Elm Park Tavern — Restaurant in London

2023 update: The Elm re-opened on 1st Feb under new management,. After one evening in there it has definitely returned to being a pub. It's been subtly refurbished - the bar staff are friendly and there's a good range of drinks at a fair range of prices. Bar snacks only at the minute - meals to return shortly. A retractable screen has also been installed for the Football. We wish the new owner (who I think also owns the White Horse on Brixton Hill) the very best of luck; the neighbourhood is very pleased to have this place back.

Fairness update (April 2022) - Since writing the review below (late 2021), The Elm has changed its menu massively, which is great to see:

A friendly, lively, nice, well decorated place with lots of drinks to choose from. Some drinks are well priced.

I'm local to the Elm Park Tavern and have been going in there since 2012. Over the past year I feel it's become a Bar more than Pub.

A pub is where I can go to the bar, order drinks, pay for them at that moment, take them to a table and sit down.

At the Elm, the emphasis is on being waited. If you go to the bar to order, you're then invited to sit at a table where a staff member will bring it over. You pay when you leave. The first time I did this, I was charged a service fee, for one pint. The second time, a member of staff took off the service fee when I politely reminded them that I'd ordered at the bar. In the most recent time I went in there, because I wasn't asked to pay when I ordered my drinks, another staff member attempted to overcharge me when I left due to a misunderstanding on how many drinks I had ordered.

Pub food? Their menu includes Seabass Ceviche and Charred Leek, Endive and Pea Salad. You cannot get pie and chips in there.

It's definitely a good, fun place. But doesn't feel like a...

I hadn’t been to the Elm Park Tavern in what must’ve been five years. Sunday roasts are littered through the streets of South London as commonly as ever, and as the tradition changes to a scheme of add on cauliflower cheeses and pigs in blankets, everyone wants a piece.

I first got to know the pub as a Brixton resident. They offered a wicked pub quiz, a tasty selection of beers and a convenient meeting places for friends in the surrounding neighbourhoods. When catching a friend in Brixton, then, this local eatery came to mind.

The decor was just how I remembered, modern, classy, sparse. The building has lots of character, with a homely yet classy feel to its sun lit main room. They squeeze between tables is perhaps a little tight, but this adds to the community feel of the place, which at the time of visit seemed pretty popular.

We ordered beers and two roasts, one pork belly and one beef. We had this arrive with a big portion of cauliflower cheese to share. The pork was tasty and well cooked, with a seasoning blend less typical for a Sunday roast but pleasant in flavour. Veg was tasty with a small Yorkshire and very creamy cauliflower cheese. My friends beef was a little on the thin side, and with only two petite slices. This was rectified immediately upon speaking to the waitress, who also brought out some extra veg for us as a measure of goodwill. We appreciated this, and this definitely elevated our experience.

Will the Elm Park Tavern blow you away? Probably not. Is it a great neighbourhood pub with a wide selection of drinks and quality produce? Yes. A nice place to sit and let the Sunday go by, in...

Second time I have visited London and went to this pub as it's close to a friend's flat. Last time ordered a sharing board for £14 it had 2 slithers of cheese and stale crispbreads over priced. The bar service was awful I waited 30 minutes at the bar whilst the barman discussed every beer with a customer. Still you have to give them a second chance. So tonight we visited again I walked in to the bar, the staff again trying to explain craft ales to a customer who already had ordered his drinks but had forgotten which was which, 5 minutes later.. thankfully another bar person arrived but went to serve someone who had just come to the bar. I said excuse me but I was next. Her reaction was priceless and over the top.. announcing that she was not being malicious. A strange reaction but I decided to ignore her. Her persona made me feel uncomfortable. I think this pub needs some staff who know how to work behind a bar. Won't be visiting again. Shame as seemed...