WhatPub? Update 63

WhatPub? Update publishes news items collated by Greater London branches, often from information supplied through the ‘Submit Update’ button on WhatPub.  We aim to report all openings and closures of places that satisfy the CAMRA definition of a pub (including those selling draught but not real ale); all pubs that add or remove real ale; and changes of name, ownership or beer policy.  Readers are encouraged to visit WhatPub? for pub details, and to ‘Submit Update’ when they find incomplete or out-of-date information.

NEW & REOPENED PUBS & CLUBS – INCLUDING THOSE CONVERTED TO REAL ALE

INNER LONDON

EC1, BREWDOG OLD STREET, 211d Old St. Reopened as VOLLEY in May 2024, a sports bar with 15 lines of craft beer.

E2, BIRDCAGE (BrewDog), 80 Columbia Rd. Real ale reinstated with a guest beer such as Sambrook’s Lavender Hill.

E14, OASIS BAR & TERRACE, Canada Square Park. Large venue on two levels. Ground floor has a 17 metre bar. Roof terrace, with views over Canada Square Park, two TV screens and a DJ at the weekend. Keg beer.

E17, WOOD STREET BEAR, 135 Wood St. Independent bar run by a local DJ. Craft beer. Vinyl played Thursday to Saturday. Was Wood Street Deli. A cask beer is usually available from Thursday to Sunday.

E20, HAUGEN, 9 Endeavour Sq. Reopened as BREAD STREET BAR & KITCHEN. Keg beer.

E20, RIVERSIDE EAST, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 5 Thornton St. A Social/Event space in the shadow of the football stadium with a cafe, restaurant, street food vendors, a rooftop terrace and garden. Keg beer from Gypsy Hill, Mammoth Tap and Signature Brew.

N1, DUKE OF WELLINGTON (Stonegate/Frontier Pubs), 119 Balls Pond Rd. Real ale returned in June with a single but interesting beer: Moor Beer Nano Cask.

N4, NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, 6 Ferme Park Rd. Reopened by London brewery Bohem after an extensive refurbishment, serving a range of beer brewed in authentic Czech style from the Bohem brewery in Tottenham. No real ale.

N4, WORLDS END  (Greene King). A Greene King real ale reinstated.

NW5, CLAPTON CRAFT NW5, 326 Kentish Town Rd. Now able to drink keg onsite, as at their Finsbury Park branch and a couple of others. Four beers on tap, also wine by the glass.

NW6, SIR COLIN CAMPBELL (Stonegate), 264-266 Kilburn High Rd. Real ale reinstated: Sharp’s Doom Bar

NW9, JONO’S PUB, 458 Church La. Reopened as NED’S BAR.

SE1, PASSYUNK AVENUE, 22 Leake St. A US-themed bar and restaurant, part of a group with multiple London establishments of the same name. Keg beer.

SE6, NINTH LIFE (Laine), 167 Rushey Green. Reopened late May as DUKE OF CATFORD, describing itself as an independent pub dedicated to celebrating culture, music, food and sport. Two unused handpumps.

SE8, LUCKY ANCHOR ALE HOUSE, 18 Deptford High St. A bar conversion from previous use as a cafe, opened in July with two handpumps and a wall of 16 keg taps and bottled beers; wines and spirits are also sold. Seating inside is for 35 on a mix of high stools/tables, low stools/tables, bar stools and banquettes. Decor is original Victorian white, cream and green wall tiles, a Victorian quarry tiled floor, dark green and white paintwork.

SE19, BULL & FINCH (Bullfinch Brewery), 126 Gipsy Hill. Real ale reintroduced in 2024 with two handpumps occasionally in use. Card payment only.

SW3, PIG’S EAR, 35 Old Church St. Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter.

SW9, TITO’S (Heineken). Reverted to ROYAL OAK following short closure with keg fonts offering Brixton Reliance Pale Ale and Coldharbour Lager.  No real ale.

SW11, LE QUECUMBAR, 42-44 Battersea High St. Reopened in May as RHYTHM & BOOZE, a ‘Louisiana Lounge/Creole Kitchen’, one of a small chain, again featuring live music. Two stages. Dark green walls and white ceilings. Nine keg fonts for beers and cider, including Rebellion IPA and sometimes a Sambrook’s speciality.

