The Barrel & Horn, Bromley — Restaurant in London

This place used to be by far the best place in Bromley. It had a great atmosphere and the whole feel of the place was fantastic. It was the go-to bar.

It is therefore very sad to say that that has now changed following the recent refurbishment which has taken away almost all of the Barrel and Horn’s character. It has turned this cool bar into a place more suited to families and laptop wielding bloggers, rather than the pint drinking, hip bar that it was.

Last time I went in there, there were families and toddlers running around! Now I love families or toddlers, but not here. This just isn’t the Barrel & Horn we knew and loved.

Unfortunately, me and everyone I know who used to go in there, no longer do because it just doesn’t feel atmospheric. It’s atmosphere could be compared to that of a civic centre canteen. White / beige walls and floor, with pastel green highlights, with dazzling lights, and tables and chairs that look like garden furniture which appears to have been randomly placed on the white floor without any real design consideration. Possibly this was done to make it easy to clear when they have live music, but the tables feel segregated, and they don’t promote social interaction between punters.

Certain parts of the refurbishment work, for example the garden at the back is SO much better, and the games are an ok idea. But other than that, can we go back to how it was!

I think the management of the chain need to seriously consider the lighting, seating in the main bar area, and potentially adding some more items to the walls – it’s too clean, tidy, and plain.

First of all the lights. Dim them. Change them. Add some feature lighting. Get some nicely designed lights that hang down. Do something. Because at the moment they are destroying the ambiance completely.

Secondly, the seating in the main bar area. It doesn’t work. The old bar had varying height seating, with some high tables with stools, some benching, and some tables and chairs. Bring back that variety. The benches were great. As was the high table. Everyone was much more engaged with other punters and you could have a big group. Now you sit on your own table away from everyone else, and if you are a group of more than 4 or 5 you can barely fit around the round tables. If you want inspiration, just look at some photos from before the refurbishment.

As for the décor and general design of the walls, colours, and features. It’s simply too empty, cold, and seemingly unthought-out. More items on the walls. A few less straight lines. A bit less neat and tidy. It isn’t a café. It isn’t a canteen. It’s supposed to be a cool bar. It was a cool bar.

Please bring back the old Barrel &...

I really wanted to rate this pub higher, the interior design was lovely and the vibe was great. That was until we were served by the staff. Maybe its because my friends and i looked younger so they didn't want us there but the fact we got that impression at all is abysmal. Its not hard to be polite or nice, a customer is a customer no matter their age. And its not like we sat there taking up space, buying nothing. We all continuously ordered food and drink throughout the night. The staff didnt seem happy to serve us, instead it seemed as if they couldn't have cared less about serving us. The food was ok. Just ok. The fish or the tartar sauce was a bit too salty for my taste. My friends and i only stayed so long that night because we really enjoyed the music being played by the live bands, it was the only reason we also decided to pop in. The music was great, it was nice to see quite a few rock songs being played. Makes a difference from all the background noise pubs usually hire. However with the attitude of the staff and the way they seemed to address the bands that played, again it seemed as if they didnt want them there even though the people in the pub, myself and my friends included, really enjoyed the music. All in all, I just hope they actually pay the bands they have play for them. I've heard some things that could suggest otherwise. Overall there are much nicer, friendly pubs in bromley. I dont think i'd...

A bit dissapointing in all honesty. :( It took over 20 min for our starter to come out ( just some nachos) I tried to speak to the chef at the window as there was no manger around to ask about the food... he’s hair was not covered ( long hair) and was not happy that I was asking him about the wait( I can understand that) maybe I had to high expectations from you guys .. but the prices should reflect the service.. is a bit weak. Sorry. I’m still waiting for my main, hope it will worth the wait.

Coming back with the main review.. I got a beef burger and my daughter got the “falafel” burger. To start, the buns were burned, the so called falafel was not falafel, was just whole chick peas, deep fried or burned as well to be precise, she couldn’t eat it.. just the chips and the rest stayed in the plate..£10.50 or £11 a burger? Is just bad, sorry. Maybe the drinks are good.. what a shame. Food wise, you guys need some “help” or magic. I wouldn’t recommend it to any of my friends.. I just don’t want them to waste...