Railway Tavern — Restaurant in London

Not a good experience! I've been going to this pub for five years and although the decor is nice, the service and the management is seriously questionable. I went there on Saturday afternoon for some food and sat out in the garden at a table marked (47), I went inside and ordered food to this table, I had noticed in the past that there has been a lot of confusion between the young staff in this place (It seems to be a new group of barmaids every fortnight) because of this, along with our table number I described where we were sat & returned to the garden and waited. Over the next 50mins I observed all of the activity leaving their back door to the garden. I saw a barmaid come out after 10mins and go straight to a table two along from me ask the chap sat there a question he shook his head and she returned inside. I tried to get eye contact but the barmaid wasn't looking around and went straight back in. I thought if that was meant for me then she would have looked around but she didn't. 50 mins passed and I watched five plates get served to different tables. Something wasn't right it wasn't even that busy so I went back to the bar and spoke to the girl that originally served me. I said 'I put a order in for food 50mins ago and it hadn't arrived' (I wasn't in a bad mood, it had been a nice afternoon thus far) The barmaid said 'you weren't sat at table 47, I came out into the garden and asked every table four times, its not my fault if you've moved!' I couldn't believe what she was saying, I had paid for the food already and I knew she wasn't telling the truth, why wasn't she just saying 'my apologies, there was a mess up and I couldn't find you, would you like me to put in a new order?'. I asked her if she was sure about coming asking every table four times and besides my table number is (47). She said 'no it's not' and continued to tell me I was wrong with no solution. I began to get quite wound up but I only agree with swearing as a last resort, I was completely sober but really don't appreciate someone opening lying to my face and was feeling rather perturbed at the reaction to what was clearly a mistake on behalf of the management. I asked her where she thought table (47) was? She took me to the tented part of the pub and said 'that is table (47) and you weren't sat there'. I was astonished to see that this table clearly says (42) on it, the whole of the tented area was completely empty. 'but that says 42? how can it be 47?' I asked, she then said 'on our floor plan this is table 47!' and looked at me like I was an idiot. I couldn't believe what was going on and said 'right follow me' I took her to my table and said 'how am I supposed to know that this table that says 47 on it isn't table 47 at all?' at this point there had still been no apology, I was still being lied to about checking with every table four times, there is no way that this happened, I had never left my seat between ordering, I hadn't even had a toilet break. It was time to talk to the landlord (big mistake!) this is not a reasonable man and someone who was clearly drunk at 2:30pm in the afternoon. His face was red and I know he works in a pub but his breath stank of booze. He didn't want to know what was going on, he told me that I can't parade his staff into the garden and that 'I was nasty little pr-ck!' ok, now I was angry, I don't take personal insults well and this was totally unnecessary, I told him 'well that's a reflection of you more than it is of me' he told me to get out and never to come back in an highly aggressive way. I said fine, I just want my money back. Once I had my cash in my hand, I told him what I truly felt which involved the word 'tw-t' at full volume so the whole pub could hear, immature I know and I feel disappointed that I stooped to his level but oh well, I'm a local and live just a few hundred yards from this pub. There are plenty of more friendly places to drink in the area and am looking forward to the Picture House opening where West Norwood...

This place has been a staple part of our life for the last 6 years, with its fantastic homemade pizzas, priced down to £5 on Mondays and Tuesdays, and if things had stayed the same, my grading would probably be higher. The pub itself is a cosy location, with a great beer garden, the food is excellent. However in the last year somebody seems to has decided that the pub would rise above its humble origins and now offer "Table Service". Sounds good but it has actually made what used to be a straightforward process into a palaver. You line up at the bar, order your drinks but when you try to order food as well, like you used to do, you are told that they cannot take your order, you will have to go to a table and wait. OK, so you troop back to your table and wait. However table service only works if the staff is actively looking to see if people are waiting to order. This is not the case here. The bar staff are rushing to and fro delivering food but they are so fixated on getting their orders out nobody actually looks to see if other tables are waiting. So eventually after a lot of waiting and waving somebody comes and takes your order, adding perhaps 5 minutes to what used to be an easy process. Add in the fact that you're often going through the payment process twice - once for your drinks at the bar, once again when you order the food - and you probably add a couple more minutes. Bear in mind this is not just for main courses, it also applies to a simple plate of chips. At the bar on a Friday, when ordering my drinks I tried to order chips and was told they could not take my order, somebody would come around to the table. I specifically asked, will you send somebody to the table and was assured yes they would. Fine. Paid for my drinks, Went to my table. Waited. Waited, Waited, Waited. Barman made no effort to send someone over. Other waitresses rushing around at that particular speed that guarantees they are moving just fast enough for you not to catch their eye. Finally after almost physically grabbing a waitress in mid-flight, managed to get my order in. To their credit the food was delivered fairly quickly and I don't really have a complaint against the bar staff, but whoever decided to implement this new policy doesn't seem to have communicated exactly how the process is supposed to work. If the only way for people to order food is by sitting at a table then your staff have to be trained to be actively checking the tables for potential diners. Having got tired of always being rebuffed at the bar, the last few times I have taken a menu and gone and sat at the table looking hopefully around for someone to come around. Nobody does. You get up and go to the bar. Get told you should sit down and someone will be over. If it's not too busy somebody probably will, but the whole process adds another 5-10 minutes to what used to be a smooth process. Have been going to this pub to eat for the last 7 years since I moved into the area but this badly thought out service procedure has really soured me and I will be going less frequently until they sort it out. Which is a shame because their pizzas are arguably some of the best I've tasted...

🚇 Tulse Hill 🍺 £6.25 Amstel

The Railway Tavern is located at the southern end of Tulse Hill in South London. The nearest station is Tulse Hill mainline which is just opposite the pub.

This Victorian pub was built in 1881 and is surprisingly large given the small frontage.

The decor here is contemporary with bold dark colours, conventional furniture and vibrant artworks and prints. The pub is divided in to three areas with the main bar and servery located at the front. At the back of the main bar is a two tiered section which has a pool table, an open kitchen and table football. At the rear of the pub is a huge beer garden with cosy huts, plenty of seating and a table tennis table.

The beer selection was all keg, with a familiar line up mainstream brands and local London brews to choose from. I decided on an Amstel, my pint was great, price point was just above average. The food menu is 12” New York style pizza, prices range from £8 to £14.

I arrived just before 6pm on a warm Saturday afternoon in September. The pub was especially busy in the beer garden which was absolutely packed. There were a fair few in to watch the Palace V Man Utd game which was showing on the many screens dotted around the pub. The atmosphere throughout was superb, there was a lovely local feel with a broad section of punters in from all walks of life. The service was on point, the team were welcoming and friendly.

Visiting @therailwaytulsehill was a most enjoyable experience, although this is a big boozer, it retains a local pub feel. I loved the decor, loved the vibe, the beer garden is a big bonus and there is plenty to keep you entertained. I would most definitely recommend a visit.

📅 21st September 2024

More London Pub info...