SW11, ROSE (Wellington), 74-76 Battersea Bridge Rd. Real Ale now available Deuchars IPA and Morland Original Bitter but at £3.50 for a half pint their future may be uncertain.

SW16, ART & CRAFT SW16, 2a Streatham High Rd. Opened in 2015. Art on the walls and craft on the shelves’ the idea brought to you by the inkspot brewery. Four taps. Some seating inside and out.

W1, ALBERT’S SCHLOSS, 20-24 Shaftesbury Ave. Named after Prince Albert, part of the Trocadero revamp, formerly the Rainforest Café and now the fourth and biggest of the Alpine-inspired beer hall, bar and restaurant concept with sister sites in Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool. Set over 18,000 sq ft on two floors and with room for more than 600 guests, it has five bars, a stage for live performances and an on-site bakery for Bavarian treats. Entertainment includes the Berlin 1920s-inspired Kunst Cabaret. The ground-floor Schenke Tavern is open every day from 9am. Pilsner Urquell is served from tanks and there are also all of Munich’s ‘Big Six’ biers.

W1, RED, 5 Kingly St. Reopened as CAHOOTS TICKET HALL. Now a new 1940s-style pub from Inception Group, above their pre-existing Underground and Signal Station cocktail bar areas. Period features include a tartan carpet and wallpaper, wood panelling and a coin-operated jukebox on the bar. There is a large outdoor terrace on Kingly Street. Cocktails include a Winston Churchill and a Vera Lynn in keeping with the 1940s theme. Some draught beers available.

W4, CROWN, 210 Chiswick High Rd. Reopened as HOUND. Real ales are Sambrook’s Wandle and a guest.

W14, CROWN & SCEPTRE (Heineken), 34 Holland Rd. Real ale reinstated: Greene King Abbot.

OUTER LONDON

HARROW, MARKET PLACE HARROW, 80-84 St Ann’s Rd. Opened 2023 in former Home Store shop unit. One of a chain serving ‘street food’ from multiple vendors. The bar is a separate establishment among the vendors. Keg beers available.

HARROW, PUTTSTARS HARROW, 2nd Floor, St George’s Shopping Centre. Opened 2022. Two mini golf courses, food, a bar open to all, games and amusements.

PUBS & CLUBS CLOSED, CONVERTED, OR CEASED SELLING REAL ALE

INNER LONDON

EC2, LALALAND (Soho Restaurant Group). Closed, future uncertain.

EC2, PLATFORM SHOREDITCH. Closed, future uncertain.

EC2, VIADUCT. Now an event space available for hire.

EC4, CANNICK TAPPS (Stonegate). No longer sells real ale.

E2, SEBRIGHT ARMS. No longer sells real ale.

E3, EAST LONDON LIQUOR CO. Bar closed for foreseeable future; brewery unaffected.

E8, BREW CLUB TAPROOM (The Arch Company). Closed, future uncertain.

E9, PEOPLE’S PARK TAVERN (Laine). No longer sells real ale.

N1, 163 UPPER STREET. Now a Vietnamese restaurant.

N8, BANNERS. Closed September 2023.

N8, MCCAFFERTY’S. No cask beer; no handpumps.

N10, MUSWELL HILLBILLY TAPROOM.  Real ale not regularly available.

N13, ALFRED HERRING (Wetherspoon). Closed in May, future uncertain.

N19, HOUSE. Closed, lease on the market.

NW10, MASONS ARMS (Greene King). Suddenly stopped trading in May.

SE1, HIDE. Closed in March, future uncertain

SE1, OBERON. Closed, future uncertain.

SE8, LITTLE FAITH. Indeed! Closed in June, quoting ‘a tsunami of operational difficulties’.

SE10, STAR OF GREENWICH. Real ale not regularly available.

SE12, OLD TIGERS HEAD (Heineken). Closed and boarded up.

SE18, ORDNANCE. Closed in June presumably to allow permitted development works to be carried out; planning permission requires retention of a pub at the end of work.

SE19, COLBY ARMS (Town Centre Inns). No real ale, handpumps unused.

SE26, BELL (Stonegate). No longer sells real ale.

