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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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Detail Pages
Trafalgar Arms, Tooting, SW17
SW17
SW17 0RT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Trafalgar Arms
I recently paid my first visit to this pub since it's been taken over by Young's, and predictably it's been given the typical Young's treatment.You enter the pub by walking through the extensive outside seating area at the front, into a small room furnished with a quartet of round tables accompanied by armchairs. The bar counter faces you, and to the left is a room with tables laid for diners (the whole works, including cutlery and wine glasses), and to the right is another fairly large room that seems to be available to drinkers, but even in here a large table was reserved and laid for diners. Entering here is a bit like walking into a country house, but without the ornate staircase.
There were three ales on - Young's Bitter of course, Sambrook's Wandle, and Cronx Kotchin (£2.05 a half), with a fourth pump having a reversed clip. I didn't see a full menu, but a chalkboard in the dining area gave a taste of what's available - the "skipper's catch" of "whole bream with lemon caper butter and Cornish new potatoes" is £12, and the "bangers & mash, roast red onion gravy, Yorkshire pudding" is a whopping 17.5, which I guess must be £17.50 in old money. I know that omitting £ signs is a ploy to make prices look less expensive, and if anything needs that treatment it's the bangers and mash in here. Another option would be to charge a reasonable price. There were snacks on a plate on the bar - Scotch duck egg, or pork neck sausage rolls, both at £5. It's that sort of place now.
This place is typical of the new Young's brand. Typical gastro, with a glorified wine rack in place of a bar back, the obligatory vase of lilies on the bar counter, with sprigs of flowers on the tables, and glass demi-john type things with spigots on the bar counter containing water and something green (sliced cucumber?). But this is a pub that's been brought back from the grave of the clutches of a developer. Although it's not the sort of traditional pub that I prefer, I'm mighty glad it's still here to be enjoyed by the well-heeled residents of Tooting.
On 4th September 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Trafalgar Arms
This is a large and imposing building, set back from the perennially gridlocked A24. The exterior still shows the original Hodgsons of Kingston branding with the three fishes badging on high over the central main door. Lots of external seating, some covered, to the frontage but it would have taken a hardy soul to sit out here on a bitterly cold afternoon.
Once inside, the pub is essentially now one space with the bar running across the rear, although part of the original dividing walls and chimneys have been retained, so the area feels semi-separated into three chunks. There is a small room to the rear right which has a bar football table and a dartboard.
It's one of those mucked about places where some contemporary design student or someone has been allowed to play around. The bar counter is hewn from a log with the bark remaining, seating is mixed with untreated rustic look high tables, garishly patterned banquettes and of course the usual sofas. Bare boarded of course and lots of grey paint everwhere including now to the front elevation. Naturally there are candles on the window cills and vases of flowers dotted about. Open mic nights, late DJs and cocktail evenings are advertised. Food menus on the tables, burgers £10, steaks £14.5-17.5, not .50, just .5. None of this seemed to be working, the place was sparsely occupied and those present were certainly not looking for a sophisticated venue.
The young Irish barmaid was friendly and personable though, a chirpy welcome. Two handpumps, Sambrooks Wandle was turned around leaving Doom Bar, ok but at £3.50.
A fine old pub sadly redesigned without a thought for either tradition or harmony. But its open and it serves beer!
On 5th February 2012
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]