please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Charming little pub situated in the corner of a quiet square just seconds from the hustle and bustle of Kennington Park Road. Spent a couple of most enjoyable hours here late last year. Not too busy on our late afternoon visit. The Whitstable Bay went down a treat. Shall visit again in the summer. Very nice.
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Beautiful location in Cleaver Square: nice backwater a few minutes from Kennington tube. The pub is quite small, and probably caters to (up market) locals although it didn't feel poncy or pretentious.
It's a Shepherd Neame pub but on a Saturday night at 8:30 both the Master Brew and Spitfire were off: the other two ales were fine (one was from the Whistable Brewery). So I don't think this place is targetted at the serious ale connoisseur, and inside felt slightly anonymous. But a pleasant place to visit if you are in the area.
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A quick visit after the cricket and I'm pleased that I've found this great little pub in the corner of a quiet square. Good choice of Shep Neame ales.
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Cleaver Square is a charming square of fine houses in Kennington and right in the corner is this gem of a pub. Good beer and what nicer innercity location could there be for a pub.
A quick half of Kent's Best in the Cleaver Square lunchtime sunshine is a beautiful thing.
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Delightful pub in a quiet, neat south London square. Good range of beers and a couple of tables and a few chairs outside to enjoy the surroundings. Would definitely visit again.
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This is my front garden as I live in Clever Square. A lovely, lovely pub; especially nice to sit outside of an afternoon and evening, enjoying the delights of a cigar or two,and supping a superb pint of S&N beer. Staff are great.
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Cleaver Square is one of the hidden gems of a fairly industrial part of London.
PoW is an excellent little summertime place and my (perhaps selfish) sole frustration is that the management don't seem to know the dates of when the larger matches will be occurring at The Oval and are either not open sufficiently early in the morning before a day/night international or are short on staff and find themselves both being overwhelmed and also clearly surprised so many people have turned up at the same time.
Having said that I think it is a great spot serving beer from Shepherd Neame.
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Visited June 27th whlst down Kennington way for the international cricket match.
A real treat, both in location and customer service. We had been let down on our quest for food at the Old Red Lion 30 minutes earlier, so sought out the POW at 21.30. Upon asking if food was still being served we were gladly informed that it was, Menu is not overly large but there's enough there for the standard palette. Guy doing the cooking was Eastern European and not only did the food arrive piping hot; and the steak for my companion was cooked to the asked for medium rare, but it was also delicious, as was my companions cumberland sausage and mash.
Staff and clientele appear to be well to do university types, absolutely no problem and the atmosphere is truly delightful. We sat outside as it was a very warm evening and sampled the workings of this square where the pub is housed. Edwardian houses and street lamps ooze character, while the green in the centre of the square was party to a number of folk playing Boules. Guinness and Lager was nice but we quickly replaced those with Vodka/Gin tonics since the mood called for it :- )
A top place and easy to recommend, and we shall make it our port of call when we next visit the Oval for some cricket. 9/10
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Cosy single bar pub in the corner of a leafy square, not far from Kennington tube. Tables are limited. Most drinkers were spilling out to a couple of outdoor tables and onto the square itself on my weekday evening visit. It's a Shepherd Neame pub. Only 2 of their ales - Kent's Best & Whitstable Bay were on last Thursday, with Spitfire being pulled through. A nice enough place, but probably not nice enough to warrant the trek to Kennington, especially given the lack of other decent local pubs to move on to.
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Bit expensive and can be full of Hooray Henries, but otherwise a pretty good pub.
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Friendly hospitable bar staff, clean and well run, in one of the nicer parts of Kennington. As previous reviews have mentioned ~ when you are inside you wouldn't think you were in Kennington. It has a nice clientelle.
The food is good, although I wish the menu was expanded on a little more.
It has recently been given a much deserved major refurb inside, that has pleasantly brought it up-to-date, without losing the character it has always had.
I have been using this pub (albeit on and off) since 1973, but more frequently in recent years, and my continued custom is assured.
I have uploaded some images of the refurbished interior for this websites visitors perusal.
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Sat outside, late yesterday afternoon, enjoying the warming sun after a heavy shower of rain; a pint of Kentish Best in one hand and a handsome cigar in the other. Pure British Bliss! One would think you were in the midst of the country side, but no; Kennington.
A very clean, well run pleasant pub, (Martin & young Jack were in attendence yesterday),very good fellows.
