Very quirky pub in appearance. Stuffed animals....old globes....a whole spectrum of items that can…read moreonly really be gathered under a term like 'random paraphanalia' Proper Job, a favourite of mine, was in strange condition...in that the first few sips were the beer in top condition but later in the pint it got a little vinegary. A musical pub. There was much talk of guitars at the bar and someone was soundchecking in the next room. Be aware that they may be charging entry if there is a live show when you happen by. The toilets were a little gross, occupied as they were by a swarm of flies (which should be the name of a band).

An amazing little pub, apparently voted one of the best in Britain- I wouldn't be surprised; inside…read morethere is a carriage with a stuffed zebra's head in it. And you can play scrabble or any one of the hundreds of board games strewn around the pub. The owners are a little old couple who look like ghosts (!) and are really lovely to chat too. You can really tell that the pub has been theirs for a long time, and that they are unwilling to ever sell out. Always bustling, and even if it isn't the atmosphere is unique; quirky and a bit spooky. I have been there for band nights, burlesque nights, rowdy nights and quiet nights and it has always been an endearing place to go to. Drink prices are average, and there is a huge selection of beers and ales in keeping with the pub ethics. Really bizarre little place, but one that will stick in your memory and one you will want to return to!

No Foam Cannon!!…read more I've just been advised there has never been a Foam Cannon - but there was a snow machine. I'm sorry for the mis-information and seeing as foam is not on the menu well. . . what's the point unless it's Christmas.

Do you like your floors sticky and your music loud? If so, The Venue is the place for you!…read more For many years now, The Venue has been a great place to come to watch bands. In actuality, one of THE ONLY reasons to come to New Cross. The building that houses The Venue is actually a pretty grand affair. Aside the sticky floors, the building seems to be well maintained (I have seen a two-man team cleaning the walls early in the evening!). Most of the bands appearing at The Venue are tribute acts, so if you are thinking of going to the top floor to check out tribute versions of ABBA, The Killers or The Prodigy... consult the website to see who will be playing that evening. When on the top floor, you will mingle with a lot of local students and some (fairly young) people swaying in drunken fashion, while your shoes adhere to the floor and your gut gets punched with the low frequencies from the fierce PA system. Great fun in anybody's book! The lower floors house some pretty cool bars which are actually well designed and have a decent enough range of drinks.

Definitely need to call and book to seat in the room with the live performers at the weekend…read more Decent bar, nice staff and great jazz music! :)

Oliver's is so easy to miss. It is just opposite Greenwich Theatre and next door to The Spread…read moreEagle. The only evidence of its existence is an orange sign and an open gate inviting you down stairs. Once down there you enter a small basement bar with a few chairs and tables looking towards a tiny makeshift stage. There's a certain charm about it, almost as if you have found your way into a secret club. Everyone sets out to have the best time possible and a close knit group of local artists organise music showcases. The usually small crowds here respect the music which is nice and this enhances most people's enjoyment of the evenings. In my experience the music at Oliver's isn't that brilliant but it is still worth checking out and the artists usually enjoy a bit of light banter with the crowd. The bar area is based in a tiny room next to the performance area and when busy, this area gets very congested. It is also where the toilet is. For some reason people insist on standing there and so if you need to relieve yourself then leave yourself plenty of time to get to the loo.

Every Tuesday night!!!! All styles, bands, singer/songwriters, jammers, poets, drinkers, dancers,…read moredreamers and lovers welcome down!!!!! Starts at 10pm, get there earlier if you want to play. New Cross Inn, 323 New Cross r.d, SE14 6AS Speak to Steve info - 07876402898 Free entry A free beer to players (whilst rider lasts!)

Hmmm. Not my cup of…read moretea. The Bridge House Tavern is just a 10 second wander from the bottom, Penge end of Crystal Palace Park makes it a good rest-bite for families and friends after a day of picnicking and running around in the park. There's a big beer garden, with tatty wooden tables dressed up with colorful paint. The inside is small and bitty and attempts to be a bit trendy. There use to be a Theatre above the pub with regular events like cabaret, but that seems to have vanished and is no longer advertised. The menu bored me to tears, not even tempting me to buy some chips. There wasn't much choice behind the bar and it was not the cheapest of places. I guess with all the mundane-ness of the place, the slow, rude service didn't help my experience. Meh.

