Picture of Hill Top Tap, DA14 6NF

Hill Top Tap, DA14 6NF

Stonegate pub in Sidcup. It was previously a Smith & Jones pub known as the Portrait (see older version of this page for a description) but was sold to Stonegate in November 2014 and at some point transferred to their "Craft Pubs" sub-brand.

Entry is into a fairly open area broken up by a couple of large square pillars, with the bar to one side. A tartan-upholstered banquette runs along the wall opposite the bar, and a few tall and normal-height tables cluster around the pillars, but plenty of standing space has been left too. Tucked to one side by the front windows is a small area with large rectangular tables flanked by backless benches; painted on the tiled wall here, under a double-sized flatscreen, is an exhortation to "book this area for your party". A dartboard is nestled in its own little nook opposite the bar, and a half-flight of stairs just beyond leads up to more seating.

Decor is modern, with white glazed tiles on some walls, exposed brickwork on others, and the somewhat meaningless phrase "In Hope We Trust" in neon calligraphy-style tubing above the bar. The flooring is an odd mix of angled wooden blocks, exposed boards, and star-patterned tiling; one wonders if perhaps some of it is from a previous era of the building's life.

Kake visited on a Tuesday afternoon in October 2018. There were about half a dozen other customers when I arrived around 2pm. Music was playing very quietly, and the flatscreens were showing horse racing with the sound off.

The handpumps were clipped for three ales — Sharp's Doom Bar, Wychwood Hobgoblin, and Wychwood Gold Hobgobling — with Robinsons Trooper marked as "coming soon". A pint of lime and soda was 80p.

According to a sign seen in October 2018, there's a quiz every Sunday from 7pm.

They have free WiFi via My Smart WiFi.

Accessibility: No steps to get in. Half a dozen stairs with handrail to the toilets.

See also:

Last visited by Kake, October 2018. Opening hours taken from the Stonegate Crafts Pubs website, October 2018.
OS X co-ord: 546103 OS Y co-ord: 171797 (Latitude: 51.426353 Longitude: 0.100138)
Last edited 2023-09-05 12:31:43 (version 13; diff). List all versions.