perhaps, dark brown, with the ceiling itself painted red. The walls are partly wood panelled, with the walling above them, as well as the window sills and frames, painted a light yellow. This colour scheme works somehow. The decor on the walls is almost entirely ship related, and there is a sailing ship on the pub sign, but I have to confess to not knowing a nautical connection with the pub’s name.
This pub is definitely worth the effort of a special visit to Carshalton.
On 1st January 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Hope
Its been many years since visiting the Carshalton area for a drink but on reading reviews for this pub we decided to visit this area. This was our third pub of the day and was by far the best and the busiest but we still managed to find a table to sit at. There were two Otley Brewery ales on amongst others including Darkstar Hophead and thier winter brew, Critical Mass at 7.8%. This low ceiling pub was well worth the visit and although we didnt stay for long as we had others places to try we will definitely be back. Very close to Carshalton station but a bit of a walk from Carshalton Beeches station.
On 3rd January 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Hope
Four on yesterday, with one pump reverse clipped. Dark Star Hophead as always, Rudgate Mild, White's White Gold and Milestone Sup-Porter. There's a cider too but I failed to record this.
A real success story this pub is, having been turned around completely from what was once a bit of a sink place into a real destination pub. The staff and locals are a friendly bunch, everyone was sharing from two large pizza boxes yesterday afternoon.
The main room winds around the bar, carpeted,half height wood panelling, mainly banquettes, standard chairs and stools. Decor is a mix of nautical pictures and paraphernalia plus a few bits connected to horse racing, there is a set of Player's cigarette cards depicting Grand National winners. The ceiling is lowish, beamed and painted red, which gives a cosy feel. A small seperate room at the back houses what appears to be a bar billiards table, but I'm unsure if it can be used, it has a wooded cover over it. Beyond here is the back garden with a few bench type seats. There is a piano in the front area with a few books on top; I'm also unsure whether this is used or not.
Not one to miss if visiting Carshalton.
On 17th July 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Hope
As the review below mentions, this fine little local's pub is now in the hands of a group of regulars who prized it away from Punch Taverns and have turned it into a fine real ale destination pub.
Upon entering this is not apparent as a small section of the bar in front of, and to the right of, the door displays no hand pumps and it is only by walking to the left hand side of the bar and around the corner that you can inspect the well rotated and excellently kept selection. A low ceiling, comfortable traditional furnishings and typical pub carpet give the place a classic back-street local's pub feel, enhanced by a walk behind the bar where you can find a rear room which hosts a bar billiards table.
Beer-wise there were four ales on offer at the bar in addition to nine (yes nine!) different milds on stilage in the beer garden as part of their Mild for May festival when I was last there. Dark Star Hophead seems to be a regular and despite having had bad pints here in the past, recent visits have seen a consistently high quality maintained.
Service is very efficient and staff are pretty friendly. A large beer patio with a grassy area that housed the festival marquee is much appreciated in the warm weather.
A deserving winner of the Croydon and Sutton POTY 2010 and a dead cert for inclusion in the next Good Beer Guide.
On 3rd June 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rodger Molyneux left this review about The Hope
The Hope is now owned by about 24 of its customers through a limited company. Susanna, the existing landlady and her staff are staying and the pub will still be 'wet-led'. The kitchen is being re-instated and will be doing pub grub, we will not be becoming a restaurant :) There will be Evolution, not Revolution. We are completely free of tie and always looking for interesting product. No TV, No Jukebox, No noisy machines. CAMRA Sutton & Croydon Pub of the year 2010
On 24th May 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The Hope
Darkstar Hophead, Tom Woods Shepherd's Delight, Cotleigh Barn Owl, Darkstar Over the Moon had gone but was shortly replaced by Moorhouses Black Cat. The pub has low windows directly to the street but in yesterday's sunshine the feel was more akin to that of a country inn. Originally two cottages, the building became the Hope Beerhouse in 1877 and was restored with restructured frontage circa 1930. The bar is directly opposite entrance and winds around to the right, where 3 (display) handpumps unfortunately have no access to the cellar, and to the left where it becomes a horseshoe, and where the regulars gather. Low beamed ceiling, some well-upholstered settles and stools plus a couple of tables; to the rear a roaring wood fire (unnecessary yesterday, but kept going to toast buns for a birthday – later offered round the bar!) and a small open snug-type area with U-shaped seating for 8-ish and a serving hatch to the rear of the bar. Further on to a small dining room with windows to a paved beer garden with a few picnic sets. The lower bar walls have dark wood panelling, the papered upper half decorated with many naval pictures and prints and an impressive bronze(?) etched galleon mirror, some display knots are in cases on a central brick pillar. Good welcome at the bar, and easy chatting to the landlady & a few punters (15:00) and later (>17:30) there was a good local buzz. The landlady has an enthusiasm for the ales, and apparently brings a list of options for perusal at the end of the week: having cleared out some problem clientele (whose former presence is adversely & unfairly affecting her Bite rating) she is clearly building a following & deserves to thrive. It features in the current London Drinker (article and advert). Croydon/Sutton inaugural ‘pub of the season'. Glasses were Adnams or jugs, but it would be mean to criticise that. Three mini ‘fests coming up – Dark beers April, Milds May, Summer beers (Locale) June. Well done Susanna!
On 4th April 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]