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The Park Tavern (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Koomor (contract brewed at Iron Pier) - Branch |  | 1 |
| Allsopp's (wherever it is actually brewed unknown) - Best Bitter | | 1 |
| Iron Pier - Citra |  | 1 |
| Tollgate - Ashby Pale |  | 1 |
| Bexley - Spike Island | | 1 |
| Woodforde's - Nelson's Bitter | | 1 |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | | 1 |
| Marston's - Bass | | 1 |
| Brew61 - Hop On | | 1 |
| Koomor (contract brewed at Iron Pier) - Trunk | | 1 |
| St Austell - Tribute |  | 1 |
| Rebellion - IPA (was 3.7%) | | 1 |
| Theakston - Old Peculier | | 1 |
| St Austell - Trelawny |  | 1 |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Three Acre - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vale - Wychert | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Chinook | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Broadside | Not Tried | 0 |
| Musket - Trigger | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vale - Black Beauty Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Woodforde's - Nog (or Norfolk Nog) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Musket - Ball Puller | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - OPA Original Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Imperium | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Woodforde's - Trail Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Skinner's (now brewed by Goodh) - Porthleven | Not Tried | 0 |
| Five Points - Five Points Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Old Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Lacons - Bloom | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Saltaire - Saltaire Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wadworth - 6X | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dartmoor - Jail Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Rock - Black Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brains - The Rev James Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| St Austell - Cornish Best (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Citra Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - Courage Best Bitter (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Timothy Taylor - Golden Best (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
15 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
4th visit of the outing: So surprised this lovely old pub did not appear on my last visit to The Cockpit micropub as in, in October 2024. I would surely have visited but must have stayed on the bus from The Cockpit to East Greenwich and The River Ale House. Sadly the 286 bus service, almost just outside of the side street The Park Tavern is in, only runs every 20 minutes of a mid to late evening and so if you miss one that ran early, you have a rather long wait. I generally try to avoid buses like the plague and a good distance from Eltham Station for the trains does not help. But the range of beers, and on this visit all six, means it has everything going for this wet pub of evenings. It serves food lunchtimes only according to its website and indeed no sign of such a substance on a plate on this visit. A warm welcome from the two bar staff and very attentive. One of my all-time favourite beers of this year on and so a wonderful visit alongside one remaining real ale enthusiast in my party. The other one bowed out after an unscheduled drenching inside The Bat & Ball micro down the road due to a spilt Bexley Old Mill. The pub's website unashamedly points out thus: "The Park Tavern has no irritating intrusions such as TVs, sport or pool tables." This is a rare pub indeed and for that alone. As a bonus, it is independently run free of a pub group and not doubling as a restaurant in the evenings. It is held in very high regard by the local SE London CAMRA branch and due for its CAMRA Pub of the Year accolade for the Greenwich borough and being presented the following day.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allsopp's (wherever it is actually brewed unknown) - Best Bitter | 3.80 | | This Allsopp's bitter* was just as good as the one I last tried in February of this year at The Blue Stoops pub, which opened in late 2024, at 127-129 Kensington Church Street. Jamie Allsopp, a direct descendant of the founder, opened that pub in homage to the original Blue Stoops in Burton-upon-Trent, where his family brewed from 1730. Now reported to be brewed at Kirkstall Brewery in Leeds, this best bitter here in The Park Tavern presented a very impressive head and lacing and which it kept with no difficulty to the end. Not in the least overly fruited which generally suits my taste buds. Not sweet either nor too malty. Just the merest hint of caramelised biscuity maltiness. A good dry hoppy note or two dancing in harmony before gently sliding down the hatch. Almost the perfect brew for me that other brewers often either over-fruit, over-malt or over-sweeten. Wonderful in every dimension and not, I hasten to add, the merest hint of indigestion afterwards. *Allsopp's beer was brewed in Burton-upon-Trent, a process that began in 1730 with Benjamin Wilson at The Blue Stoops Inn Brewery. Today, the brand has been revived by a London-based business, and while the original brewery has been demolished, the new versions are developed with the historic recipes and yeast. |
| Adnams - Old Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dartmoor - Jail Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Black Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried |
