please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Please, please, please don't chuck me out. I will do anything if you let me stay. I worked so hard to make this place a success. I will do anything. Anything. I will even, gulp, shave off my sideburns. PLEEAAASSSEEE.
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I had heard good things about this place. There was a real buzz on Facebook and Twitter about The Blithe Spirit so i thought i would finally pay a visit. But as Chairman of the Comedy Sideburn Spotters Club i have to say i came away very disappointed. There had been loads of Tweets about an amazing set of Comedy Sideburns on show in this establishment but i didnt see any. Where have they gone? I wont be recommending this place to anyone in my club. Overall it was a bad night as Chelsea won too. And the pub is crap.
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i think this is a lovely pub, the bar staff are always nice to me! just ask for your pint with a smile and i am sure they would be happy to help! say thanks!
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Surprise surprise another complaint about the bar staff. Do they not go through some sort of vetting or get any customer service training.
I reckon the interview goes like this.
Garbett - Do you like my cool funky sideburns?
Potential Barmaid - (Biting tongue) Yes, they are, err, great.
Garbett - The jobs yours.
Barmaid - Thanks.
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Went here to watch the football this weekend and had the misfortune of seeing the 3 girls behind the bar ridicule a customer because of his accent. They performed mocking impressions of him then looked to us for some kind of sick confirmation that we thought they should be doing that. Made us feel very uncomfortable and the guy seemed genuinely embarrassed.
Really horrible place, the staff should be sacked.
Asides from the staff being utterly unpleasant, the beer was very poor. One of the pints seemed flat and murky which it really shouldn't have been.
The audio on the football was devastatingly loud too, so much so that when the ads came on you could see people visually recoil at the volume. We ended up having to sit outside.
I can't think of a single redeeming factor of this place. Never again.
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I have a friend who works in this pub and was going to pay the place a visit, Looks like there's a turf war going on here, from reading previous posts about this pub, so it's a no from me. Delete these negative posts, you're not doing yourselves any favours.
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Surly barmaids.
High prices.
Idiot manager
Terrible pub.
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A nice selection of ales, if a little lacing in choice. Very good for showin sport with a good number of tvs and now showing some football in 3d. However 2 things let this place down. The food looks pretty low quality and the staff are some of the most miserable people I've ever seen working in a pub. As it's every single one of them I can only think that the management are a nightmare to work for.
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According to the ratings this is the worst pub in Balham by a mile. I would have to agree. Would rather spend my time in the bookies watching the racing.
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This pub should be renamed The Moon because it is completely lacking in atmosphere.
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Bar staff have a very bad attitude. Food is over-priced. Probably the worst pub in Balham.
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Obviously someone demonstrates so much more intelligence than the average barman, and with such a grasp of the English language to boot.
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Perhaps rather than bottling your response behind a web based pseudonym, you should report any such incident to the police.
Obviously, such a course of action would only be possible if it were true; failing that, these allegations are potentially libellous.
I suggest you check your facts, and possibly the functioning of your own mind, before you make such ridiculous comments.
As far as someone being thick, I suggest a session of introspection to find out who that is!
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In reply to SPG1.Firstly, yes i did witness a customer being threatened to be stabbed by the barman, secondly, i didnt say all people that work in pubs are thick, just the manager. Which you have proved by your comments below because you are the manager arent you Steven. Same initials you mong. Why are you making out youre a customer? If you want to employ barstaff like that its up to you but myself and my friends wont be coming in again. Lastly your sideburns make you look a bigger prick than you are which is pretty hard going. See you later SPG1. Mug.
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Having read the review below, it would seem that someone's was not overly welcome at this pub; It is interesting to hear such eloquently put comments from someone who obviously prefers the particular attractions offered by Wetherspoons.
Balham is blessed by having so many bars to cater for all different tastes; if you are primarily motivated by financial considerations, you may chose to drink elsewhere, but if you prefer to pay a reasonable, but not extortionate amount to enjoy an excellently kept cask ale, you may decide to frequent Blithe Spirit.
Did someone really threaten to stab a customer? Crikey, in all my years of frequenting this establishment I never realised; iI have never seen any trouble in there at all. Oh well, better sort myself out with a stab vest.
