Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
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 Marquis of Lorne
Dating from 1880, grade II-listed and featuring on CAMRA’s list of pubs with historic interiors, this being of Regional Importance, with photos in attendance.
It’s well described below, of note being the very attractive exterior tiling. However, I found the interior to be a bit scruffy, typical of this type of basic locals’ boozer, with a stack of skateboards and bikes by the door. There’s a carpet, games machine, sport and tatty fliers advertising sports fixtures, otherwise eclectic décor with a pool table to the rear. The bar counter does the place no favours either, with a forest of illuminated chrome founts and no real ale, me having to seek solace in a half of Kronenbourg at £2.50, served by a very traditional old-school landlady; of note is that the pub has a strict cash-only policy, though I’ve come to learn that cardless pubs are typical of this type, so brought some cash just in case.
This pub could be a lot better with a brush-up and some real ale. Otherwise, it’s not too bad, but the drinks’ choice is a bit of a disincentive to making a return.
On 27th November 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Marquis of Lorne
This is a rare surviving back street pub which has retained a typical working class boozer feel in an area that has been rapidly gentrifying in recent years. The pub clearly had a multiple room layout in the past, but now has a single U-shaped set-up as various rooms have been successively knocked through. A separate games area to the front right is the only room to have kept its partitioning wall and now offers a degree of sanctuary for those wanting a game of pool. Elsewhere, the room runs down the left hand side and around past the rear part of the servery in a predominantly carpeted room with nice large windows with bull’s eye panes along two sides. There is limited seating to the front of the pub where the regulars seem to crowd around the bar, but plenty of tables and chairs appear down the left wall and on round into the rear part of the pub. An old gas fire that looks a bit like the one my Gran had in her front room, stands on the back wall in a marble surround and is flanked with some incongruous vases full of twigs and has a big plain mirror above. The bar has a long, curved dark wood counter with a mirrored bar back and a canopy decorated with old framed Guinness adverts, which continue to run around to the far end of the room where the toilets can be found. A TV screen above the side porch was playing old school pop and rock tunes when I arrived but was soon switched to a live football match with the commentary audible. There were lots of flowers dotted around the pub which brightened things up quite considerably and the exterior of the pub looked pretty special, with some excellent tiling evident, but it was hard to fully appreciate in the dark.
Sadly there were no ales on at the bar, just keg Greene King IPA and an admittedly wide range of well known keg brands. I ended up with a pint of Guinness for £4.00, which went down reasonably well and was served to me by an old fashioned landlady. Signs around the bar made it very clear that the pub accepts cash only.
In many ways, this was a very nice pub with an attractive exterior and hints of a former traditional set-up inside. The place has a proper local’s pub feel to it and is nicely tucked away so that it draws little if any traffic from the nearby Brixton Academy on gig nights, but the lack of any proper beer means that it’s really only worth the one visit to check the place out, as far better beer can be found elsewhere in the local area.
On 29th January 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Marquis of Lorne
From the street, quite an impressive old corner tavern with some fine dark green / brown external tiling at ground floor level (but rather decrepit paintwork at higher levels). Inside, the sense of faded glory persists. What would otherwise be a 'U'-shaped bar is still partitioned-off at one end to leave a pool room, with the remainder having pretty basic and decor (albeit temporarily enlivened by a host of flags for the European football). Limited drinks selection, with just keg Greene King IPA (£3.40) instead of the expected John Smith's. Of interest as an old-school backstreet boozer of the sort that is now increasingly hard to find in these parts.
On 9th July 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about Marquis of Lorne
As mentioned previously its a striking pub from outside and decent inside.No real ale and an impressive line up of mainstream keg beers.Very few customers on my afternoon visit.I wonder why? Trad back street boozer without the boozers.Nice pub sign with the Marquis and underneath his (I presume) tartan.That photo does not do it justice.
On 24th May 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 Marquis of Lorne
The exterior of this pub is mightily impressive with some absolutely superb (Victorian probably) tiling covering the pillars and lower level facings. The name T T Castle is set abaove the main corner door – presumably a previous publican, as a century ago it would have been normal for a publican to display his name prominently, often more prominently than the name of the pub. Inside it’s been largely opened up, but this pub is large enough that it once had at least four separate rooms, as evidenced by the four sets of doors, not all of which are in use now of course. However, some screening, the upper parts of which are glazed, survives between the main bar and the smaller room on the right (now containing a pool table) as well as above the servery. You can see where the screening above the servery would have extended across the room to divide it in two. The bar counter looks original as well.
Unfortunately they don’t serve real ale here, and nor did I see any menus or signs of food when I was in during Saturday afternoon. It’s not really that sort of pub. This is a traditional backstreet boozer, and although there are one or two sofas, the majority of furnishings are normal tables and chairs. This is the sort of pub that I like, but the absence of any real ale is an issue for me, so I’m unlikely to return.
On 18th June 2012
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Philip Carter left this review about Marquis of Lorne
Nice enough pub, though the language of some of the regulars is appalling. Has a pool table. There is a real ale tap, Theakstons clip was on it, but it was turned round. Giving a low rating due to the swearing.
On 1st October 2009
- rating: 2
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]