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Detail Pages
The Tommy Tucker, Fulham, SW6
SW6
SW6 2DR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Tommy Tucker
This is a late Victorian pub, originally called the Princess Royal, later the Pelican, the oh-so-funny rhyming slang moniker arriving along with gastrofication in 2015.
There’s still a strange smell, probably fish ‘n’ chips emanating from the open kitchen, which along with the heat and noise, is why I don’t like them. The place has been completely stripped back, with a modern pale floor, a modern tall bar with pewter top, held in place by Phillips head screws; all very industrial. Furniture is tubular steel and plywood, the whole ensemble resembling a canteen. Unsurprisingly, acoustics are terrible making conversation very hard. The bar is an offset island affair, with all the taps on the side where there’s limited space between the bar front and rear wall. This wasn’t helped by this being occupied by a large group of drinkers, virtually obscuring the taps, an unused pump, another summoning up Doom. I had to penetrate this gaggle, then retreat to the more spacious section of the bar, hoping to attract the attention of the barman, whose sole preoccupation revolved around chatting to customers.
As the only customer at the bar, after my statutory five minutes of being ignored, I walked, the pub garnering an automatic '1'. Even if I had been served, this is by no means a great place.
On 10th December 2021
- rating: 1
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Tommy Tucker
Our first of the day. Three hand pumps of which our choice of ale had just gone off. There was a strange smell in the air which none of us could identify.
On 19th February 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Tommy Tucker
On exiting Fulham Broadway and heading down to the 606 Club this was our first stop. Now I cannot comment for what the place was like as The Pelican as I never visited, but I think it’s a fairly good guess to say that the Tommy Tucker is now very different to its former guise.
Taken over some time in 2014 by someone called Claude Compton, who apparently is a chef of some renowned in these parts, I believe it’s been completely made over and now functions more as a gastro / pub restaurant.
Basically a one room open plan space with a smaller back area just for dining, the minimalist Gastro décor, all wooden floors, large wooden tables and assortment of different chairs hits you as soon as you enter. But not as much as the strange bar / serving area that protrudes forward into the main room from one of those open kitchens that allows you to see the sweat and toil of the various white clothed chefs sweating and running about within. The bar itself is a strange modern aluminium thing with one bank of keg draft options on one side and thankfully three ale pumps on the other. Then all the other spirits e.t.c. are in bottles on a metal shelf construction above the bar. It has metal leather seated bar stools around and you begin to get an idea of the target demographic for this place when you notice when perched on one of these that the bar top is crowded with large jars of different caramelised dried fruit slices for the G&T’s and cocktails. None of your normal lemon slices for the Old money of Fulham and Chelsea then.
The three beers available were St Austell’s tribute, TT Landlord and something called Tommy Tuckers Winters Ale brewed by Marstons. I went for a pint of the Tommy Tucker brew and regretted it as it was thin in both consistency and taste. However the wife really enjoyed here G&T , which clearly was a cut above Gordons, and loved the caramelised lime slice, which was a bloody good job as both drinks lightened my wallet by £10.75.
As a throwback to the old pub I guess they still have the traditional wooden "Real Ales On" board on the wall, but again here tellingly in the three available slots below the three Ales available were three of the recommended house wines. I can’t recall what these specifically were because I couldn’t see past the chalked up prices of £45, £55 and £75 a bottle.
The food menu was interesting and seemed to be made up of a lot of small plates, positioned as tapas-style British food. We were not planning to eat here and I’m not sure I would have chosen to, but perhaps one day I may be tempted to gamble £7 on Chilled Tomato & Strawberry Soup with Basil Jelly, but probably more likely the Brown Crab Cakes with Roast Garlic Mayo at £8.50 or one of the fish mains, the Day Boat Fish with courgette, cucumber and honey and herbs.
If you are more at home with the Chelsea football crowd then this one will now be off your radar, but if you want to experience where the old Money of Fulham and Chelsea now pop out for a casual meal, come here.
Oh and for the record the downstairs toilets are very smart and any naked ladies that used to be in situ in the Pelican days (see below) have long gone.
On 1st November 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Pelican
Nice pub but very quiet on an afternoon visit.Last time I was in here I had a pint of Watney,s newest beer.Fined bitter.On today were Pride and Harveys-Sussex bitter.
On 15th February 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Pelican
Three ales on during my visit - London Pride (of course), Harvey's Best, and Otter Ale. The latter was £3.90 a pint, which is a top of the range price for a 3.6% ABV session ale. Mind you, it punches above its weight for such a low ABV ale. This looks a very food focussed pub, although no tables were laid for diners, and drinkers seemed to be able to sit where they wished. There were lunch menus, available 12.0 - 3.0 PM, on all the tables. Main courses were around £9 a pop, and included burgers and fish & chips. There's also a "£6 menu", headed by their homemade burger, accompanied by something called "skinny fries", which I suppose must be some sort of undernourished chips.
The one-room pub is dominated by a couple of red leather Chesterfields sofas in the middle of the room. There are a handful of tall stools at ledges around pillars, but the majority of furnishings are normal tables and chairs. Some benches provide a bit of outside seating on the pavement under canopies.There's an interesting raised area at the front by the windows, surrounded by an unusual wrought iron balustrade. The colour scheme is mainly magenta and cream; the wall decor is arty prints; and the gastropub feature of wine bottles in the bar back is also present. There are obviously no dartboards, pool tables, or fruit machines in here, although there is a fairly unique mural in the gents featuring cartoon depictions of young ladies enjoying themselves (photographed uploaded - if the admins allow it).
This is now nothing like the traditional pub it undoubtedly once was, but it's a decent enough little watering hole. Its upmarket feel is typical of the area.
On 24th September 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]