Montague Arms

Very quirky pub in appearance. Stuffed animals… old globes… a whole spectrum of items that can only really be gathered under a term like ‘random paraphanalia’
Proper Job, a favourite of mine, was in strange condition… in that the first few sips were the beer in top condition but later in the pint it got a little vinegary.
A musical pub. There was much talk of guitars at the bar and someone was soundchecking in the next room. Be aware that they may be charging entry if there is a live show when you happen by.
The toilets were a little gross, occupied as they were by a swarm of flies (which should be the name of a band).

This pub has finally reopened and is still splendid.
Amazing interior like someone’s wild dream of copper piping making the world go round with a little spot of taxidermy to help. Loads of cubby holes to hide in.
Great beer selection with a stubborn obsession with being a freehouse and thus being able to rip out a keg daily if they want. Errs on the side of a good ale rather than a lazy lager, which is again pretty welcome.
The food menu is modest (pies, chicken) but then when it’s served it’s better than most pub food you get for the price, and you wonder if there’s a lottery winning Michelin chef out the back just working to retirement in a less demanding kitchen.
Most amazingly, this is still a live venue when everyone else wants to close them, and has a massive range of music and DJs on most nights who are generally on the interesting side rather than the shit side.
Recommended!

The craziest pub in South London? Easily.
Not violent crazy, crazy crazy!
What makes this place great is that it is GENUINELY quirky. The oddball charm isn’t forced or contrived the pub looks and operates the way it does because the owners genuinely like how it is not because they saw a gap in some arcane market and decided to use gimmicks to appeal to it (and it would have to be an arcane market!)
It’s located on the one way system between Peckham and New Cross and sits between two sprawling council estates. You’re in Deep South now, baby! That’s what makes the Montague even better the incongruousness of its location. It seems like it should be located in an obscure Cornish fishing village on Halloween.
It attracts students, oddball locals and interesting old folk.
I have always lived locally, but it was never a pub I went to. I went there randomly a few years ago after having always wondered what it was like and thought it was great.
As I recall there was a lot of real ales, but not being a Real Ale Twat” (© Viz), I don’t know whether they were any good or not, I stuck to lager. A previous review stated that food is served in here I’m not sure I’d risk sampling it to be honest but it could be great, so make you’re own decisions on that.
Stuffed animals, skeletons, dusty books, a dark interior and a coating of dust over all the accoutrements that adds to the atmosphere.
Spending a few hours in here and then stepping back out into the wilds of the manor is a truly strange experience. Totally different to any other pubs in the local area — or any other area come to think of it.
It’s maybe not one to go to regularly, but for a laugh and a bit of variety you’ve got to try it.

Terrifying south London pub with a collection of weird animal plaques on the walls, pirate skeletons and a comprehensive range of board games.
I don’t even think it’s quirkiness is an offshot of the art college area I think they’re genuinely weirdos, which makes it all the more charming.
Cheap drinks, a little scary and often has slightly disturbing live entertainment it really is a New Cross/​Peckham gem.

An amazing little pub! This is such a cute place where there are old people behind the bar. Very very friendly!
They host amazing Burlesque nights there and had a great performance just recently!
It really worth going!

I was quite put off when I heard that the Montague Arms pub in New Cross used to be a hang out for Jim Davidson back in the day. Having begrudgingly been rope into going there though, it seems that the Davidson issue is a thing long-​since passed. This is very much a traditional «old-man’s» pub, yet everything about the codger-​vibe has been exaggerated to the nth degree.
If you’re a vegetarian you may want to think twice about coming here, mainly because there’s a plethora of stuffed animals that lines the dark and dingy walls (even a stuffed zebra). Amongst this weird animal burial grounds, the elderly couple who own the place have managed to collect barrel loads of eccentricities– it’s almost like a museum of vulgarities and other misfit objects. But it’s quite exciting and addictive at the same time.
The range of drinks is somewhat limited, but cheep and bar snacks are available, although you may have to take the bar staff’s curmudgeonous attitude with a pinch of salt. A few nights a week they put on show’s who, to a large extent, are local bands with a few bigger out-​of-​town names. I would recommend going, even if it is just to see how peculiar it really is

My reviews seem to consist solely of the quirks of South East London but the Montague Arms is perhaps the motherlode of pubs in the area for quirksome attributes.
The staff consist of a group of very small elderly folk who nonetheless are a very friendly bunch. Drinks are a mix of the usual fare and some of the Samuel Smith beers that Soho pub affiliates will be familiar with. