please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Visited for first time yesterday. Seems it was recently refurbished (tastefully) and may be aiming to appeal to a changing demographic. Good range of real ale and wine. Staff pleasant and helpful. I found it much better than some of the pre-refurb comments suggest.
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Great pub for watching football. Friendly staff and punters, good range of lagers on tap. Nice big beer garden at the back.
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Have to agree with the last couple of comments. Very strange pub - clientele is made up of the chattering classes from the theatre and the contrasting locals from the estates. Use it for the football from time to time because of lack of options more than anything else. Can be ok but I've seen an aggressive, scummy crowd here quite a few times. Some of the boys clearly enjoy powdering their nose! One real ale (EPA) that was undrinkable the time I tried it. Better pubs in the area
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I come in hear to watch the football sometimes. Good atmosphere but I don't hang around afterwards, can be intimidating. Locals and bar staff generally friendly (though some are a bit aggressive). Crowd made up of builders who like to enjoy themselves, if you know what I mean!
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Absolute terrible pub. The staff were awful and the clientele even worse. They refused to order my friend a tax and I was physically assaulted in the toilets for complaining. So many good pubs in area such as Duchy Arms, Fentiman Arms or Pilgrim. Do not go here.
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Nothing wrong with the White Bear, but nothing particular to right home about either. There's worse pubs in the area for sure - but there's also better.
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Been visiting this pub for the last six months. Great atmosphere, footie, beer, paddies and thesbians! What a mixture, but it works. Owner, manager and all staff really friendly and welcoming. I just wish it was on the corner of my road. I'd be there every night! Food also served. Lovely sunday lunch.
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I think that my lasting memory of this pub will be the man that I saw disappearing towards the toilets whilst wearing a dressing gown and holding a newspaper and some plastic flowers. There is a theatre attached to the rear which probably explains it, but there wasn�t a play in progress whilst I was there. A Champions league game was on though and it was being shown on the two projector screens/various TVs and the crowd in attendance led me to believe that this is the pub to watch football in the area.
Greene King IPA was available along with a standard draught selection and my Guinness was well poured.
I don't plan on drinking here again as there are better pubs in the area.
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Fascinating, massive, typical irish style "Paddy" pub for the labouring gangs. Could well be minting it, if taken over and done up. A massive pub, in a Georgian terrace that took a fair few bob before the war saw the bombing and loss of the Kennington theatre across the road. Max Miller used to be a regular,when others were paying;he lived down the road.
Pleasant staff,but a 70s dirty old pub throw back.
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Fascinating, massive, typical irish style "Paddy" pub for the labouring gangs. Could well be minting it, if taken over and done up. A massive pub, in a Georgian terrace that took a fair few bob before the war saw the bombing and loss of the Kennington theatre across the road. Max Miller used to be a regular,when others were paying;he lived down the road.
Pleasant staff,but a 70s dirty old pub throw back.
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Used to go in the White Beard as a youngster but havent been in it for some considerable time. When Robin88 says 'heavy session behind the bar' whatever does he mean? Sounds fascinating!
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I often pop into the White Bear for a pint of Adnams when I'm down Kennington way, the pub is situated close to the Locker Room sauna and baths where I sometimes treat myself, and imagine my surprise when I saw the aforementioned Maurice relaxing in the steam rooms after a heavy session behind the bar.
The White Bear is also a must for all cricket fans due to its proximity to The Oval.
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Sports coverage is good. Guiness is fine at �3 a pint. "Mad Maurice" the devoted Leeds Utd fan is a wit behind the bar, as is the Antipodean with the dead pan manner and post-ironic sense of humour.
Various in-house facilities.
A good place to escape the chattering classes of south London.
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A singularly uninteresting pub. So it may have a theatre attached - thus it could be useful if you needed a pint with a play. Otherwise I can't see any good reason for going there. The decor is tawdry, the loos somewhat moist - although there was paper, soap and something to wipe your hands on, so could be a lot worse. There is one real ale -again better than some, which have none. You can sit outside on the Kennington Road and shout over the traffic. Or you could just walk 200 yards and go to the Prince of Wales in Cleaver Square which is superior in every respect. Except that it doesn't have a theatre.
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A couple of years ago I saw one of the worst plays I have ever seen in the theatre out back - it had something to do with the Angel of Mons and featured the memorable phrase "it was a cacophony of silence". Abysmal. My mate was reviewing the play for Time Out and the eejits who put the play on had the cheek to write a letter of complaint when he slated it.
Seemed an interesting pub - surprisingly edgy and mixed clientele considering it was a theatre pub, which I rather liked. Picnic tables out front on the busy road. Can't remember what the beer was like as in those days I wasn't a beer obsessive.
anonymous - 31 May 2006 16:54 |
Great theatre. The pub itself isn't cosy enough for my liking, and can have a cold atmosphere midweek. Cheap food though. Not convinced that the outside benches are much of a draw!
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This is a theatre pub that is set back from the road. There is a spacious bar that winds around to the theatre entrance at the back. The standard of fringe plays is quite good. Limited choice of beer but the service was satisfactory. There is a wide crossection of types frequenting this pub: locals, bohemians, Irish and others. Celtic sport is well represented on the big screen. Gets busy on theatre nights but not so busy that you have to wait too long for a drink. There are outside tables with benches overlooking the busy main road.
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