Oh, and of course all people who work in pubs are thick; that is all they do with their lives. surely everyone knows that. That was tinged with a hint of sarcasm by the way just in case certain people are reading!
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Have to agree with the review below. The female bar staff all have an attitude problem and it seems like they would rather be at home watching MTV Base than pulling pints. The 'manager' is a snob who doesnt seem to like anyone who earns less than 25k although it is obvious that he comes from some desolate northern pit town. He tries to disguise this with an hilarious put on accent and a pair of ridiculous sideburns. He is also incredibly thick which he advertises everytime you hear him in conversation. One last thing, say what you want about the Wetherspoons over the road but i have never seen a fat 18 stone barman in there threaten to stab a customer. The chinless wonders and yuppies are welcome to this dump.
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The best thing about this pub is watching the assistant manager get really annoyed and shout 'Thank You!' at people who use the toilet without asking at the bar first. Also it's enjoyable if you enjoy surly service from a bunch of miserable looking young women who look they just won the lottery and then lost the ticket on the way to pick up the money. On the plus side it has Ringwood Best on tap which is a nice pint and it has a few screens upstairs for sport. Overall, average.
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The pub looked okay, but unfortunately we were told that we were insulting having stood at the bar for 5 minutes waiting to get served. It was actually slightly embarrassing as the people next to us in the bar backed us up and the barman still ignored us. We live locally and know every bar in the area. Honestly there are so many better bars in the area, don't waste your time in this place.
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I found this a nice little boozer. Ales from Wychwood and Brakspears which for the area are unusual, and in fact was a better choice than in the Wetherspoons across the road. Sky sports available in the upper bar which means if you don;t want the sport in your face you can avoid it by sitting downstairs.
Handy for Balham station which is almost next door.
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Have been in a few times since my last review and I think it's probably taken a turn for the better. The staff are OK, service is OK, they've got a nice selection of beers, there's always space and they've got a lot of deals on. Yet for some reason I still can't bring myself to drink in there regularly. As I said everything is OK but there is just nothing that would hook you to come in more often.
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I feel that I have no option but to reply to the previous comment, due to the total inaccuracy of the comment, and the fact that is written with pure malicious intent.
The 'innocent' girl in question had actually attempted to steal from the bar, and was confronted by the manager before she was able to leave. The police were called to deal with the incident, but since she had returned the money she had stolen before they got here, she left. The police actually informed the manager at the bar that should she return to cause anymore trouble, he should call them immediately. Many people were present at the bar, who offered support to the manager, and in fact offered to speak up if required to do so by the police. There was obviously no reason to pursue the matter further, however, as she was consequently barred.
It is a pity that there are no sites available where undesirable customers may be subject to the same kinds of review process.
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DREADFUL SMELLY PUB! When i came here I saw the pub manager assault a customer! The pub manager was a huge 6ft2" or taller and the victim was a tiny 5ft2" lady! The poor woman hadnt even done any thing wrong and ended up with a bleeding hand and shaken out of her wits!
That aside. The drinks were more expensive than other places in balham. The pub itslef lack atmosphere and customers. The customers they do attract are loutish. Its dull and smelly. Food tasted like plastic.
It has a bar garden which is nice in the summer but so does every pub and bar in balham.
There are plenty of lovely, not over priced pubs, happy and lively atmosphered pubs and bars in balham to go to. I wouldnt waste my time here!
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Surprised by the low overall ratings. Never busy, friendly service, pleasant interior, so what's the problem? Probably a 7/10 pub.
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My father in law loves this place for some reason. He drags me here every time he comes down to stay. And I think it's pretty OK. You can usually get a seat, and it has a perfectly good selecton of lagers. Reasonably often when I go there I'm served by a really, really, hot slighty goth-ish barmaid, which cheers me up no end.
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Lovely looking facade. That is why I gave it the two marks. Inside, terrible food, terrible attitude by the staff.
10 of us went in there for Sunday lunch as all the Balham pubs and bars were packed out, we had to settle for this place which was empty....now we know why. An hour and a half wait for food that turned up cold. The yorkshire puddings were struggling to breathe under the cold sludge (think it was gravy). They were not even busy!
