Ladywell Tavern, Ladywell, SE13

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Just a short walk from Ladywell station, this is a characterful, good-sized pub with a slightly gentrified feel. The pub occupies a single rectangular room with scuffed floorboards and rough bare brick walls. The servery is centrally positioned and has a green tongue and groove panelled counter front with a chunky wooden top and an unusual, corrugated iron bar back which is quite striking on first sight. An old gramophone stands at one end of the bar back and there are lots of colourful plants in pots along the counter, which brighten the space up nicely. Most customers were sat along the right-hand side of the room, where button backed armchairs and banquettes provide some comfortable seating options. Practical tables and chairs can be found to the rear, underneath some ugly modern wallpaper, whilst to the left, plush sofas and stools fill the space by the front windows before tables and chairs appear further back, although these appeared to be mainly set for diners and were accordingly unused on my Friday evening visit. There are some nice leaded windows to the front with stained glass bands and the fireplace on the left-hand wall sported a huge hood, making it quite a distinctive feature. The walls have been decorated with plenty of contemporary art and a door to the rear leads out to an Astro turf covered garden with some kids toys in a hidden corner and plenty of picnic benches. A few seats are available out on the front pavement too, along the main road, which should make for some good people watching.
There were three handpulls in operation when I arrived, dispensing Morland Old Golden Hen, Taylors Landlord and Purity Mad Goose, whilst the keg lines offered a few interesting beers, mainly from London-based microbreweries. I found the service to be quite friendly, but painfully slow, and my pint of the Mad Goose was in decent enough condition.
I quite liked this pub and thought it had the feel of a contemporary community local’s pub, attracting a mixed crowd thanks to the pleasant, welcoming environment they’ve created here. The beer seemed to be in decent shape and the garden looked like it would be a good spot for warmer months, so there’s enough here to merit repeat visits, especially given the dearth of options nearby.

Date of visit – 28th July 2023

On 28^th December 2023 - rating: 7
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