please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Backstreet boozer close to Sidcup station. There are two small rooms, with a much larger function room at the rear. 4 real ales were on. The regular ale is Sharp's Doom Bar. 3 guests were Adnams Ghost Ship, Courage Best & Otter Funk 'n' Soul Otterfest. Most of the punters were sat around the bar. A handful were in and most seemed to know each other. Friendly enough place.
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In here just after 5.00pm last Saturday and this is a classic back street boozer.
Good crowd of over two dozen others also present with one little barmaid managing to keep us all served without much of a wait.
There is a lot of wooden panelling and carpets with is very cosy.
They have a large TV which was switched off as loud piped music was playing.
Only 2 hand pulls 1 for Doom Bore and I for Adnams Ghost Ship.
Needless to say I had the latter which was very nice and cost £3.40 a pint.
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Was in the Alma last night. There was a sign up advertising the different ales which will be served in the coming weeks. Good that there will be different ales to try.
Boyne - 31 Oct 2014 15:09 |
FAO DeGew..Scottish notes are not legal tender in England, so you're the ignorant one.
If you don't believe me, go to The Bank of England website.
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John must be mad letting Kerry and Nicky go. They're the best thing thats happened to this pub in years. They will be sorely missed.
degen- Scots are welcome in The Alma, I know at least three who drink in here...just not your Mickey Mouse money.
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BEWARE - SCOTS NOT WELCOME IN THE ALMA, SIDCUP!
On the evening 25 June 2014 I visited The Alma, Sidcup. It's a reasonable pub but very suprisingly it doesn't accept Scottish notes. According to the two women bar staff it's something the manager has dictated. Therefore my pint was left on the bar after my money was refused. I'm not sure whether this is prejudice or just ignorance Watch out.
DeGeW - 25 Jun 2014 20:24 |
I love the Alma pub. One of my favourite pubs in the country and having been drinking there for over 25 years. However, my one criticism is that there is now music there nearly every Saturday night and on a lot of Sunday afternoons. I like live music but perhaps the amount of live music could be limited to once a month. For a lot of people, Saturday night is the only time they go to a pub and they want to have a chat with their friends. Not always possible if there is live music. There are no other pubs to go to as the Alma for a decent beer and chat - with the possible exception of the Tailor's Chalk. The Alma is still the best pub in Sidcup.
Boyne - 21 Jan 2014 16:40 |
I last 'posted' on this pub in January 2011! So I thought I would take the time on behalf of our group of family/friends to thank the manager and staff of The Alma for yet again providing an excellent watering hole to raise a glass (or 03!) on Christmas Day morning! We have been using this Gem of a pub for many years now (hopefully unobtrusively!) and both the 'welcome' and the 'service' remain 'first class'. If anything we have noted an improvement which is hard to believe! We now have friends who could not be considered as 'locals' who are more than happy to visit us and stay over on the understanding that we 'pop in' for a few in The Alma itself. A real testament to old fashioned pup etiquette! This place does not try to be 'something else' other than a really decent pub with a good atmosphere and in our opinion excellent service. Long may it continue! So thanks again to all the staff who worked on Christmas Day morning, it is (and was) very much appreciated by all within our group Cheers and good luck in 2014!
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A very unassuming pub from the outside but having met friends here a few times over the past couple of years I can say that inside you get a warm friendly welcome. Always busy and frequented by what appear to be locals, these regulars never give you the impression you are on their property which can happen so often in suburban boozers. For this is what The Alma is, a local boozer with good custom with the character a large chain pub can never replicate. Always happy to choose it as a location to meet for a few pints. Always a couple of real ales on and Courage Best always well kept in my experience.
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Kelly the barmaid has a couple of nice assets.
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This is by far the right pub to use in the area, i will Be iN this Pub on friday for a chat and discussion, look forward to it
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A perfectly good boozer with a not-too-exciting atmosphere, fit for the over 50s but not exclusviely so. Only one good ale on the night I was there, Doombar - was in good shape. So while one good beer does not make a real ale pub I was pleased that BeerinTheEvening steered me in the right direction for animate chat with old mates with proper beer.