Funny side, we demanded to see the manager. He refused to see us. Manager was the Chef. Genius.
Avoid.
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had a guinness and a vodka / coke, asked for permission to plug in laptop, recieved big smile and was shown some sockets to sit near to. service was fine , toilets were clean, nice and quiet , ( it was late afternoon). except my g/f left one of her gloves there and I cant be bothered going all the way back to Balham for a glove.
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Braved the price of the food the other Sunday for their roast. I have to say that I was impressed and it was very good. The beer garden out the back is also very nice on a sunny day.
I'd go there for the roast again but I stand by my previous comments as a pub.
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Not one of my favourite places in Balham. The service is slow even when quiet. The manager actually called both members of staff for a 10 minute talk whilst I stood at the bar. I was the only one at the bar at the time, more joined while I waited, so would it have killed him to wait the 2 minutes for me to have been served? Also when the staff were allowed back they served the guys who had turned up after me. I was not happy.
That said the quailty of beer is ok nothing special still pricy, the food looks ok (never tried it. It's way too expensive). The music is pretty good as well and at a good volume.
I really don't like the decor though as the images of rock stars looks really try hard and out of place. That's just my opinion and others may like it but not really my thing.
Overall not bad but not great and there are far better places close by so I can't really see why you'd go in unless it's because you really want to sit down as there are always seats (normally loads and loads)
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lucy: I agree with the landlord, I'm afraid. It would have indeed been courteous and polite if you'd asked permission. It does costs money, but its more about the politeness aspect. I wouldn't do it, just like I wouldn't charge up my mobile phone, irrespective of how much I'd spent.
"Thinking nothing" of doing such a thing shows a certain lack of grace. Good manners cost nothing.
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Good for a pint of Guinness and a roast on a Sunday. Always feel relaxed in the area under the stairs, either with a newspaper or a book.
Can't agree with the mean spirit comment in a previous review. And the barman was quite right re: the laptop situation. If someone wandered into my house and just plugged something in without asking, I'd be a bit annoyed too.
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I'm feeling a bit outraged on behalf of the two posters below - and hope they both receive an apology! The only reason to go to Blithe Spirit is if you're really in need of a sit down - since it's always nearly empty you'll never have trouble finding a seat. I can't think of anywhere in Balham more lacking in any kind of atmosphere. The beer garden mentioned smells of Sainsbury's' bins in the summer - nice!
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"MEAN SPIRIT" WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE
A friend and I had gone for a Sunday roast at the blithe spirit. I used to go there a lot but I think it's changed management at some point. After my experience nothing would get me back in there. We had some work to do so had taken a laptop. We plugged it in near to our table, thinking nothing of it.
After our meal as I was about to order some more drinks, some pompous, pedantic fat-headed barman felt he needed to try to humiliate me in front of other customers by aggressively announcing that "it would have been courteous and polite if you'd asked permission before plugging in your laptop. It costs us money, you know" . He didn't even ask to make sure that he was speaking to the right person.
I would have thought that paying around �30 for a meal and drinks would have made it worth his while to overlook the .001p it probably cost for half an hour's electricity, but clearly he did not.
I decided I wouldn't finish my drinks order and left. I'll never return there, it was so unnecessary and confrontational and left me feeling insulted for the rest of the afternoon.
Asides from the petty assertion of his male pride, the meal was insipid and the coffee lukewarm.
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I have visited Blithe Spirit on numerous occasions in the last three months and up until yesterday (15th November) i thought that it was a great discovery, an oasis in the desert considering the other pubs and bars in Balham. The atmosphere there is pleasant, the croud nice, the music great and Stephen the manager a lovely and polite man.
On the above mentioned date however i went to BS with a friend of mine who is also somewhat of a regular there. When she ordered a drink from a member of staff called Jason Timms (if that in fact is his real surname) asked her for an Identification. Iana (my friend) is 22 years old and after she provided her ID Jason started raising his voice at her, telling her that with her attitude he wouldn't normally serve her. I cannot stress enough that she was not rude in any way and that the scene the barman made in front of all the customers (who later also shared their dislike of the man) was absolutely unneccesary. I was extremely disappointed that such a great place has to suffer from the actions of a single man.
