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Detail Pages
The King's Arms, SW10
SW10
SW10 9PN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The King's Arms
although I can’t really disagree with the reviews below, I thought it was a decent enough pub. Small and basic single room, but some beautiful tiling. Sports TV is indeed a big pull here, in fact i visited it primarily because it was one of the few pubs in London confirmed as showing the rugby league. Commentary was inaudible, instead we got a mixed soundtrack of old reggae/ska classics and modern rap. Staff and other customers were friendly and chatty. Tried all three ales- Original was on the turn, Proper Job was fine and Beavertown/Heineken Rocket Ram was nice but at a very premium price. Didn’t see any signs of food being served here.
On 25th September 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about King's Arms
A mid-Victorian pub, as mentioned was part of the H. H. Finch chain, acquired by Young’s, badged as a Geronimo Inn.
Surprisingly, a first in here the other night, to a place which would give an Antic pub a run for its money: bare white brick to the bar back, then primarily distressed plasterwork to the walls and hard to make out in the gloom, so is best viewed on the pub’s website. TV sport rules supreme here, with four invasive screens providing most of the illumination, punters having to shout over the loud, sometimes hysterical commentary. A very blokey place, customers certainly weren’t your typical SW10 types, so I don’t know where they’ve come from, possibly office workers and some very annoying. However, the one solitary reason to come here, is to admire the near full length, full height polychromatic glazed tiling, light permitting.
Aside from the one unused pump, ales amounted to London Original and Winter Warmer at £2.75 a half, which is very steep but on good form.
This really isn’t a great place by any description, one which I’ll avoid if in these parts in future.
On 9th December 2021
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about King's Arms
This pub was part of the Finches chain, and known as Finches although it was officially The Kings Arms when Young’s bought out Finches in the early 90s. At some point Young’s re-named it Finches, but it has now reverted to The Kings Arms. That’s straightforward then. Anyway, there were just two ales on – Young’s Bitter (clipped on two pumps) (£3.60 a pint) and Sambrook’s Junction – with a fourth handpump unused. Food – main courses were up to £15 for the “28 day aged Scotch rump steak”, with the cheapest being the King’s Breakfast at £8. There was some cheaper stuff under a “Many Plates’ ” (?) menu with, typically, “today’s sandwich” at £5.50.
The pub itself is a simple one-room affair, but with a couple of dominating features. On the left is the bar counter, but in place of the usual bar back is a large mural covering the wall featuring what looks to be a bunch of people at a bar. Undoubtedly an appropriate subject. But pride of place goes to the floor to ceiling (Victorian?) tiling covering the right hand wall. Even though the banquette seating is unfortunately covering the lower part of the wall, it remains an impressive feature. There’s a couple of “butcher’s block” style tall tables with tall stools, but otherwise furnishings are pretty standard, although a surfeit of cushions clutter the banquettes. A skylight at the back provides some welcome natural light. All the walls, with the exception of the tiled wall of course, are painted light grey in the Chelsea style, and decor is provided mainly by some black and white photos and coats of arms – including the King’s arms, also repeated beneath the skylight.
All in all this this is not a bad little pub by Chelsea standards, in an area not overendowed with great pubs. The beer’s OK although unadventurous, and it’s certainly worth dropping in to admire the tiling if you’re in the area.
On 27th April 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about King's Arms
Once upon a time this was Finch's and very much a traditional Victorian local. Young's bought that small chain at some point but it remained very much a traditional Victorian local. Now of course under their "refurbish the heart out of all their pubs to extract that last bit of revenue from them" policy all that has gone and it's now a pointless gastrobar which could be anywhere. So some awful sofas filling the place up and those high tables and chairs so now common in London pubs. Although it's a Young's pub all the Young's they had on was Ordinary alongside Bombadier and Tribute. You could very easily be in a Punch/Taylor Walker pub. Clearly their recent pull out from Wells and Young's won't affect this pub much. And yes, the service is still chronic.
On 10th August 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about King's Arms
I popped in here on Monday and noticed two Youngs Ordinary pumps and one Bombardier pump alongside standard and premium lagers. I waited for a couple of minutes and after no staff were spotted I went for a leak. After coming back to the bar I waited again and there was still no sign of any staff so I left.
On 4th February 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]