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For the last few weeks the Alma has being serving Doom Bar. A fine beer and well kept. A fine beer for a fine pub.
Boyne - 23 Mar 2012 17:42 |
Having written about this pub previously and reported on the declining standard of the beer, I felt compelled to up-date my review. I have visited the Alma three times over the last month and each time the Courage Best and Youngs have been consistently undrinkable. Both have tasted of vinegar. This really is unacceptable at �3 a pint and shows contempt for the customer. If you are looking for real ale then this once great pub is best avoided!
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The Alma is by far and away the best pub in Sidcup. A great atmosphere, good service and totally yob free which is a real credit to the landlord. I drink here usually once a week but sadly have recently noticed a real decline in standards in the beer keeping. Both the Young's Bitter and the Courage Best are frequently un-drinkable which is really not acceptable. I am all in favour of a pub limiting real ale choice (they serve only 2) if it means the beer is kept in tip top condition, but something has gone very wrong. here. It used to be great, please sort it out!
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It's okay for what it is, but I can't help feeling it's held in a ridiculously high regard by some. Never a semblace of an atmosphere and if you're under 50 people look at you like you're from another planet.
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Well looked after traditional no frills local pub. Two casks - Courage Best and Youngs Ordinary - in very good condition. This is a solid argument for keeping your beer range to what you can handle, and having beers you know so you can keep them in good condition. As it was Sunday, and this is a traditional pub, there were nibbles on the bar. Plenty of room. Relaxed, secure, friendly atmosphere. People sitting at tables or at the bar chatting. Very long bar in three distinct sections means there is plenty of room for bar flys.
There's nothing really great about the place, but worth dropping in if you're in the area.
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By far the best pub within Sidcup. Christmas morning was an absolute joy and a throw back to how pubs used to be. We use it on a regular basis, and have always found the service to be prompt and efficient. Yes, sometimes the regulars are served 'first' or when thier glass is empty but I can also understand that. Its a real pub with decent people on both sides of the bar. The atmosphere is always welcoming and even when crowded the vast majority of people retain excellent manners. Long may it continue!
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Definitely the best in the area - but it's a genuine pub, of course, rather than a cafe or a steak house.
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Been in a few times recently and I like the atmosphere and ales, limited as they are. No hooligan element, which is nice. Nice bunch of locals and a few characters. Listen out for the short Irishman with the cap(I think his accent and living change every time he's in).
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miserable landord .....need i say more
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Set in a side street a few minutes from Sidcup staion. Relaxed lunchtime atmosphere in clean, uncluttered wood-panelled bar. Retains public and saloon bar. Well served pint of Courage Best at reasonable price plus London Pride available. Good selection of bar snacks - again at reasonable price. Pleasant staff.
Sort of pub where time stands still and would have liked to have spent a few more hours here. Agree with comments about beer selection. A guest ale would be a good addition.
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nice traditional pub with well kept ale, would be nice if there was somthing a bit more interesting than Pride and Courage best though
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i have been drinking in this pub for 25 years and on the whole find it a very pleasant pub to drink in,i find it to have a nice atmosphere and it is the type of pub where a woman can go in on her own while waiting for friends without fear of getting grief from anyone.On most occasions i have always found the service good.
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I've been going to the Alma for over 20 years... and I've been drunk in most other Sidcup pubs too... I suppose that after all this time... I'd like to be treated as a regular... I know others who feel this way too
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I've drunk in most pubs in Sidcup. Which one(s) do you think are better than The Alma then?...
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Perennially miserable landlord who is always struggling! You can walk into this pub with a ten year gap and it's exactly the same atmosphere... good clientelle, convenient, reasonable beer, BUT...boring atmosphere.
Boswell... you must be off your face... or you need to get out more!
Westie... Well, I'm not sure which one you are... as there are a gang of you... you are all lovely people, but you have to admit... the place is a bit dull... Landlord believes in Youthanasia.
