The Priory Arms, SW8

Tris C left this review about The Priory Arms

This is a mid-19th century backstreet pub towards Larkhall Park.
The interior is really very small, part raised with conventional furniture, the lower level with tall stuff and a bit scruffy; I thought I might have gone through my stool’s seat. There’s an old Pac-Man machine next to a chiller cabinet, the whole unremarkable save for the enormous number of pump clips and mats covering a huge amount of wall space and pot shelf (see photo); the shape of good things to come? Customers were rugger-types where shorts seemed to be part of an unofficial dress code, with one woman spotted. There’s an open kitchen and baseball was showing on at least one TV, no sound, no viewers.
The pub’s website claims that there are seven cask beers and six real ciders available. However, there were four Lilley’s ciders on as well as Old Rosie, none of which constitute ‘real’ cider; four more were in cider-boxes in a fridge and despite the vast array of clips and mats, there was a reversed pump clip, two unused pumps then just something called Affinity Gold at £2.25 a half and dull, with a lemon barley water taste, a testament to its lack of condition; I didn’t finish it.
Like Moby, I was very disappointed with this place which promises so much yet delivers so little; the neighbouring ‘Cav’ is a lot more fun, and at least their solitary cask beer was drinkable.

On 19^th August 2023 - rating: 4
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