The Duke of Sussex, SE1

As mentioned previously, there is some splendid Truman's branding on the outside of this pub. The inside has been rather trendified and is totally focussed on diners, despite a separate restaurant room to the rear. Outside there are also serried ranks of tables. Beers were unexcitingly Tribute, Doom Bar and TT Landlord but condition was ok.

Dating from 1824, this Edwardian pub was rebuilt in 1924 by A. E. Sewell for Truman Hanbury Buxton & Co Ltd; the brewer’s name can be seen to both fascia’s, along with one of their lanterns; it’s now part of the Hippo Inns chain, with the countenances of Megan and Harry applied to the pub sign [vomit]. Heavily gastrofied, there’s no hint of Sewell’s trademark interior fittings, such as white Vitrolite ceiling or brewer’s beer names inlaid to a picture rail above bare wood field panelling, but that doesn’t mean it must have been present, as this is one of his earlier examples. Either way, the interior’s dull, with either distressed walls or painted a shade of munge. There are scrubbed tables with grey, studded banquettes and normal chairs. Banal TV played to an oblivious crowd of professional types, some dining in the rear, whilst equally banal and indeterminate music played in the background. With naff garden implement handles as pumps, the ale line-up featured Landlord, Tribute, TEA and Bermondsey Best at an agreeable £2.45 and nice, delivered by a knowledgeable and friendly barman, who whilst chatting to a customer, name checked his future ale choices, with a preference for sourcing locally. Although not very exciting, the beer here is the best part of the pub, being the largest, most diverse of my five-pub crawl, which included the White Hart. This place may have the edge on beers in Waterloo, but given the appearance and rather sterile ambience of the place, by no means helped by a TV, would I want to drink them here?

Official site of The Duke of Sussex - www.dukeofsussex.co.uk

Official site of The Duke of Sussex - www.dukeofsussex.co.uk

As described by others, this Georgian town pub has an open plan bar and a bistro-style restaurant downstairs, plus 2 function rooms upstairs next to the lavatories.  The staff were pretty slow to react when we came in, one of them actually ignoring us for several minutes until the one with the brain noticed us.  Clientele were engaged in healthy discussion, and the female barstaff were happy chatting to foreign visitors.  There were 5 craft beers on keg, all overpriced, as were the 4 real ales on the fork-handle handpumps: Tribute, Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, Hog’s Back TEA and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.  The ales were in good condition, especially the Sussex, a nod to a former eponymous Duke. I’d be very happy to come back some time, perhaps for a Slater’s Ginger Tosser, Beerhound’s Archie or a Half-and-Half. 

Refurbished in usual gastro style, but retains a good pub feel in the main bar, if perhaps slightly upmarket, with a dedicated restaurant part in the room behind the bar. Seems also to have annexed much of the pavement outside, with tables and large awnings, which is very popular in sunny weather. There is a function room upstairs. A couple of good local ales on offer and condition seemed fine (Cask Marque accredited)

Nice place, been tidied up a bit since I last visited. Four real ales on tap, all priced at £4.00. The wooden benches have been changed to smart tables. Strange sculptures on the wall, supposed to be sewer/drain pipes I think. The real ale handles are garden fork handles (cue the two Ronnie's sketch, Four Candles). They look easier to pull. Anyway, it nice to see that the change hasn't meant that the outside of the pub has to be painted black. It would have lost a lot of character.