Had jolly good laugh and banter with two Kiwi guys at front. The only bugbear being the guy next door coming out to say keep the noise down! This I could understand and take if people were shouting and screaming the odds, drunk. Far from the case in fact.
It's a very poor show for someone to live next door to a pub and try to lord it over others in telling them how to behave. Somehow, this wouldn't be the case in some parts of London, such a Brixton I'd wager? Having bought the house on the cheap, you'd think they'd have the funds to run to good double glazing? Sad,sad,sad.
However dear drinker,don't be put off the POW by those sad people next door, as the landlord told me,they complain of people breathing.
The fact is the POW is one of the best pubs in London. Well worth a visit!
anonymous - 14 Aug 2010 09:34 |
Still one of the best kept secrets in London.
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I liked this place a lot. Very busy in the early evening, with very good quality beer. A pleasant location in a quiet London square. The bloke stood next to me at the bar was an absolute plank, but that's not the pub's fault. In my opinion, best pub in the area.
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An enjoyable few pints of Kentish best and puff on the green beneath the evening trees.
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A pretty decent pub and i dont think anyone could complain if it was his or her local, but it is not outstanding in any way.
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Perfectly decent Sheps pub. Have been there on occasion and it's good. But what is this doing in the number one slot? Don't think it trumps the CASK or the Harp!
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Jolly decent place, named after my cous Charles. Very nice area for a safe drink and curry nearby;especially if Fat Kenny's around to add up the bill. Must say, he's rather clever with the old sums for a former state school boy. Worth offering him a place in the Cabinet, if we can get the chairs strengthed and reinforced; that's if he doesn't burst first.
Good being with him around these parts with so many Lib Dems slumming it in these squalid little houses; surely people can find bigger houses to live in for a measley Million and a half? I suppose it's closeness of the Sauna around the corner that appeals? Haven't they bathrooms of their own?
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Jolly decent place, named after my cous Charles. Very nice area for a safe drink and curry nearby;especially if Fat Kenny's around to add up the bill. Must say, he's rather clever with the old sums for a former state school boy. Worth offering him a place in the Cabinet, if we can get the chairs strengthed and reinforced; that's if he doesn't burst first.
Good being with him around these parts with so many Lib Dems slumming it in these squalid little houses; surely people can find bigger houses to live in for a measley Million and a half? I suppose it's closeness of the Sauna around the corner that appeals? Haven't they bathrooms of their own?
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One of the very best kept secrets in London;don't tell anyone?
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Great pub;always. However Mon Mate, Nick has left for a pub in Greenwich! Set them up old chap?
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This pub is in a great location tucked away in the corner of a square so avoiding any passing trade. It isn�t the biggest place and I�m not the biggest Shepherd Neame fan, but I thought that this was a good place to read a paper over a quiet pint � especially due to the lack of any background music or sport on the TV. The staff were all friendly, but there were too many people dining for my liking and it would be nice to see another table or two added to the one already found out the front overlooking the square.
I wouldn�t travel across London to drink here, but it is worth the short walk from Kennington Tube Station for a couple of pints.
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This is a Shepherd Neame house, but with only Whitstable and Kent�s Best on when I was in at lunchtime during last week. The Kent�s Best was pretty good, and at �3.10 a pint the price I am used to paying in London. The pub is tucked away in a corner of the secluded backwater of Cleaver Square, away from the nearby main thoroughfares. In my opinion it�s a hidden backstreet gem. It looks good from the outside, with its colourful hanging baskets and wisteria with a few late flowers. It is a fairly imposing and attractive red brick building, and the photograph I uploaded does not flatter it � and that�s a comment on my lack of photographic skills, rather than how the pub looks. Inside it�s a small well-maintained pub with a handful of tables and chairs. There�s also a couple of tables and chairs outside at the front, primarily for smokers I presume, but very welcome for yours truly sitting outside on a warm September afternoon. In my view this is easily the best pub in the area, and well worth seeking out for a pint or two.
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Always a pure pub of pleasurable drinking.
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The finest of the Kentish Hop to be found in a pint glass in the very heart and home of English and Surrey cricket, cornering Cleaver Square. Play up, play up and play the game.........Chaps!
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Well served Ale in clean glasses in a sunny well run English pub. Happiness!
