please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
One of my recent joys is that Amersham Arms is a destination again. Friendly boozer with a fair range of tap n bottles, plus some cracking live entertainment most evenings. Its neither too old or too hipster, and in the last year its got new management and been the place to catch happening/low key specials - live music, film, art and comedy (like Russell Howard for a fiver last month!). The staff are friendly (and the bar has chef made meals – bring on the pulled pork!).
A few months ago I experienced an amazing visual exhibition come record launch event in the upstairs Take Courage gallery where Artrocker did DieselFM shows, and more recently saw bands that are now in the national music press, (for less than their next tour will cost!) on the back room stage.
I used to like coming here in the legendary days of The Catapult Club, Gluerooms etc in the back room then the pub went all Camden Lock for a bit after the “scene”.
Anyway, now its a great place to have a drink (Red Stripe on tap, included!) AND go out. I'm back. So are some familiar faces.
Whats not to love? An affordable night out across the road from a tube station and with a bus stop outside. I'm a music fan so really pleased to have a proper venue and stage, for South East London, getting popular again.
The musicians (and I spotted some industry scouts a few times), students and regulars (a mixture of ages and cultures) are dancing together at the end of the night/early morning. Thats what its all about for me.
|
I've been here three times (although never at the weekend), each time going in expecting a grumpy hipster nightmare but ending up having a decent night. Inside it's a pretty standard scruffy London live music bar; badly lit with low couches and dirty tables. Booze-wise there is the usual keg crap with a few bottles and two ales around the side. The beer seems to lack condition but is drinkable. The girls serving looked about 15 but were on the ball and friendly enough.
At the back is a room the same size as the main bar, perfect for music or whatever. If you find this place too pretentious wander down the road towards Deptford and pop in The Little Crown for some old-school-rank-pub action!
|
Neither cask ale was particularly appetising last time I went here, but they do make up for it with their tasty Sunday roasts of epic proportions, and cocktails.
The special deal on cocktails is good - 2 the same for �7 if I remember correctly (and after a few of those, you probably won't).
|
Tried to watch some comedy here but it was too popular and I got turned away! Nevermind, had some drinkies at the bar instead. Nice cocktails. I plan to try the food at some point. Trendy clientele due to proximity to Goldsmiths a drawback.
|
This pub has a Gallery, I was in this week with some friends and found ourselves in Amershams "take courage" Gallery. Some poetry was being read out and the place was really buzzing, this was early in the week too and in the back bar area live music was being played, wasn't very busy but nice to have a bit of variety. The front bar looked amazing, some guys were playing the piano in the corner of the bar, chuck berry, Jerry Lee Lewis....awsome, we stayed in there most the night drinking cheap cocktails and singing along.
Found a small Garden space as we were leaving, didn't know it was there, had a quick peak in and it also looking really good with bunting, multi coloured light bulbs and funky plastic plants. Great night, cool pub.
|
hmm getting there. this place is getting some of its original buzz back and its obvious a bit of efforts going into trying to get it going again - probably in time for the east london line. the last few thursdays ive been have been rammed with stuff going on in the back, upstairs gallery bit and im pretty sure i saw a piano in the front recently. foods still reasonably priced, pretty good but uninspiring pub grub - roasts are getting better, beers pricey, cocktails nice enough but a bit slow. a few new nice girls behind the bar always helps too! popped my head in the back last saturday and it was full of the trendy kids getting pissed and dancing (ironically?) that used to overrun this place. fridays however are still a bit too chavvy for me.
|
Was looking at buying a flat in New Cross and stopped here for lunch between viewings.
Nice little pub with a laid back friendly vibe in the very small front bar. Spotted a billiards table but looked out of action, don't see many of those anymore!
Grabbed a homemade pie and mash and thought it was really good - great value for money at only �6 - although a bit more gravy would've been nice.
Massive area around the back of the pub which was closed but posters said they've got bands and DJ's playing at weekends.
Might end up being my local soon!
|
Not a bad pub. The beer is a bit pricey for what it is and the selection isn't great. The food, however, was excellent and it has a really relaxed vibe. Sure, it's a bit of a student haunt but then most places in this area are because of Goldsmiths. The whole quirky bohemian thing does get on my tits but the guys behind the bar are nice, so who cares.
One gripe I have is the "beer garden" they opened. It really feels like it's not a part of the pub, especially if you're unlucky enough to be sat right next to the road. I don't really understand why they did it, to be honest.
