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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
The Grove, Surbiton
Surbiton
KT6 4BX
Pub Type
Metropolitan Pub Co (Greene King)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Grove
With the excellent Antelope just a little further along the road, I normally pass on by this Greene King pub. But before paying my latest visit to the Antelope, I spotted a guest beer in the Grove that I'd not had previously and decided to give it a try.
The interior is a fairly bright affair with seating curving around a central bar. Leaflets near the door were promoting Christmas lunch (it's that time of year again). The house beer here is Hardy & Hanson's Surbiton Best Bitter. Guests were Timothy Taylor Landlord, Hogs Back TEA & Southwark Routemaster Red, the latter being the beer that had drawn me in. At £2.75 for my half, it wasn't really worth it. There may well be a CAMRA discount that could have softened the blow, but I'd just arrived on a flight into Heathrow and wasn't carrying it with me!
As with the last review in 2016, I didn't really feel like lingering too long here. With the Antelope a stone's throw away, why would you?
On 31st October 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Grove
Another pub along Maple Road, the Grove is a large Greene King house which has tried to enliven its beer range, perhaps to compete with the nearby Antelope, but still comes across as more of a food-led pub. The interior is laid out in a large L-shape with the main area running from front to back down the left side of the building, whilst a smaller space can be found to the front right. Walls throughout are painted various shades of grey or cream, with one notable bare brick section to the front providing a welcome alternative. There are sturdy floorboards around most of the room, with a nice checker board tile effect reserved for the servery area. Seating is almost exclusively made up of regular tables and chairs of the sort ideal for dining, with a few high stools thrown in for good measure. Pictures of the Thames and other such local scenes break up the wall space a bit and there was a large pull-down screen to the front, although this was out of action on a Sunday afternoon. The front section of the pub is on a lower level to the main bar area and has more of the same in terms of decor and seating and was empty with most customers favouring the beer garden with its raised decking space which gives way to a pleasant tree-lined lawn with lots of colourful plants. Those remaining inside were subjected to what I can only describe as an 'avant-garde' soundtrack and for a pub with such gastro stylings, I was surprised to find no-one eating - maybe the prices (Sunday roast beef - £15.50) had put them off.
The servery, like the room, is also L-shaped and has a dark wood counter supporting two sets of handpulls, each doubled up with the same four beers on this visit. These were Greene King IPA, London Beer Factory Chelsea Blonde, Bedlam Golden Ale and By The Horns Mick the Miller (£4.00). I had a pint of the latter, served by a barmaid who can best be described as economical with her words, and thought it was okay but a touch too warm to really savour on a hot afternoon.
This is quite a decent gastro-style pub which certainly benefits from offering a few local brews alongside the usual Greene King suspects. For me, the place was a bit characterless, but the garden was a definite plus and I can't say I was uncomfortable here, although things may have been different had I arrived in the middle of their Sunday lunch service. I'd say it's worth a quick look to see what they have on, but doesn't really suit an extended session, unless you're feeling rather flush and decide to splash out on some food.
On 3rd October 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Grove
Massive,corner pub.Modern interior.Very busy rear garden and noisy pub quiz inside on my visit.GK -ipa,Sambrookes -wandle,Trumns -swift and the utterly delicious Darkstar -apa.Liked this pub a lot
On 20th August 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Grove
Large set back building, with a pub/dining format and apparently owned by Greene King but there is little to outwardly indicate such. Large knocked-through L shaped interior with wood floor, chequerboard bar area, battleship grey paint job and some exposed brick walls. The usual framed sepia prints of the local area adorn the walls. There’s a nicely appointed garden which is remarkably spacious. The large TV was switched off (looked like a temporary thing for the Euros) though the slightly over-loud music (and too much Red Chilli Peppers) grated a bit. Four pumps with a fair mix; 2x Greene King but also a couple of locals in Twickenham Naked Ladies and a good half of Truman Gypsy Queen. Also noted two Redwell kegs. A slightly over-familiar barman (sounded like he was going through a set retinue of 'get to know the customer' questions but better than a grunt I guess). Not bad, been in similar places that are a lot worse.