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A nicer pub, one would certainly be pushed to find in inner London. Good British beer from the garden of Kent. Clean. Fast, attentive and charming bar staff. A must for visitors to the Oval and patrons of Surrey to round off their day. Good atmosphere and fine company. Wish they sold Cigars however behind the bar; then that would truly be heaven on earth.
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A very happy drinking place and still very well run indeed. Beer well kept and presented. Clean and tidy within and with out. A tip-top beer palace ruled by French Nick; tres bien old boy!.
And congratulations to princemonolulu below for popping at astonhot; the beer here at the Prince of Wales is superb always, how and why would you wish to drink wine? Any true English Ale drinker only drinks Ale and never coloured red water. And being in Kennington and next to God's own cricket club Surrey, anyone North of the Thames is a Northerner. Enough said!
anonymous - 27 May 2009 12:06 |
A reply to Princemonolulu from astonhot. A few facts regarding myself.1) Born: Poole Dorset. 2) Brought up: Cheshunt Hertfordshire. 3) Further Ed. Nottingham university. 4) Lived Nottingham 14 years. 5) Returned to London 1989. I am an electrical engineer and have never been unemployed. regarding the expression " Ten bob millionaires", this is a Nottingham based expression, one I picked whilst living there. (It generally means 'people who act as though they're well heeled but are,in fact, not'). I has nothing to do with the Cockney rhyming slang.(I'm quite aware of the "two bob - bit" one, thanks). Furthermore, if you had read my blog carefully, you would have noticed that I did not criticize the POW per se. Nor did I imply that all the customers are snobs, as I used the expression "in general". However you are clearly presumptuous of people and maybe this allures to my observation of the snobs I note on frequent visits to the POW. It would at least give some credence to your blog if you were accurate about the Dog House. It isn't 'dirty, dark and suspect' and, despite another assumption that I drink in the Dog regularly, this too is wrong; once or twice a week is accurate. Yet again, your phrase' decent ale drinkers' compounds my point on the 'snobishness'. By - the - way, I have been a 'real - ale' drinker since the age of 17. And, of course, wine! Have you travelled much? Aston is in Birmingham, which is in the Midlands. "Nothern" usually applies to folk from say, Leed and upwards. It's a lot further from Birmingham to Newcastle than from London to Birmingham!! And finally. Since I was young, I have never judged a book by it's cover - even when in their company, let alone on a blog site1 What does this say about you? Vacuous/ pathetic and more.
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Never been there on a cricket day but enjoyed an excellent pint there in a nice atmosphere.. good local in a lovely square.
has the feel of a good country pub.
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My previous experiences of Kennington have been limited to occasional trips to The Oval, which is nearby. I've always enjoyed these visits, but I know of several friends who have parked their cars near the ground on match days and had them broken into whilst watching the cricket.
I was therefore initially somewhat sceptical when a work colleague said to me the other day - "there's a decent pub in Kennington called the Prince of Wales - you should try and get there".
Out of curiousity, I went there yesterday evening. Here's my review.
The Prince of Wales is situated in the corner of a large, but quiet, Georgian square off Kennington Park Road and approx 5 minutes walk from Kennington Tube.
It's a single bar Sheps pub with that smart, comfortable and cosy feel that Sheps pubs seem to have nowadays. There's no TV or distracting fruit machines to spoil the atmosphere.
I enjoyed an excellent pint of Spitfire ( � 3.20p ) in a pub which I noted proudly displays a Sheps certificate showing it as "Best Cellar of the Year 2008". Kent's Best and the seasonal Early Bird were also on.
Sitting outside in the evening sunshine in this fine Georgian square felt a bit like being in either Bath or Cheltenham, not some Inner London suburb with a dubious reputation. In the square were not fearsome hoodies with trainers, bikes and big fierce dogs, but seemingly middle class people playing petanque !
The pub interior is comfortable, but unremarkable - given the proximity to the Oval, a few more cricket pictures wouldn't go amiss.
The pub building itself dates back to 1901 - as indicated high up on the pub's front wall.
I enjoyed the visit - it's not a "must visit" pub, but I'll definitely go here again sometime
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Cleaver Square is a real gem in this part of London. The Prince is a pleasing place as a pub and the staff are no longer as blunt and rude as 2/3 years ago. However, when I pop into this place I find the customers in general to be rude and snobbish.I've often stood at the bar with a glass of red and listened to people ordering drinks who never even say "please" or "thank you". Also these"Ten - Bob Millionaires" hardly ever seem to have any money. They pay for even a modest round with a credit card. Also this is a Shepherd Neame tied house and frankly, bearing this in mind, the draft beer is dreadful (hence drinking the 'red') . The Dog House on the other hand is lively, friendly and serves excellent draft beer - Well done Vance and staff!!