After the incident when asked for his full name Jason refused to give it initially and after he finally told us what it was he refused to serve any of us (by that point there was four of us).
I am sad that i have to write this and that i will not visit the pub again unless Jason appologises personally to all of us.
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Pompous staff who specialise in looking down their noses at you - warmer than acceptable beer - so-so food at West End gastropub prices (in Balham!?) and a claustrophobic feel.
Nice beer garden though but the overwhelming feeling is one of a club you don't belong to and can't afford to join.
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Previous reviewers must have been drinking from the same cup as Mr Uppity (or is that up-themselves).
One of the better places (if not best) in Balham for Sunday lunch, lunch anyday, and a calming pint of an evening.
Rude service? Think not, it's top notch. Believe it or not, Balhamites, there is no rule which says "I must be served instantly. Anything else is rude!"...Sadly, this ethos is lost on the 'want, now!' generation.
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The worst food I have ever eaten. Went there with friends for lunch and every single meal was pretty much inedible. Absolutely rank.
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Nothing to write home about. Aussies seem to like for some reason. Very bland food.
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Blimey some of you people need to chill out! this pub is great, not too noisy, a nice crowd, friendly staff and the best nachos i have ever had, they're proper nachos you know, not Doritos!!!! Great pub, love it!
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What a shame. This place used to be owned by Wizard Inns and was a fab addition to Balham
Now it is appalling. The service is rude. It's ridiculously expensive (�3.50 for a bottle of beer - OK for a trendy bar but this a basic pub in Balham??). The food was so atrocious I was mortified that I had taken friends here - I ordered a thai beef salad and got 3 slices of process beef (the shiny stuff) and a plate of lettuce and pepper - not really what I had in mind.
anonymous - 2 Nov 2006 12:42 |
Having been here a few more times since my last comment I will say that
- the manager seems to be a great bloke plus he supports Chelsea
- the Sunday lunch is a lot better than previous posters have suggested
- with the Witherspoons over the road for the pikeys and the Tup for the braying Hoorays, the BS seems to attract a fairly decent crowd
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I love going in the blithe every day for my pint of fosters and the new giant yorkshire puddings with meat of the day and veg, and a chat with c man and wheely. Great food and good clean draught lagers-at least this place actually bothers to clean the beer lines regularly. Top pint and mint service. Cheers
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I have been to the Blithe Spirit recently, and I enjoyed everything about the place. Firstly I think that the one real ale that they have, being Pedigree, which I was informed was brewed by the owning brewery was a great well kept pint. As discussed with the Manager of the pub, if there is not much call for real ales then what is the point of having a selection of bad ones when you can maintain one good one, and if the call for real ale does increase then I was informed that they would look at getting in some guest beers and rotating them regularly.
As for the food, it was great to see fresh home made food at a regular price for the area, and certainly no more expensive then the other relavent bars in Balham. Nice staff, good decor, very comfortable great garden.
People should also check out the specials board, great toad in the hole and giant yorkshire home made meals.
anonymous - 4 Sep 2006 19:12 |
It is a bit of a shame that "because it is the only place in Balham I can usually find a seat on a Friday night" is the number one draw of this place.
They usually have one ale, which is not very well kept, plus the usual nitro keg crap. The food is extremely expensive and unremarkable. Why the hell do pub roast dinners cost about �10 these days?
Still, I don't find it as unconvincingly shallow as other bars/pubs in Balham.
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Must say having read through some of the reviews below, some of which I agree with, one over-riding fact seems to have been missed or something�s changed recently� I went into the Blithe on a Saturday night a few weeks back and was really impressed by the change in music policy � gone was the boring jazzy/housey-bar-music-norm I�d come to accept and instead was something a little different. In fact I don�t think I can even class it � it was mixed up but had a really good vibe to it plus the dj�s were genuinely friendly and said they�d play any requests if they had them which is different to the usual pretentious jocks you come across. Bottom line is: apart from the pub-like d�cor, the atmosphere�s good, the booze is good and the music really interesting and fun (which I can honestly say isn�t a regular thing in the Balham area!) It now all adds up to a place I regularly enjoy going to on a Sat night.
