Randomness Guide to London Menu

A pleasant pub at the top of the hill overlooking the park at Crystal Palace.

It was previously operated by Antic, but in late 2020, a notice appeared on the Westow House website stating that several pubs, including this one, had been taken out of the hands of Antic and transferred to the management of Portobello Brewing. In November 2021, Portobello announced that it had acquired the freehold. We haven't visited since the transfer, and so some or all of the details below might be out of date.

This large building is at a busy traffic intersection opposite Crystal Palace Park and its neighbouring bus station. There's plenty of seating out the front of the pub (as can be seen in the photo), which is always popular during the summer.

Inside, there are tables in the middle of the room, as well as in a section at one side of the pub where shelves heave with hundreds of second-hand books. There is also lots of couch seating around the edges under the windows (couches are all rather distressed leather ones, as is the common style for this kind of place).

On Ewan's February 2009 visit they only had three handpumps and only Young's ordinary was on (the other clips, turned around, advertised Bombardier and Old Rosie). They also had lagers including Staropramen and Leffe. However, by the time bob visited in December 2012 the number of handpumps had increased to eight, offering one cider and seven ales (including Hopdaemon Green Daemon at £3.40/pint).

Food is offered, including bar snacks and Sunday roast lunches. In March 2014, a bar snack of cocktail sausages photo turned out not to actually be cocktail sausages; but they were decent enough sausages if a little undercooked.

According to a sign seen in March 2014, there's a quiz every Tuesday from 8pm.

Child-friendliness: On our December 2012 visit, the back room was full of babies; and on a Sunday afternoon in March 2014 there were several older children in. There is a sign indicating that there are baby changing facilities in the accessible toilet.

Accessibility: No step to get in. Level access to bar, at least half of the seating, and all toilets (including an accessible one).

See also:

• Des de Moor's review
• Beer In The Evening comments
• Yelp comments
• WhatPub entry