Prince of Wales, 48 Cleaver Square, LONDON, SE11 4EA [Map]
020 7735 9916 
12-23 MO-SA; 12-22:30 SU
Evening Meals, Real Fire, Beer Garden, Lunchtime Meals, Rail Station Near Pub, Underground Station Near Pub

Jim outside the Prince of Wales, November 2001

Oooo, and there was me thinking that I'd already written up the review from this pub! Maybe one day I’ll discover it scribbled on the back of a beermat or envelope! Funny old pastime reviewing pubs, had no specific intention of visiting this particular pub, merely turned the corner, saw the pub and it seemed appropriate to wander in and order a pint. Hmmm, and yes, I was glad that we did wander into this warm welcoming local on this rather dark, chilly November evening. A somewhat organic exterior with containers laden with plants with the main entrance just to the side of the large front window which offers pleasant views over the leafy square whose residents include a number of well known personalities. Pretty straight forward to get to being just around the corner from Kennington tube station.

It is one of an ever dwindling number of London pubs that has retained many of the features of a proper locals pub having avoided thus far an attack from the ‘pub branding brigade.’ A long bar with plenty of bar stools, fairly standard pub type carpet with plenty of stools and chairs around small tables and mirrors and pictures (including Lord Lucan) adorn the walls. Good conversation oozes in most directions and great beer is issued from the ale pubs. Yes this is a great pub to visit if you fancy a decent pint of Shepherd Neame. Their Best Bitter and Spitfire are the mainstay with perhaps a Sheps seasonal offering available such as their fine Early Bird bitter in spring and early summer. Always enjoy a Shepherd Neame brew being a man of Kent and having picked hops as a schoolboy in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s just 5 miles from Shep’s Faversham brewery until they were ripped up and the hop gardens replaced by uniform fields of more profitable cereals and oil seed rape. Fortunately Shepherd Neame still insist on using Kentish hops and rightly so, they add a unique character and aroma to each of their brews and the hop gardens are certainly are a well-known feature of the Kentish countryside.

Seemed to be people enjoying a bite to eat on the evening that we visited. Do call before you visit if you’re planning to eat to make sure the chefs in! I understand that they offer food every lunchtime (including a good roast on Sundays) though definitely no food Friday to Sunday evenings.