Other than that, worth a go!
|
This pub had Harveys Best on during my visit, but the spitfire was off and there is a limited standard draught selection along with Red Stripe, Amstel and Stowford Press cider.
There is a whiff of student in the air of this dimly lit high ceilinged pub and my days of sweating it in a late license live music venue passed years ago so this old bore will be giving this place a miss in the future.
|
i keep on hearing various rumours about this place. either itsis being sold or theres a roof terrace on the way and a return of live music!! im all for live music and roof terrace. by no means the best pub in town, having a half decent music venue in new x was well good. also i (and i reckon most of new cross) need an alternative to another summer in the hobs beer garden, especially with a 'bbq summer' on the way.
|
Fantastic pub. Nice range of beers and nice customers.
|
We were slightly surprised to be asked by the Amersham Arms' bouncer if we�d been drinking at 11 on a Friday evening� eh yes� But it didn�t take much to persuade him that we weren�t going to cause trouble.
The clientele was older and more varied than you�d expect being so close to Goldsmiths� until you go out the back into the heaving student disco (which has to be seen to be believed).
Took a little while to get served, but got a well-needed seat. A pleasant, lively and unpretentious [didn�t notice any Hoxton fins, as complained about below] boozer and it�s open really late, on a Friday at least, with no cover charge, that I noticed � what more can you ask for?
I believe it�s owned by the same folks that own the Lock Tavern in Camden. There are some similarities, but not much.
The Amersham Arms deserves the acclaim below.
|
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!
|
Definitely recommend this place. Only been the once mind but has a nice atmosphere, good tunes and serves a crackin pint or two. Gets my Vote
|
Definitely recommend this place. Only been the once mind but has a nice atmosphere, good tunes and serves a crackin pint or two. Gets my Vote
|
Cocktails not a great idea, takes an age to get served now. Otherwise, all good in my books.
|
too cool for school. think about what the locals want a bit more... not just the hoxton haircuts.
|
went on a friday for this new night whip it. they play acdc to hip hop, mad night, much better mix of locals and students than other nights. recommended.
|
can be good, beer reasonably priced, live nights also a bonus. My only major gripe with this place would have to be the fact that they seem to hire untrained bar staff that are slow and dont know what they are doing which can make it very unpleasent on a busty night. And don't even think of ordering a cocktail, you will be waiting for a long time
|
Great menu, expensive crap beer. Nice in the daytime before it gets too loud.
|
Great pub, good times. Rubbish quiz on a Tuesday though...
|
Got dragged to New Cross with friends last weekend and ended up having one of the best nights in a long time.
Didn't really know what to expect of the Amersham Arms as I had never been before, and I don't know whether having no expectations helped, but this place ticked all the right boxes for me.
Garden, cool staff, cheap but good food, live music and then a separate bar to chill out in... ticks, tick, tick.
I wouldn't normally venture so far South, but i will be now.
|
loving this pub! great for a quiet pint in the front with friends followed by a venue out back with the best live music going down south of the river, rate that!
|
Have visited the Amersham Arms three times in the last couple of months and enjoyed all of my visits. They have pub quizzes that are good fun, excellent food which is relatively cheap (I had a burger and chips which was the best I have had in a pub for �5.50), a reasonable choice of beer provided you like lager (only two ales), lots of eclectic live music in the evenings (electrogrime?) and lots of students who think you are ancient when you are 26 :-(
|
I LOVE IT! Went here last night for the first time after the refurb, and was amazed by the job they've done.
The pub is now very music focused, with live bands on an almost nightly basis in the back room. The music in the front bar was also (debatably) fantastic, playing a good mix of cool tunes from across all genres (notably Johnny Cash and Bobby Womack).
The Amersham also has a bar billards table, the first one I've seen in London outside of the "old man" haunts of The Pembury and The Glasshouse Stores. I didn't play, but the table seemed to be in excellent condition - better than that at the two pubs previously mentioned.
Not much on offer for the real-ale fanatics- they only had Spitfire on tap last night - but I was pleasantly surprised to find Stowford Press on as their house cider.
The menu is great, with locally produced food at excellent prices. I had a pie produced by Deptford Butchers (was on route to the footy, so it seemed appropriate) that was one of the better pies I've had in London.
