Ramblers Rest, Chislehurst

Chislehurst is a pretty, well to do suburb right on the border of South East London and Kent. It's a deceptively large place, with the train station a good 20 minute walk from the main high street and shops. There is plenty of money in the area and there are always rumours around that Chislehurst is home to many a villain who made good. With many of the mansions blocked off behind large gates I do wonder if there is shifty business going on that the owners would like everybody to keep away from. Of course the more likely reason for the gates is that they just don't want plebs like me oohing and aahing at their impressive properties.

I've written about several pubs in Chislehurst before, and to be honest not much has changed since that write up. The Ramblers Rest, a quaint weather-boarded pub about halfway between the station and the high street, had eluded me and I managed to pay a visit a few weeks ago. The pub should be an easy 25 minute walk from my house, but unfortunately a detour is required as the direct route is blocked off by the scourge of the countryside - the golf course. I imagine before golf courses and private gated roads made themselves known in Chislehurst it was possible to have a nice ramble to the pub, but now the most direct route involves walking through a wooded area right next to a major road.

The pub is split into two rooms consisting of a large dining and drinking area on the lower level, and a smaller area geared towards drinkers on the upper level. The bar spreads over the two rooms. A couple of TV's show the sport (rugby when I visited.) A older, male regular was propping up the bar chatting to the young, female bar staff. The beer selection was fairly average, with four handpumps alongside the usual collection of lagers and fizzy ciders. The ale choice was mainly boring brown bitters, and I tried a pint of the "house ale," actually a mass produced brew by the Caledonian Brewery. It was fine, a little bit more malty than yer Doom Bars and London Pride. Service was friendly.

Overall the pub is a decent local, and with no shops or tourist attractions nearby I imagine it has to offer a consistent and reliable experience to keep the local residents dropping in. Despite being right in the middle of a wealthy area it was surprisingly down to earth, perhaps even a little shabby in some parts of the pub. This is not a place with lots to distract from conversation, and it looked like the other customers were happy with this. Although I wouldn't make a special effort to go back, this boozer is worth popping in if you happen to be walking (or rambling) in the area.