please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I am pleased to announce that the pub has re-opened and not fallen into the hands of a dreaded developer. It burst back into life this week but sadly has not improved, if anything, it may have got worse if that was possible. Sampled the Fullers "London Pride", served at amazing warmth of 19.4⁰c for �3.40 per pint. (How do they do it so cheap?) Not sure if they had replaced stocks, but this came up totally insipid and rough to the point of being undrinkable, such a sad shame. This pub has all the viable makings of being an excellent venue, if only somebody would try. Will give it another go in a few weeks to see if there is any change and report my findings.
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In reply to the earlier retort-
If that pub can hold a 9 piece band then they must all be playing triangles whilst performing an acrobatic pyramid. The mention of locals being locals was a warning to any unsuspecting visitors. There are no new faces in there. Same old small crowd during the week either playing pool, fruit machines or generally telling each other to f*** off as loud as they can which apparently is the highlight of their day. The proof of a good pub-and this one isn't- is that fresh faces come and return. The problem is that all newbies never set foot inside again and frequent far superior drinking places in a much safer and friendlier place. If a tornado went through this pub it would cause thousands of pounds of improvements. As to the future- I have no idea as to why no-one has ever bought the shop next door ( used to be a florist years ago, last time I saw it, it was a car sound system installer ) and enlarged the pub and give it a complete makeover. That, and only that is going to breathe life into what used to be a cracking pub which has now well and truly fallen through the cracks.
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I would like to point some things out to 2 earlier reviewers.
Firstly
"CaskMaster" Yes you are right sadly the pub is closed but not for long ! The metal hoardings are to protect against looters while the builders are in repairing the kitchens after a fire. (some of you may have seen the fire engines)
"NICKOLA" A small pub ? You must have walked in and out quickly otherwise you would have spotted it has 2 pool tables one side. And the other side is large enough to hold a gig by an 9 piece band. So not small in my book.
your Quote "The locals are just that-locals " un-Quote
Is there a point you are trying to make.?
I suggest people make their own mind up when it re-opens.
You will get
A band every Saturday night.
Bombardier.
Best Curry around.
Friendly atmosphere.
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As of March 2011, this pub is now closed and boarded up. Another well known land mark bites the dust.
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Now the problem with this pub is that it's small with no room to expand. It used to have a public and saloon bar which a long time ago were merged into one. The bar now sits awkwardly askew so limits space somewhat. One side has a pool table and dart board and the other a slot machine and a sky tv screen. Unlike it's nearest rival-The British Oak-it has no beer garden. 'Outdoors' is on the A2 on Shooters Hill Road. The locals are just that-locals. There is no chance of parking anywhere so all punters walk. Outside it looks ok but on entering it's intimidating especially on Saturday afternoons. Surprising as this catchment area attracts a completely different type at the Oak around the corner. A fair comparison would be Millwall vs Charlton. The interior of the Sun has about as much imagination as a caravan site. The management are limited with what to do given the size of the place but a crackdown on underage drinking which is very apparent here would help. Difficult to improve as the regulars who frequent this pub are what keeps it in business but the language would make a docker blush.
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As someone who drinks the sun in the sands from time to time ive seen the pub have its problems in the past like all pubs, but in last few years its got alot better. Since the landlord took over a couple of years ago improvements have been made.
Fantastic food, friendly people and a variety of music on weekends what more could you ask for.
I would say give the place a try and make up your own mind!
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The planet i live on is Blackheath and this pub has gone to the dogs. Drug dealing goes on a daily basis FACT and has white paint thrown over the ENTIRE front of the pub which to all the locals screams whats really going on inside that place. House prices have suffered badly. Residents are in the process of making a formal complaint. I will keep you posted.
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I don't know what planet some of the people have come from, who have posted reviews about this pub, but.
The Landlord has been there a couple of years and has cleared all the drug dealing out of the pub. He has bought in an award winning Indian chef to run the restaurant. and Live music on Saturday nights.
It is a locals pub where most people know each other and is very friendly.
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Firstly this pub is in Blackheath and not Kidbrooke. I see the goings on in this pub on a daily basis. You often see drug dealing taking place ouside in the cars and vans and the smell of weed walking past on a saturday is very strong. Its full of rough chavs, avoid it like the plague!
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A man's pub. You have to walk past gangs of rough looking smokers to get in. Well, not walk past so much as walk through as they stand right in the doorway. Once inside it is large yet gloomy with an air of an abandoned and struggling local. There are menus on the tables offering food for around �6 which indicates some popularity, and a sense that more than just builders and dockers will come in here.
Two cask pumps - Bombardier and London Pride. The Bombardier was off, and the Pride was dull and soapy, even though - bless her - the barmaid pulled it through several times to make sure it was fresh.