11 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marston's - Bass | 4.40 | | Good condition but bland with subdued bitterness |
| Theakston - Old Peculier | 5.60 | | Creamy and smooth but felt like first out for a while |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Skinner's (now brewed by Goodh) - Porthleven | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Lacons - Bloom | 4.00 | Not Tried |
19 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Afternoon visit after local chores. Great service and relaxed atmosphere.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebellion - IPA (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Disappointing as soon lost condition in the glass. I had not realised I was drinking a duty dodger ale at 3.4% |
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vale - Black Beauty Porter | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Musket - Ball Puller | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Courage Directors (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | 4.80 | Not Tried |
08 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Some faces from The Broken Drum in Blackfen were knocking down copious pints.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tollgate - Ashby Pale | 4.50 | | Well kept basic pale ale, albeit a rather ubiquitous and boring style |
| Bexley - Spike Island | 5.30 | | Tasty stout, possibly first out of pump for a while |
| Timothy Taylor - Golden Best (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | Seemed to be moving fastest here |
| Three Acre - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Chinook | 4.20 | Not Tried |
04 Dec 2024 (Magnus Greel)
Late afternoon a hubbub of conversation yet again combined with subtle lighting and soft background music made for a relaxed cosy welcoming atmosphere.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Pier - Citra | 4.20 | | Piney citrus dry with a pineapple finish for this clever complex and welcomly different brew. |
| Adnams - Old Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Saltaire - Saltaire Blonde | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dartmoor - Jail Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - Cornish Best (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - Courage Best Bitter (was brewed at Banks's for a while) | 4.00 | Not Tried |
05 Oct 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Brief evening visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew61 - Hop On | 4.50 | | Well balanced brew, could have been cooler |
| Woodforde's - Nog (or Norfolk Nog) | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Butcombe - Original | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - OPA Original Pale Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Woodforde's - Trail Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried |
27 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid afternoon visit after local chores
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodforde's - Nelson's Bitter | 4.50 | | Good condition but seemed on the fresh side |
| Vale - Wychert | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Musket - Trigger | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried |
08 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit hoping for the perfection of last week.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Austell - Tribute | 4.20 | | My replacement ale |
| St Austell - Trelawny | 3.80 | | One of the barmaids saw me struggling with this as was slight haze and tasted all wrong and offered me an alternative. Top form practice that |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Wealdway IPA | 4.50 | Not Tried |
01 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Old style pub layout, would like to see the more old style licensees' service of the past to match.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koomor (contract brewed at Iron Pier) - Branch | 4.20 | | Just perfect, that rare combination of taste, condition and all that makes an ale great |
| Wadworth - 6X | 4.10 | Not Tried | Seemed to be the fastest mover here |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Brains - The Rev James Original | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Butcombe - Citra Blonde | 4.00 | Not Tried |
24 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Service seemed somewhat disorganised and still rather corporate but a better range of ales that I have seen here before.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | 4.00 | | Rather thin but a first refreshing pint |
| Koomor (contract brewed at Iron Pier) - Trunk | 3.80 | | First time I have had this on handpump, quite creamy |
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Five Points Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried |
About The Park Tavern
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 2 |
| 8 |
| 11 |
| 7 |
| 1 |
The pub is found in Eltham, Greater London, SE9 5DA.
Very attractive traditional pub sitting behind the High Street in Passey Place. Historic Burton Ales green tiled exterior. Sympathetically and warmly refurbished interior with an impressive all-wood bar. Relaxed atmosphere with classical or smooth jazz background music. 8 handpumps, usually 5 or 6 cask ales usually from the larger regional end of the brewing spectrum. Food served Monday to Saturday lunchtimes. Distinctive light wood constructed bar counter and overhead awning.
We have visited this pub 20 times, seen 80 different beers and tried 25 of them.
Postcode: SE9 5DA