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Picture of The Birds Nest
Image posted by Paul Brett
Submitted on Friday, 11th March 2022
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The Birds Nest, Deptford, SE8

32 Deptford Church Street
SE8
SE8 4RZ
Phone: 02086921928
Correct details

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Reviews of The Birds Nest (Average Rating: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Tris C left this review about The Birds Nest

Dating from the early 19th century, this was originally the Oxford Arms, situated on a noisy roundabout, five minutes’ walk from Deptford Bridge DLR.
As CAMRA says, this is really something of a bohemian place with a ‘bought at a junkshop’ feel about it but not in a bad way. This is very much an established live music venue with a band on the go on my 10.00pm Saturday arrival (it’s open ‘til 1.00am) playing what I initially mistook for Northampton’s prog rock take on Focus’ House of the King until I realised they were tuning up, though the final result was very good; I wished I could have stayed. Customers were mixed, with many older rocker-types, some studenty-sorts or backpackers from above, many popping out to get some of the appetizing-smelling street food from stalls which seem to enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the pub and Snake Pit next door.
Sadly it’s only keg now, a half of Brixton Low Voltage costing a very reasonable £2.90 a half, served by a dude of a barman.
Despite the lack of cask and dispiriting location, this place certainly makes for something different (especially when paired with the Snake Pit) and if I lived locally would return, making for a good triple with the Royal George and Dog & Bell; a decent cask selection would get the score up.

On 29th July 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Birds Nest

Usually when one visits an unreviewed pub it's because it doesn't sell real ale or is for some reason a sub 5-star pub, but this one bucked the trend. There were three ales on - Deuchars IPA, Adnams Ghost Ship, and Truman's Firestarter (£1.85 a half). I didn't see any sign of food when we visited on Wednesday afternoon.

This was originally a Victorian pub called the Oxford Arms, but the landlord told us that there had been a pub on this site for hundreds of years. A green-banded window in the now disused corner door proclaims it to be an ex-Charrinton's pub. It's now a dark and Gothic music pub. Decor includes skulls and crossbones, a large scythe on the wall thankfully minus the grim reaper, and wooden Gothic designs on the bar counter front. The front area of the pub is what you might regard as the bar area, with basic and grubby tables and chairs, and with a dark and gloomy room at the back being the music area. It's incredibly tatty with paintwork missing all over the place, masses of wires everywhere, and oddly photocopies of photos hanging by pegs from a wire strung across the front of the window.

Everything here is incredibly and charmingly tasteless. Everything is tatty with the notable exception of the very friendly and welcoming barmaid. One of my companions considered it to be a nest of anarchists rather than a nest of birds, but that's perhaps going a bit far. Very strangely I quite liked it in here. Perhaps drinking my beer of the day, the Firestarter, in here boosted my appreciation somewhat, and clearly the presence of the very friendly barmaid was also a massive plus.

On 29th September 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]

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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Graham Mason
Deptford, 0.53 miles, 10 min walk (show)
New Cross ELL, 0.58 miles, 11 min walk (show)
Greenwich, 0.72 miles, 13 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Birds Nest, SE8
29th Jul 2023, 19:21
Review submitted by Tris C
 
1st Jul 2023, 21:05
Web Link submitted by Tris C approved

Pub Details

Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.

  • Accommodation : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Beer Festivals : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Beer Garden : Yes last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • CAMRA Discount : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Car Park : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Darts : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Hot Food : Yes - Adjacent street food. - last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Jukebox : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Karaoke : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Live Music : Yes last updated 29 September 2016 by Rex Rattus
  • Live TV Sports : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Micropub : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Pinball : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Pool Table : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Quiz Night : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Real Ale : No last updated 29 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Real Cider : Yes last updated 23 July 2023 by Tris C
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