Earl of Derby — Restaurant in London

🚇 Queens Road Peckham 🍺 £5.30 Amstel

The Earl of Derby is located between Nunhead and New Cross in Southeast London. The nearest station is Queens Road Peckham on the Windrush Line.

The Earl of Derby (formerly The Telegraph at the Earl of Derby) was built in the mid 19th century. In June last year the pub reopened after a sympathetic refurbishment and restoration by Parched London who now run the pub.

This is a three room pub that is traditionally decorated with a contemporary colour scheme. The main bar is located at the front and has an inviting servery with an eye catching back bar. There is a cosy room at the back which is accessed through archways either side of the servery. Upstairs is a high ceilinged space with Georgian wood panelling and bold blue walls. There are some lovely features throughout the pub like the Bass mirrors, corner benches with leather upholstery, an intimate booth and retro beer signage.

The beer line up was impressive and offers a range of familiar favourites, local London brews, two stouts and cask ales. I kept it simple and ordered an Amstel, my pint was great, price point was below average. The food is by @gengellys who serve up pub classics, hearty Gastro dishes plus Roasts on a Sunday with huge yorkies.

We arrived around 4pm on a sweltering Saturday afternoon in July. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed with a few punters dotted around, the majority of punters were soaking up the sun on the benches at the front of the pub. I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the pub by Guv’nor Jake who was the consummate host. We plotted up in the main bar and quaffed our pints and chatted about the Tour de France.

Visiting the @earlofderby_ one was of the highlights of the summer, this charming independent pub really has it all. The decor is quintessential London pub with a contemporary twist, the beer line up is broad, the food is well celebrated and the hospitality is friendly and personable. I absolutely love what they have got going on here, get this pub on your to visit list.

📅 27th July 2024

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This Five Star Pub Should Not Be The Best Kept Secret In Lewisham!

This review sums up some visits made since 5th July 2019. It was on my first visit with a lovely friend Rima Bray that the lovely manager donated what turned out to be the best of eighty raffle prizes I collected in SE London a crowd funder for The Hill Station Community Café in nearby Kitto Rd, the prize was a meal for four, I will never forget your generosity for such an important cause.

Although the management has changed the chef has not and so far both meals, fish and chips last year followed by Sunday Roast Pork on 23rd Feb 2020 were both so delicious they should be illegal. The roast just blasted my taste buds, the roasted beetroot was a master touch and those roast tatties my all time fave in 61 years. £14 and good value considering the exceptional quality and generous helping. There is always an excellent vegan option.

This delightful pub appeals to me on so many levels, even with the fab old fashioned juke box you can actually hear yourself think and talk, this is ideal place to bring your friends for a shared meal or drinks and conversation. Perfect ambience with open fires in the winter, and a fab outdoor front garden terrace for the summer, coupled with lovely staff, customers and a great range of on tap beers at very reasonable prices, what more could you ask for?

There are also three nights of activities including Monday Pub Quiz and Thursday Open Mic which from feedback is a wonderful evening.

Most positive that there is a large noticeboard which shares events being held in the local community, and the offer of a FREE function room must surely have appeal for clubs and social groups?

If you are reading about this fab pub for the first time, do visit, The Telegraph at The Earl of Derby should not remain the best kept secret...

If I could give this zero stars I would. Just had 2 roasts. The worst roasts we've ever eaten - I say eaten but we left 90% of them. Potatoes were raw. Veg was raw. Savoy cabbage was like trying to swallow tin foil. The cut of lamb was atrocious. Just gristly sinewy horrible chewy meat. Complained about the potatoes as they were the 1st obvious problem. They were white as snow and hard as anything. The guy asked if we'd like more potatoes and then brought along 3 more potatoes (equalling 1 portion, not 2) which were also raw.

When he came to take our plates away, we were ignored despite having full plates. No one asked if everything was ok. We were blanked and the staff became sheepish and quiet. I went to the bar and asked for the bill - expecting some sort of acknowledgment about what had happened. Nothing. I went on to play "chicken" with the transaction wondering if at any point someone would say something. I ended up paying. I feel stupid for not refusing. We walked home angry and hungry.

The most annoying thing about this experience is that this pub is beautiful. Spectacular. We'd been recommended it as "the best roast in the area" by friends. The staff seriously need to stand by their produce and be proud of what they're serving. And if they're not proud of it, they should do whatever they can to rectify and appease the customer. This is surely basic customer service 101 and they're dropping the ball at the get-go and running off embarrassed and hiding away unable to even make eye contact.

We won't...