Style & Winch, Erith  

While we would counsel against discounting the melancholic charms of Dear Old Erith, we feel that we must advise DA8 tourists that the Style & Winch is not one of them. Now, while the pub suffers from its blighted location-on a thunderingly busy main road surrounded by many tower blocks-where the youth are so feral, even by the standards of London's Garden Borough -drinking vodka from the bottle at the bus stop at 2pm, that sort of thing-that one wonders if whoever it is that writes headlines for the Daily Mail and Daily Express lives nearby, it could be worse. Indeed, last time we visited it was very, very, much worse. Since then the S&W has undergone a substantial overhaul, and now looks quite smart, if rather spartan. It remains an unpretentious boozer principally for locals, but the presence of newcomers didn't generate hostility (not that the pub was particularly busy when we visited). One thing that hasn't changed, however, is its poor selection of drinks-no ales, unsurprisingly, but even with several of the advertised lagers (and Guinness) unavailable. But we found it OK for a game of pool and a flick through the (extensive and themed) jukebox-although we felt that playing any of our selections might result in unwarranted attention being drawn to our presence. So, for now, the Style & Winch scrapes a one-pint rating. Just.

reviewed:
27/01/2007

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

outdoor seating

pool table

darts

jukebox

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