Sunday lunch: Food…read moregrade D: potatoes burned and not crispy, root veg al dente, beef a touch gristly. Cabbage tasted as though wine had been added and the yorkshire puds were shop-bought. Not great. The service was poor: we went in for a relaxing sunday lunch and the staff could not have been more irritating. First they asked us to share our table with another couple plus small child. Er, no. The couple weren't impressed either. Incorrect drinks were delivered before waiting 30 mins for food. The saddest thing about it was that it appeared that they had all learned a script, complete with the word Guys at every juncture. As we left, they made a spectacle out of the fact that we didn't respond flamboyantly to their loud goooodbyyyyeee. It was frankly embarrassing. The prices are higher than central London, which makes the whole experience rather unfortunate.

My first time here, came to watch a friends band. Great location for getting train (opposite) and…read moreeasy to find. On entry at 6pm the barman was welcoming and venue is quite cleverly laid out with under a of the floor space as front bar, with rest being the live music venue out back. Drinks were average for London. At some point in the night the door staff started work and made me uncomfortable by staring at me every time i moved around the venue. At times they followed me (I'm in my 50s so not a threat). By 8pm there were 4 members of staff and although I was 1 of 2 people waiting for a drink, only 1 of them was serving. 3 of them were having a lovely chat in the front bar. I made a comment to my mate and the barmaid went and told them. I then had a different barman from earlier walkover and rudely dropped the card reader in front of me on the bar to pay before serving me my drink. Didn't say please or thank you. Rude as hell. At the end of the evening I witnessed a guy with a disability having a disagreement with the door staff who showed no empathy to his well-being. The promoter in the rear was really friendly all night and the bands were all chatty. What started off as an exciting evening soon made me keen to leave. It wasn't busy with locals so maybe this is a reflection as to why. When I left after the venue, an older door supervisor was on the front entrance and was really friendly, exactly how I believe all staff should be. I'm mixed as to going back as it might have been a coincidence that the evening bar staff and inside door staff all being rude, but I won't make a point of returning over going somewhere different.

This battered old boozer still hides some charm deep within its walls. My friend and I were looking…read morefor a place to start our evening and being a sunny day my boyfriend recommended this place for its roof top bar - I was easily persuaded. Sure it's no pretty picture but it has character, the pub has a large open standing area with bar in the middle. I wouldn't say there's much seating but I don't think I'd come here to sit inside anyway. What's great is that they have a lovely, large rooftop area with plenty of seating available on large benches. There's also a BBQ serving up traditional jerk chicken and other street food type foods. We were offered a £1 off voucher for our jerk but sadly on this occasion we weren't eating here. I'd definitely come back to try it though! They staff are pleasant and attentive and we had a nice experience! I'll definitely be back over the coming summer months.

A genuine Irish pub with a genuine Irish charm!…read more Forget your Irish theme pubs and chains, if you are looking for a good Irish pub this is the real deal. You will get a warm Irish welcome from the moment you walk in. We were there to watch a match. The pub is a great venue for sports, having loads of screens around the bar so you will always be able to see whereever you are and a back room with a giant screen. In particular if you are looking to watch Irish sport, GAA or Munster rugby this is the place to go - for Munster fans this is the new South London base of the Munster Supporters Club. After the match was over we stayed on to enjoy the craic. The pub has a great beer garden and best of all the beer is cheap - two pints for less than £7, an absolute bargain!!! Later in the night there was a fantastic band who had us all up dancing. There was also a man selling oysters and guinness, of which we indulged more than we should have. Overall we had a fantastic night and I can't wait to go back again - highly recommended!

