Situated on a desolate corner in deepest, darkest New Cross, Amersham Arms is a veritable oasis. This gaff is undoubtedly the best drinker for miles.

The Venue
You can almost hear this Victorian boozer’s walls sigh with relief after its restoration to former glory by the owners of Camden’s The Lock Tavern. If you saw it before the changeover, you’d be hard pushed not to stand back and admire the stripped and sealed wood panelling on the walls, or the gleaming floors, neutral colours, subtly patterned wallpaper, lantern light and period style light fittings.

The front bar, decked out with wooden pub furniture, is large whilst still feeling cosy. The second larger room has a stage and a solid, reclaimed wooden bar juts out into the crowd of baying drinkers and sofas. Upstairs is the Take Courage art gallery. Smokers will be delighted with the deceptively-sized yard out back and there’s soon to be a roof garden out this way, too.

The Atmosphere
The Amersham Arms is packed full of painfully now indie types – lots of eyeliner, skinny jeans and men sporting hair, aged between 18 to 40. It’s fair to say that at peak times the bar staff are much more polite than the boisterous clientele. At weekends the party’s not over until 4am.

The Music
Up until recently, the idea of Hot Chip popping down to New Cross for a DJ set and Sinden spinning harsh booty bass and exotic dance like gutter funk and Speed Baile would have been laughable. Now it’s just another average night down The Amersham Arms. Whether it’s Ska Burlesque, Rob Da Bank’s Sunday Best, new bands or a folk festival, there’s always something going on in the 300 capacity (be warned, it can feel like a lot more) back room.

The Food
If you can get a table in the front bar you’ll be able to chow down on cheap (soup £3.50 with unlimited bread, steaks for around a tenner) traditional pub food. No Thai or Brakes Brothers here.

The Drink
There’s your San Miguel, Heineken, 1664, Guinness, and some form of sickly sweet cider that isn’t Strongbow, and a fine selection of spirits on offer at The Amersham Arms. You’ll be paying more than other pubs in the area, but prices are still only average for London.

The Last Word
The Amersham Arms has undergone a metamorphosis from a rough around the edges Irish pub into a homely yet spacious boozer supporting a plethora of interesting nights and new talent.

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