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Good food. Best for reading the paper on a Sunday. Elevator music
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glasses always dirty
areap - 18 Mar 2006 13:50 |
nice pub shame they always seem to be playing the same lounge music when i go there, The food is very good good its open late at the weekends shame they won't let you in after 11
anonymous - 24 Feb 2005 23:38 |
Very acceptable place, but very bland and boring in the extreme... Decor has been pulled from an 'Edwards' bar, circa 1996, and there's plenty more interesting places in a 2 mile radius. That said, the staff were friendly and it was empty enough to be served quickly.
gnuts - 28 Nov 2004 20:21 |
This is a very friendly pub and a great place to eat. The food is varied, good quality for a pub and reasonably priced. Getting table service is such a treat in a pub, which is a good reason to go with a few friends
Tina - 12 Nov 2004 16:45 |
About two weeks age we had to wait for ages for a meal, was continually told "sorry, it will be coming soon" and then finally that the female who had taken the order had not sent it to the kitchen. Little in the way of apologies, no offer of a complimentary drink (the bottle of wine was long finished). We left and went somewhere else to eat. We will not be using this pub in the future.
rory - 17 Aug 2004 16:18 |
Not bad, one of the better hostelries in the area. Table service is always a welcome novelty in this country. The full English is highly recommeded.
John - 29 Jul 2004 12:05 |
I really like this place, very good food, wine and beers. Nice decor and the sun terrace is excellent. Best bar in BALHAM by miles!!!!!!
Darren - 30 May 2004 20:39 |
When you have table service, it is 'common practice' to proffer the bill at the end - and then pay. (As indeed you said you did, the other day.) Perhaps not a good way to attract/impress punters by suggesting they might 'do a runner'? No, Mr Sanchez I don't look dodgy - but nice try at humour. The food was pretty good though, I will reiterate.
Jez - 17 Apr 2004 18:02 |
Jez, As you said it is a Pub, the majority of pubs in London will a ask you to pay before you recieve the food its common practise (especially if you look dodgy,which you must as i was in there yesturday and had breakfast outside and paid after my meal) i suggest if you dont want to pay before eating you maybe go to a restaurant!!!
R. Sanchez - 15 Apr 2004 18:39 |
I agree with Jez. The loss of a few quid here and there from 'runners' is probably less than the loss of custom from those of us disgusted at having to pay upfront
robert - 8 Apr 2004 16:39 |
I work in a pub in Balham and was on my break looking for a quiet place to grab a bite to eat. Saturday lunchtime during the rugby i popped over, invested in a chicken ceasar salad at normal Balham prices and a glass or two or OJ to wash down the night before. It was a pleasant experience all round. Such a turn around from the Eclipse and it's reputation. I pondered upstairs, took a seat, had nice table service and good quality food and drink. Music was appropriate and the spot lighting seemed to work very well. anyway, i've not been back since but i will, i promise!
Tom G - 22 Mar 2004 17:51 |
Not a bad pub with nice food and beer, but I objected strongly to being asked to pay for my food before it had been served: the reason given was that I was sat outside and they'd had a few 'runners' done recently - as though this made me somehow responsible! (The grumpy response to my refusal to do so has made me not want to return in a hurry, unfortunately.)
Jez - 21 Mar 2004 12:41 |
At 20 seconds walk from Balham Tube & Rail Station, Blithe Spirit is a "Lounge Style" Bar. It has an excellent Menu, and a good range of wines & Beers, including a number of unique Belgian & German beers.
It also Boasts a huge Beer Garden, and outside drinking terrace, which is soon to have a retractable canopy for extended use through the cooler days, and nights. Blithe Spirit also offers approximately 30% of it's bar area as a well ventillated No-Smoking area. It aslo offers comprehensive tables service, with no added service charge; unlike many bars. It has an excellent interior decor, with a good range of seating from sofa's to more formal dining style setaing. It also plays relaxing "Jazzy" style music during the day, with more funky music at night when the bar goes up tempo. It also has a 1am licence on Friday & Saturday night, though licencing restriction means that they cannot let anyone in after 11pm.
Stephen Garbett - 19 Mar 2004 11:24 |