On 5th July 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Grove
A decent enough pub with a modern makeover inside, this one just about works for me and although I wouldn't go out of my way to visit here its worth popping in for a pint if passing,which is quite possible with the excellent Antelope just down the road.
On 10th October 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Grove
This is the sort of pub I would approach with some misgivings. It’s painted that charcoal grey so loved by gastropubs, has minimalist signage, and the entrances seem to be solid blocks of concrete. I thought it looked quite unattractive. Inside it’s unchanged since the previous reviewer’s visit, apart from one mightily important aspect. The two banks of four handpumps are still there, but the bank of four around to the right only had three clipped and they were the same as three of those in the bank at the front. So, the four ales on were Hackney APA, Surbiton Bitter (a rebadged Greene King offering), Truman’s Blindside, and one from a microbrewery called Jocs Norfolk Ale, Norfolk Kiwi. The three of us each had a pint of the latter three, and all were in fine condition, and at the total price of £11.10 – average £3.70 a pint which is OK by gastropub standards. I did see a menu, and of course there were no pub grub choices.
As it was a nice day we wandered out to the garden at the side, which turned out to be a large, sheltered, area that would seat a couple of hundred or so people, and is mainly furnished with charcoal grey pseudo rattan chairs and tables.
With us being in Surbiton, John Bonser observed that this pub was more "Jerry and Margot" than "Tom and Barbara". That sums it up rather nicely. The beer was OK, but the main plus for me was the extensive garden, which must be a great draw when the weather's good.
On 14th April 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Grove
The Grove has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment, it is grey outside and substantially grey inside, varnished wooden floor, chequered bar splash zone, some newly exposed brickwork, all opened out, the bar is central in a L-shaped drinking space with a more formal dining area beyond down a few steps. Surprisingly the seating arrangements are generally traditional with a newly covered banquette around one corner and a number of smaller regular mixed tables scattered about. There were posies of flowers on the tables, no signs of candles, twigs or fairy lights, it's not bad actually for a modern strip out with no Victorian stuff of note remaining. It usually bugs when me when historical features go but I felt very comfortable in here.
This is mainly due to the exceptional beer range on offer, this is a GK pub but without their dull beers, there are two banks of four, you need to walk around both before choosing. Today had Windsor and Eton Windsor Knot, Sharp's Own, Truman's Runner and also Swallow and Swift, Twickenham Naked Ladies plus Hornet (amazing hoppy beer), and two from Itchen Valley, Blackcurrant Mild plus Hambledon. So not a single GK beer, not even from a shiny font, perhaps they realise there is no point competing with that. Probably at the moment the best cask ale choice in the Kingston/Surbiton area depending on what 'spoons are offering.
I didn't spot a TV, eclectic bluesy jazz music was playing making for a relaxed atmosphere.
Naturally it is rather foody, I didn't see a menu post work at about 5:15, wine and coffee menus are on chalkboards over the bar.
The barmaid who served me was very friendly, clued up about the beers and the philosophy of the pub, which is a GK "Real Pub" outlet. She told me the GKIPA pops up now and again but that todays range was typical. There is a huge outdoor drinking and eating area with a raised deck with cover then a lower garden which wraps around one side of the pub.
This is a major improvement to the Kingston/Surbiton pub scene, well worthy of support.
On 20th June 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about The Grove
Came in here on Friday for the first time in years, it was indeed modernised beyond all recognition and stripped of any character, coming across as a Greene King attempt at an All Bar One, The three hand pumps between them only managed to offer GK IPA. The large ‘heated’ garden ought to have been a good plus point, albeit not on a cold December day when there was no sign of heating, Still, some of the chavvier elements of Surbiton seemed quite comfortably settled here, and we were happy to leave them to it.
On 4th December 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Grove Tavern
Modernised beyond all recognition, at least on the inside. Rather trendy/foody/pricey but nonetheless quite nice.
On 3rd January 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]