Gump, I don't think you actually go to any other pubs in Sidcup!?! If I wasn't an alcoholic I would stay at home on a Tuesday and Friday and Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat... Sun
The beer garden has got slightly more fun than a prison exercise yard! Hey, ban me... Do I care?
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Another gripe. One of the barmaids is a right miserable sow. Come on S, bloody well cheer up.
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A proper pub- one for grown ups. A place to drink and chat. As God intended pubs to be.
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TOTALLY agree with Gump. I went in this place a couple of times only when you could smoke in there, and didn't like it.
I then moved to Hertfordshire for a while, and came back to Sidcup about 3 years ago. I then moved again, and now closer to the Alma, so it has become my local physically, and my partner and I go in there quite a bit now. I really like the place, and all the staff seem very friendly.
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Been using The Alma for nearly six years. All I can say is that it is the best pub in Sidcup by a country mile and I walk past two other pubs to get there.My wife and I have made some very good friends in here over the yeras and, as the lovely Ruth has said, the barstaff are excellent.
My only gripe is that the real ale selection is not very extensive.
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in for a couple of jars last thursday evening around 7.30,hadn't been in sinse the smoking ban but it was still very busy,mainly locals,good relaxed vibe,the range of ales is a bit disappointing,pride and courage best,but they were both in good order,they now have a shed in the spacious rear garden with a heater for the smokers,this is a lovely traditional boozer,and the ban dosn't seem to have dented it,in fact my misses was almost gassed out by tobacco fog last time we were in
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I keep going to this pub @ 5pm, and it is never open, everyone speaks so highly of it, please open earlier for me to sip my half of shandy.
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I've been going into this pub a couple of times a week for about 20 years now. Without doubt the best pub in Sidcup. Good beer, excellent atmosphere and great bar staff.
Boyne - 13 Jul 2007 12:35 |
nice old unspoilt locals pub,allthough not a regular,I found it a pleasant place to sit and have a couple of jars of well kept London Pride
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I dont know if i really can leave a comment about it because i am a bar maid there but i just want to say that even if i didnt work there i would still drink in there. The atmosphere is good, it feels more like a community centre than a pub, everybody knows everybody. The staff (even tho i say so myself) are lovely and you will always be greeted with a smile. I love this pub as a little local, its lovely.
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The Alma is my local and is always a pleasurable experience, providing a nice pint - usually Youngs or Courage with guest appearances by Spitfire or London Pride and friendly service. The absence of music is a positive bonus and from next year the absence of smoke will eliminate one of its minus points - with a fairly low ceiling, it quickly turns into an atmosphere commonly suffered by herrings or mackerel in Arbroath. On occasions, this has forced myself and my streaming-eyed drinking partners to depart for pastures new. Legend has it that John, the long term landlord will not allow anyone to be served if they are wearing a hat. Well at least, as has been observed, this keeps the burberry brigade at bay.
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The very best in sidcup in the world infact the beer you will not taste better and you could not find better staff thats all you can say about the alma sidcup
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One of the nicer boozers in Sidcup - friendly, with no music. Huge beer garden and a reasonable selection of beer. A good pub for an evening of chat and steady, civilised drinking - an increasing rarity in Sidcup!
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This is one of a dying bread of traditional pubs with history and character. Ok so the Guvna doesn't allow music and most of the patrons are the wrong side of 45 but it�s not lairy, no-one has anything to prove (I've never seen so much as a scuffle in there) and best of all�.. NOT A BURBERRY BASEBALL CAP IN SIGHT !
The beer is good and it serves a particularly good pint of Fosters. The best testament to the pub is that it is busy EVERY night of the week. The only down side is that the eye candy isn�t a patch on that of The Portrait�. But hey, you can�t have it all.
Fat Tone - 25 Oct 2004 16:30 |
An oldies kind of place, traditional sort of smokey but no trouble atmosphere. Beer is ok, service ok. Shut in the bloody afternoons bar Friday. Better than the Metro Bar by far, but never going to set the world on fire
Jimbo - 21 Jan 2004 18:07 |