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If your planning a pub crawl across Kennington, I would certainly go from or to the Beehive in Fielding Street to the Prince of Wales in Cleaver Square. A great pub, well run too as the Beehive. Clean, fine selection of beers, sunny during the day and cosy at night. Good selection of customers and no Pikies nearby. Especially good of a summer for a pre or post drink, when enjoying the cricket at the nearby Oval.
anonymous - 5 Feb 2009 13:17 |
A very clean and very well run pub, pleasantly situated in the corner of Cleaver square. Well worth making the trip for superbly servered SN Kentish ales. Nicholas the French chap behind the bar very welcoming too.
anonymous - 31 Jan 2009 12:01 |
Really good feeling neighbourhood pub - and people said there were no good pubs in Kennington. I'd be pleased to have it as a local.
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A very nice place and hidden treasure down Kennington way. Great beer; Shepards & Neames. Good food. And very clean. Nice front outside for we cigar men to puff and watch the planes fly by above. A bar of class and never any low life nearby; I assume they go to the Dog House.
anonymous - 25 Sep 2008 09:36 |
Lovely looking pub with a good feel to it. Shep was OK although it's not my favourite beer - they would benefit from a guest. On the downside, when I called in one of the customers had a big dog that was allowed to roam around the pub, and the gents floor was very wet. Worth another visit though to see if these are just one offs.
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This bar is tucked away in the corner of a square. it is rumoured that Charlie Chaplin worked here in the 1920's. There is a cuonty court near here and several take-aways; there used to be a Bingo over the road but it closed. It is now flats.
hertz - 28 Jan 2008 19:23 |
This pub has a traditional feeling, in a good location and serves decent beer (although very over priced), however the staff are unfriendly, sullen and quite frankly rude which is why I scored the Price of Wales a 4 rather than a 7 or 8. Both bar staff were slow and did not even smile once or have a good word to say. The management of this pub clearly have an air of arrogance and feel they do not need to provide good customer service as they know they will be full up every night with the (generally) high earning Kennington / Cleaver Square area residents. I will not be returning here and will always go to either the Dog House or the Beehive from now on, despite a worse selection of beer I would much rather go to either of these boozers and be served with a cheery smile and a modicum of basic manners.
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Lovely little pub in the corner of a secluded Georgian Square just off Kennington Park road. A bit pricey but ale quality was excellent. Three Sheps beers on handpump.
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Not a bad pub, a bit pricy and often haunted by snobby home counties types with silly curly blond hair, jackets and jeans (I suspect "azazello", who has left a comment below, is one of them), but it's pleasant enough. The bar staff are what makes the place, though - really friendly and helpful. Whenever I've been in there's been a girl and bloke, both of whom come from Poland and are a lot friendlier than the majority of British/Australian bar staff in London. Definitely worth a visit.
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What a dreaful snob azaello is. Why don't we put these 'awful' people into camps and gas them ? Personally I cannot stand the middle classes,far worse than those 'awful' people on council estates.
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I visted this pub for the first time yesterday with a few of my colleagues, i must admit i was almost enchanted by the peaceful surroundings,that remenided me of my childhood in delmonte, the world certainly was a different place back then. But enough amout me, the pub had a fine selection of ales (spitfire being the favourite of my old war time buddy Lieutenant Thomas)some splendid whiskeys and Asahi on tap. The bar staff were very polite and the atmosphere was joyous. Definitely worth checking out.
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Splendid ostlerey. Did see Cameron in here last summer and once got talking to Widdercombe, an interesting lady to say the least. In a nice area (sumptious square) but very close to ghastly council estates. Hopefully they will be demolished soon and awful people got rid of.
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I nearly fell off my stool when asked for �3.05 for a pint of Whitstable(4.1%).They should display their prices and then people can decide whether they are prepared to be ripped off or not.Although the POW is not without it's charms the price of the beer is a bit off-putting.Another example of greedy landlords,in this case good ol' Shepherd Neame.
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Fantastic service, how it should be in a bar and great paninis. This is tucked away in a quaint square in Kennington and well worth a visit.