If you're looking for some cool swanky hipster drinking hole you won't find it here this is a…read moreproper drinkers pub with reasonable prices a great range of Spirits and a recently friendly bunch of people in a nice part of Gipsy Hill and if you fancy a drink around this area you could do no better than come here it's also been next to the station so swaggering home after a skinful won't be a problem

Rivoli ballroom It…read moremay appear small from the outside but like the tardis, inside was bigger and Better! I was watching rocky when I visited. One of many places in London you have to visit, if not for the film you're viewing then for the ambience and the experience of being in one of London's last standing ballrooms. With Chinese lanterns and delicate red lamps you are instantly transformed into a new environment. Attracting both old and young people alike, it's easy to see the appeal. For the older cinema goers, the memories being bought back from the well kept condition of the ballroom and for the young, to experience and recreate their own memories! This is definitely a place to visit and tick off your list of London things to do! P.s. their loos did smell abit so could do with ventilation.

Such a lovely place. Whenever I walk in I feel like a 1940s woman attending a dance during the…read moreSecond World War. The decor is beautiful, but strangely enough my favourite part of the whole place is the loos! They are very old (which sounds bad, but it isn't!) and seem to be perfectly in keeping with the period of the rest of the ballroom. It's used in loads of TV dramas and films, so it feels quite special to be there in person.

Even if you don't like jazz, you'll appreciate the Crypt. It's one of my favourite places to go to,…read moreand introduce to others. Deep underneath the gothic St Giles church, whose steeple towers over bustling Camberwell, is JazzLive, every Friday night in the church's crypt. Wooden tables and pews are grouped around a corner stage where jazz bands from around the world perform. The space is like a grotto. Its nooks and crannies are filled with jazz lovers, art students and anyone else lucky enough to have found it. Even the vicar makes occasional appearances, serving drinks with his dog collar on. Get there early and you can sample hearty vegetarian meals from the small on-site kitchen hidden beside the bar at the back. Camberwell Crypt's hand-painted walls and haphazard décor help it retain a homespun feel, and stay true to its historic roots. The fact it was partly funded by a pile of old coins left by a mystery donor just adds to its appeal. This crypt is eerie with its darkened corners, candlelight and an inaccessible occupied tomb lurking behind the bar. Camberwell has no tube station, but the Crypt, one of London's hidden gems, is well worth a visit.

The Crypt, hands down, is probably one of the best jazz clubs in London. While other more famous…read moreplaces seem intent on sullying the good name of jazz, the Crypt offers a good "stripped to basics" experience that I think most would enjoy. Having been set up by a church minister with a strong fondness for Jazz, the Crypt resides in the basement of a church. Of course, the classic smoky jazz-bar element has changed a bit due to the smoking ban, but one can truly cop a feel for that odd "David Lynch" romantic notion of what a jazz club ought to be; dark, dingy, edgy, and with high leveled spirits being sloshed about the place (in a very dignified way of course). Being a jazz geek, I have come to love this place. The tables are intimately gather round the centre stage and the music is usually pretty spot on for the environment (none of the cheesy crap you'll hear at Ronnie Scott's and the likes). Unfortunately for me, I have yet to eat here so I cannot pass judgment on the food (largely vegetarian), but it's there if you fancy it. Even if it's not your bag, I think you'll still manage to enjoy the setting and the atmosphere.

Love the locals. This place seems to hire everyone that does a disservice to everyone. From…read moresecurity to the hostile. Honestly they all just seem to have the inability to assess situations and talk to other adults. I think it's great they hire individuals with disabilities but they should make sure it doesn't fall on the customer.

This place is so much fun it is a real shame that not a lot more attention and time is invested…read moreinto it. And they used to sell laughing gas on special club nights. That really became a problem. It is dark and dingy in there so it really is not the best place to hang out in the day, unless you want to sit on one of the big sofas and have one of their special big sarnies. They are good. Drinks too are pretty cheap and of a good variety. I have been to a good few gigs here, once as part of the new cross festival. Their sound system is far, far too loud for the size of the place, I always come out with my ears ringing. However, the crowd is always up for a laugh and the bar men always join in the heckling if someone truly appalling performs. The owner is a great guy and encourages nights to be held there. Tuesday is open mic night.