There's a pool table area on the left, and a small backyard with chairs which serves as the beer garden (or alternative smoke room judging by the overflowing ash trays).
I have always been curious about this pub as it gives it's name to a prominent interchange on the A2, is regularly mentioned on traffic reports, and is on the route of the London Marathon. In addition the pub and the area around it was declared a special conservation area in 1995 (The Sun in the Sands Conservation Area). The first mention of a pub on the site is in 1790 with the name Sun Ale House, though there is evidence that a building existed on the site in 1745, and it is likely that it was a pub at that time, as the community grew up around the pub. The building has been much altered over the years, and there is a difference of thought as to if the pub was entirely rebuilt in 1842 or if it retains some of the original 18th century structure. The name developed into it's current form due to the sandpits in the area.
I have to say that while I didn't expect much, I was still rather disappointed that it was so lacking in character and appeared to be a little bit rough. The place is not exactly hideous, but is on the poor side of an average back-street local.
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The interesting name is derived from the original Ye Sunne pub that would be lost in a cloud of dust as the local farmers drove their animals down the dirt tracks to Blackheath. The current pub dates from 1841 and these days it is more likely to be lost in the smog of car fumes from the nearby A2. The pub looks far better than it actually is. The interior is now one knocked through cavernous room which makes it spacious but far too open and devoid of any character. The beer selection is poor and unimaginative � the only Real ale (Courage Directors) was off on my visit. The pub seems to be geared towards football fans, pool players, karaoke singers and fruit machine addicts. I would be the first to sit down and watch football but the picture on the big screen was of decidedly poor quality. There seemed to be no restraint on the punters language and I get the impression that it attracts some quite unsavoury characters. It certainly generated a very rough ambience and it is not really a place that I can particularly recommend.
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good boozer,alrite ya get some dodgy looking fellas in there,but ya spend the time to get to know some of them you will see that the chaps are ok.tony the guv is a fair bloke as are his staff,nice bit of grub(got an indian kitchen)and the beer is proper.so give it a go you may be supprised.you have the added bonus of saturday night karaoke,even if the singing aint up to scratch its a right goog laugh..
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This pub is terrible. I live round the corner from it and have driven past it countless times and was curious about it. Went in there on a saturday night with a few friends, hated it in there. It was Karaoke night, which i usually dont mind. But this was something else. Packed to the rafters, we were told to sit down by other customers, as they couldnt see the singers. Fair enough, but there wasnt any more chairs! Bar staff were ok though. The group of us who went in there decided it was a motorway freak pub.
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This pub gave me the friendliest welcome I have recieved from any english pub, the guvnor made my wife and i feel as if he had known us for years.(good south african hospitality)The indian food was fantastic and the beer ice cold, the only down side was that we picked a very busy night and had to wait a little for our food.
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Awful - beer tasted like it had something it shouldn't in it, also there was a male patron "scratching" himself in an intimate area. Will NEVER return.
anonymous - 13 Mar 2006 13:09 |
Haven't been here for a while but unless it has changed a lot it will still be full of nasty racists swearing in front of their children. Charming.
Ciar�n - 26 Aug 2004 16:53 |
I uesd to drink there but had to stop, fed up with the troublsome attitude of one or two. If your looking for trouble drink here and if your looking for a fun night out I suggest heading into blackhealth.
Chris - 8 May 2004 18:56 |
A local's local - a bit intimidating if you don't know it.
Darryl - 11 Aug 2003 13:02 |
This place looks ok from the outside, but I've never seen that many people inside.. even with the big-screens and golf machine. I'm sure there must be a reason. The Pub also has what looks to be a very old cobbled lane ( Sun Lane ) which runs down the side, and late at night if you choose to take this short cut, I think you could well-imagine yourself back in Dickensian times, if you ignore the cars parked there. Or at least, a place where you might be attacked by Jack the Ripper! Very eeery.. With it's own authentic suspicious red fluid spattered on a white-washed wall next to a drain, outside a garage... Perhaps this acounts for the absense of drinkers?
John. M - 3 Jul 2003 06:25 |
Has great memories for me. My dad used to sop off there on the way home (to Welling) from work in the late 50's early 60's. Used to speak of this "up and coming" actor fellow he used to drink with occasionally. I wonder if Roger Moore remembers my father?
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Not quite totally irrelevant: If you listen to the traffic news in the morning, the queues for the Dartford Crossing are quite often backed up to the Sun in the Sands roundabout. You can't knock free advertising!
Rich - 26 Jun 2003 09:48 |
Great place, 2 pool tables, golf machine, and several fruit machines, along with 1 really big tv screen and 2 smaller ones scattered about to ensure good sports viewing.
Dave Jones - 31 Mar 2003 14:57 |