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A country pub in the heart of london tucked away in the corner of Cleaver Square.Quite small and very full in the winter but during the summer folks tend to spill out into the Square. Good atmosphere and very friendly polish staff to look after you. This is a place to come and meet'GOOD'people and enjoy a beer or two after work. See you there mates
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Moved to the area recently and this is in my view the best in show. Very helpful and polite staff, great well kept Shepherd Neame beers and original features inside. Staff are more than happy for you to drink outside in the Georgian square and the whole ambience makes you feel like Central London is a million miles away.
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pleasant enough pub on lovely quiet square. nice place for a chat on a summer's evening. little bit pricey. populated by slightly posh thirtysomethings, but they're not at all pretentious, unlike in the fentiman arms not far away.
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Lovely pub in a charming square in Kennington.Let down by inflated prices.I ask you-�2.90 for an Early Bird? �2.85 for a Spitfire anyone?
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'Snug' traditional pub with good range of Shepherd Neame beers - no stripped pine, trendiness or concentration on particular market of drinkers - just a general welcoming pub and all the better for that
anonymous - 9 Mar 2006 13:49 |
Worth a visit if you like real ale. Bit too small for my liking and does tend to fill with braying posh types in summer time.
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Super little pub - a real find
anonymous - 22 Jan 2006 00:06 |
And also worth combining with a visit to Finca Spanish restaurant or Gandhi Indian restaurant on Kennington Road or just for sitting and chilling...
anonymous - 3 May 2005 13:31 |
Cracking propoer pub wth proper Shepherd Neame beers in a posh bit of Kennington (but not far off the beaten track). Worth combining a visit with The Dog House nearby
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Top pub.
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This is my local, and very pleased about it I am too.
Just small enough to be personable, yet sociably spill out onto Cleaver Sq in the summer, when bar staff are happy for you to take your drinks onto the boules square where I've whiled away many a sunday afternoon. Equally beguiling in the wintertime, with thick glass panes at the front for watching people scuttling home out of the wind and rain from.
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This is my local and I suppose my bias will shine through, however, if we concern ourselves with location and pub grub, I can safely say the Prince can't be beaten within the boundaries of royal Kennington. Due to its popularity, the bar staff can be a little pushed (they have to double up to help out in the kitchen on occasions). The real ales are superfluous. A little bit of Surrey in Cenral London.
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Regularly go to this pub: surprised at the comment about service, because I normally find it very good here. One of cosiest most congenial pubs in London: no Sky football, the best beer from Shepherd Neame, including (religiously) their current seasonal ale. The lager is fine, despite what the comment says above: let's face it, all English lager is a) awful and b) pretty much the same anyhow. Highly recommended
James Harvey - 14 Oct 2004 13:23 |
Great location for a pub, adn a lovely place to watch the world go by at a slow pace on a sunny summer evening. Plenty of authentic codgers at the bar.
However, is quite expensive and the barmaids seem to have forgotten how to smile!
Zed - don't know where you're from mate. "Cab in, cab out". Land of drive by shootings? yes, there's a tough estate nearby, but much of Kennington, esp round nr Cleaver Square is inhabited by politicians and the like of Kevin Spacey!!
Jim - 2 Jul 2004 13:08 |
The best traditional pub in Kennington. Beer and boule in the square in summer time is, rightly, very popular. Ale is excellent but the lagers are awful. Oranjeboom particularly so.
james - 20 Feb 2004 13:30 |
Excellent Pub located in the picturesque Cleaver Square. Even though in the heart of Kennington it has central London prices. Very popular with Locals and students from the arts college.
Excellent outdoor seating, very popular in summer.
Phillipa - 4 Nov 2003 10:52 |
A cosy and intimate local, away from the hustle & bustle of the main road. Well kept Shepherd neame beers. Good food, good atmosphere in this pub.
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A rather interesting pub. The square it's in is a sort of yuppie oasis in the land of the drive-by shooting. A definite cab-in, cab-out job if you ask me. And yes, I am from South London. I was there on a Friday evening and it was a nice atmosphere with people spread out outside in the square. Problem was that the plastic cups, snail-paced and lippy service made it seem more like a student pub than a place where tax payers turn up to wind down after a busy week. In addition, on the night I was there some Hugo-type and his cricket-jumper wearing friends were playing some sort of strange game that involved them breaking glass and then chortling in a very irritating fashion.
Zed - 18 Jun 2003 13:17 |