SW1, OTHERWORLD. Reported closed due to cost pressures, along with sister sites in Hackney and Birmingham.

SW6, TEMPERANCE (Stonegate). As of early 2024, reportedly no longer selling real ale.

SW11, NORTHCOTE ARMS (BrewDog). Suddenly closed in May, signage removed, frontage shielded, scaffolding up, with extension works under way. Reportedly the freeholder had refused to renew the lease.

SW19, KISS ME HARDY (Greene King/Hungry Horse).  Closed in June, future uncertain.

W1, HENRY’S CAFE BAR (Stonegate). Closed, future uncertain.

W4, QUEEN’S HEAD (Stonegate). Closed in May after ejection of the existing tenant; Stonegate looking for a replacement.

W6, RICHMOND (Greene King, leased). No longer sells real ale.

W14, KEEP OF BROOK GREEN (Heineken). Renamed BIDDY MULLIGAN’S. No longer sells real ale.

OUTER LONDON

BECKENHAM, ERIN’S (Whelan’s). No longer sells real ale.

BEXLEYHEATH, BREWERS FAYRE (Whitbread). Closed early July as a pub as part of a wider closure of similar Whitbread Brewers Fayre premises.

BROMLEY, BARREL & HORN (Fuller’s). No real ale.

CHESSINGTON, MONKEY PUZZLE (Whitbread). Closed Beefeater early July, becoming the restaurant for guests of the Premier Inn.

CROYDON, SIGNAL TAP ROOM Now open only for special events.

ENFIELD, SPORTING GREEN. Closed, future uncertain.

HAMPTON, RAILWAY BELL (Stonegate). Closed following death of the tenant, Seamus, in April.

HAYES, BEEFEATER (Whitbread). Closed early July, becoming the restaurant for guests of the Premier Inn.

HAYES, GRAPES (Whitbread). As above.

ORPINGTON, ORPINGTON GPO. No longer sells real ale.

RICHMOND, PITCHER & PIANO (Marston’s). Closed, future uncertain.

SUTTON, SOUND LOUNGE. No longer sells real ale.

TWICKENHAM, ROYAL OAK (Stonegate). No real ale, handpumps unused.

UXBRIDGE, BEEFEATER (Whitbread). Closed early July to become the restaurant for residents of the adjacent Premier Inn.

OTHER CHANGES

INNER LONDON

E1, TEN BELLS (East London Pub Co). Now operated by London Beer Factory.

E3, ELEANOR ARMS (Shepherd Neame). Sold by Sheps and relaunched as an independent pub in May 2024. Three changing real ales from the likes of Beerblefish and Southwark.

E11, BULL. Now operated by Livelyhood.

E14, PLATFORM CANARY WHARF. Closed, future uncertain.

E14, STAR OF THE EAST (Stonegate/Old Spot). Moved to Frontier brand.

E18, SLUG & LETTUCE (Stonegate). Has become WOODFORD BAR & GRILL. Was HOGSHEAD.

N1, JACKS BAR (Heineken). Despite no planning permission, has become a private members club.

N16, POSTER. Reopened as NEXT DOOR RECORDS TWO after unreported closure, a record shop with a bar! Four keg taps and two for wine, with a live music space downstairs.

SE15, BAR STORY. Renamed SKYLARKING.

SW11, HOMEBOY. Became a branch of PASSYUNK AVENUE in June 2023. Three of the keg beers are from Sambrook’s.

OUTER LONDON

CROYDON, KING OF THE SOUTH. Renamed AVENIDA BRASIL, a Brazilian restaurant, serving six draught keg beers.

HAYES, OLDE CROWNE (Stonegate). Renamed FIVE RIVERS. Same tenant taking over CROWN & TREATY in Uxbridge from 1 August.

ICKENHAM, TICHENHAM INN (Swakeleys Ltd/Wetherspoon). Closed briefly in May and reopened in June under new owner. Have copied Wetherspoon format with Ruddles, Abbot and Doom Bar but no guest beers, just three more from Greene King plus Twickenham Naked Ladies. Real ales are £3.50/pint.

RICHMOND, RICHMOND VAULT BEER CELLAR & RESTAURANT. Renamed BOOTLEGGER VAULT.