It was only my first visit (post-refurb) last night, but I think I'll start making regular stops in here. It's probably the most similar place I've found in London to my all-time favourite bar (The Tap in Toronto). My only gripe is that it's full of Goldsmiths students (paying large fees studying to become unemployed artists), but they're easily ignored.
|
I really like this place - more positives than negatives. Good music, decent (if basic) selection of drinks, good bar staff.
|
Friday evening (7th Dec) and a visit to New Cross for the first time found this reviewer in the rather modern Amersham Arms. Undoubtedly recently refurbished, I found the pub to have warmth and character. The darkly lit interior and cosiness sat well with me. It was bustling (seemingly mainly, though be it, well behaved student types) and the atmosphere was one of relaxed enjoyment. Drink selection was a little mainstream, though it was nice to have a pint of Red Stripe. Prices seemed reasonable enough and the staff were attentive, though service slightly slow. Background music was at a decent volume, and the selection was fine to my ears. A smart and appealing pub, I�d certainly visit again.
|
seems to have got very popular very quickly, agree with the last poster that they prob could be a bit quicker on the bar but overall very good price value.
Not sure i agree they nicked all their ideas from the royal albert. The lock tavern were doing that lighting look 5 years ago so more like the other way around.
worth keeping on eye on how this place develops....
|
Was in here Tuesday night. My first time since it re-opened under the Lock Tavern management team. I used to love the old smokey Amersham where you could turn up and dance with a drunken Irish man any night of the week, at practically any time, but I will try to put the old pub out of my mind and give the new Amersham a fair hearing.
Have to say, I like what they've done with the place - it's not drastically different, just a bit more trendy, more eclectic. But, it does look a bit like they stole all their ideas from the excellent Royal Albert just down New Cross Road!
At 6.30 there were no tables free, so we propped ourselves at the bar. Service was fine at this point, but an hour or two later, when the place had started to fill up, the wait at the bar was really unacceptable - all because for some reason they have decided to offer novelty cocktails, with copious amounts of crushed ice (for which each drink requires a trip to the blender), hand sprinkled mint, swizzle sticks and sparklers!! Yes, all good fun, but I watched one guy (a red-headed young chap) spend literally 10 minutes making 2 cocktails, while a crowd looked on waiting patiently for their simple pints of beer. A nasty atmosphere was beginning to form, and I heard another group discussing going to the Walpole where they could "actually get served"!
Beer-wise, they had no real ales on at 6.30, although one did crop up about half way through the evening, I didn't catch what it was unfortunately. Their lager selection is extensive but not exactly exotic. I tried the Heineken and the Amstel, and I thought the latter was a little bit tangy for my liking (i.e. not great). That might just be moving from a crisp Heineken to an Amstel though. They also have Krony and Red Stripe on tap.
Once a table became free, we grabbed it and ordered food. We all opted for burgers, which probably took about 30 mins to come, and I must say at �6ish they were very good. There was a decent amount of chips and a nice dip too.
All in all, a good meeting place for a chat and some food, with a decent vibe, if a bit poncey. The only thing that worried me was the speed of service - if this is it on a Tuesday I hate to imagine later in the week.
Should point out, I've yet to try to club next door or the art gallery upstairs (!).
|
Visited the re-opened Amersham on Saturday night, full of Goldsmiths-beautiful kids now. Had a scruffy charm but one of the things I like about New Cross is the mix of people: students mix with old rude-boys, local scruffs and red faced old irish blokes. That's gone, it still feels like a sarf london place but more Brixton than New Cross, so far, my feelings are mixed.
I am pretty excited about some of the gigs they're putting on, though, I must say.
|
Used to come here occassionally for the comedy (which has since moved). Always enjoyed it.
|
The two guys playing (forgive the highly technical musicological terms, Goldsmiths students, please) were great, though I think that what they were doing is politely called "tribute". As m'learned friends on this page testify, this place swings bigtime late into the night. The lighting could be dimmer but maybe the 100w bulbs help keep the best of SE14 order gentlemen please. Not, I suspect, a beer-connoisseur's pub, but certainly a cheery place to enjoy one of the few fruits of Blairism: late opening. Just be sure you visit before a day off work or book a duvet-day.
|
i've had some great nights in this place,excellent live music, very friendly staff.
|
The front bar would be even better if they occassionally had some traditional Irish folk music with fiddles, bodhrans and whistles.
|
Best late night bar in New Cross (since the death of the old Goldsmiths Tavern). The Front Bar is where South East Londons Irish hang out and listen to country music and has a great atmosphere on Friday and Saturday nights. The Back Bar has the Catapult Club and open late most night of the week Monday - The Monday Club (Comedy), Tuesday and Thursday (Jazz), Wednesdays - The Gluerooms (experimental music), Fridays- The Catapult Club (Rock) and Saturdays - Club Cavort (Rock).
|
thursday nights here are some of the best to be had in se london. The live impromptu jazz/bluesy stuff is well worth the three quid, the staff are a great laugh, ended up dancing with some last week. Always meet some very interesting characters.
|
Love this pub.
