325 Camberwell New Road,
Camberwell,
London,
SE5 0TF
(020) 7701 7660
The ViewLondon Review
Situated in premises which were until fairly recently occupied by a chemists, right at the Camberwell end of Camberwell New Road, The Old Dispensary is undoubtedly the area’s cut price booze haunt, but it has more to offer than mere bargain bucket prices.
The Venue
The exterior is part austere Victorian chemist, part shamrock-plastered Irish pub, and the interior is similarly mixed up. The barrels and creaky, ancient wooden chairs bring a Wild West saloon to mind, but there are also church pews and exquisite, authentic vintage Irish pub fittings that are probably worth a fortune in the antiques trade. There’s also a tiny smoking garden, enclosed on all sides.
The Atmosphere
The pub’s own publicity reckons you should ‘come for the value, stay for the craic’ and the craic in this case means a mixture of elderly men discussing their exploits in the betting shop, and the pub’s younger crowd gossiping and making plans for the weekend on their mobiles. There’s also free wi-fi, but you’re unlikely to see anyone take up the offer - more popular is the live Irish music from 6pm-9pm every Sunday.
The Food
You’ll be going hungry if you turn up on a Monday, but the rest of the week there’s a similarly mixed array of cuisine. From Tuesday to Saturday you can take your pick from traditional English pub nosh or Thai, with their ‘any curry, any drink’ offer good value at £5.99. On Sundays there’s a roast on offer for £6.99.
The Drink
Cut price but decent quality - where else can you get a pint of excellent Guinness for under three pound coins? On Thursdays the prices go even lower, with a double Scotch, brandy or vodka and a dash just £2.50, and pints of John Smiths, Carling and Strongbow just £2.
The Last Word
It’s not the most glamorous of pubs, but The Old Dispensary has not only value on its side, but also a uniquely mixed up, eclectic approach to offering something for everyone. Almost certainly the best Irish/English/Thai Wild West saloon this side of the river.
Old Dispensary has been reviewed by 2 users