The comedy nights on Mondays are good, you get some funny people there.
|
Great pub for watching the famous Glasgow Celtic. Ended up in Lewisham on a Tuesday drinking with a mad Scotsman after going for one pint with a college friend on a Sunday morning.
|
This is a great pub with some great live bands. A saw a band play in Camden last year and just recently found out they're playing here on Friday 11th March. Get your arses down there to see Elysium Field, hard hitting rock straight from hell. Couldn't think of a better venue in the area to see such a quality band.
|
This pub is worth a visit if only for the live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The band =baculum= play there on Friday 11th February 2005. Get there early or you won't get in. Keep Live Music Going.
|
good 'proper' irish boozer. used to have the best guinness in london although the stanards seem to have slipped recently.
definitely worth a look though. nice big screen for the football and the weakest link and the simpsons!!!
|
great pub for music on fri & sat night.
will be down there next on 17th dec to see "the spencer j curtis band" great original 60's sound group
|
Great Pub.
My Brothers band ESP are playing on the 10th of December, check them out!
|
The band nights on friday and saturday nights is great..!Sometimes the crowds aren't as big as they should be, but its great to see that the live music circuit is being kept alive.....keep it going!!!There are some great bands on...def worth a look before a lot of them become really successful!
rowdy banter! - 29 Oct 2004 17:18 |
Actual pub fine polite barstaff etc. but if you are a live act wanting to play at the venue next door, dont play on a wednesday night the only people in there will be the people you bring along, and you will be expected to bring a rediculous amount of people along to actually recieve any payment for your efforts, my advice to any original live band is avoid playing here, play somewhere there is a garenteed crowd.
Mike from Deptford - 21 Oct 2004 17:23 |
Brilliant atmosphere and great acts. Loved the variety of genres at The Catapult Club last night. Cool clientele, pleasant staff, great vibe - would definitely recommend!
Natalie Booth - 11 Sep 2004 18:49 |
Really cool atmosphere, went last Saturday to the Catapult Club and although quite small and low key, it is obviously the real deal. Great band as well!
Rosie - 5 Jul 2004 21:05 |
Brilliant atmos.-v friendly, bands variable - something for everyone.8/10
Zyn (from the Moon) - 4 Jun 2004 10:17 |
The front bar is full of hard-core Irish locals but the back bar (with a big 'Catapult Club' sign above it) does ace musical events. I was walking past on Sunday, saw some blokes playing, had a pint, listened t osome free blues, headed home. Nice
|
is every you want to explain the difference between a pub and a bar, go here. this is a P U B. do not pop in here on the way to a cocktail party with lady friend. locals glued to seats in the week that look you up and down when you walk in. saturday goes loud as the bands and students arrive
oliver penney - 5 Nov 2003 16:49 |
One of my favourite pubs. It's open late everytime I seem to go in there. I alway leave there really pissed. Average age between 18 and 80 and everone is out for a good time. Bouncers are great with a sense of homour. Friday night at the Amersham = bad head Saturday morning. Brilliant
Vern - 29 Aug 2003 16:45 |
A real Irish pub where it seems all South East Londons Irish drinkers go. A bit on the small side with a tiny stage. The music is a bit hit or miss - sometimes very good other times a bit dodgy - almost always Irish music of one kind or another.
It is now along with the Marquis of Granby (another Irish bar) the only decent traditional pub (i.e.. non-chain) in New Cross. Its a bit like the old New Cross Inn before it became too trendy. Some old New Cross Taverners are starting to go here. A pretty good atmosphere on a good night.Is open late on Fridays and Saturdays (unlike the Marquis).
The Catapult Club next door may be owned by the Amersham and has some good bands, but its not free entry and its really a different pub.
james wild - 25 Aug 2003 02:45 |
Cracking music venue ! Really good for up and coming bands on a friday night..
Pub itself is an irish boozer, not from the O'Neills mould either, proper irish pub, cheap pints, swift service, distinctly local crowd, not exactly a "trendy" spot either...
A visit would not be a waste..
BK - 2 Jul 2003 17:15 |
Local pub with not particularly special bar area although there is a large live music/club venue at the back called 'The Catapult Club'. Link cash machine inside that although it'll steal �1.50 off you saves a long walk to Sainsbury's!
Spoe Jeck - 23 Apr 2003 12:47 |
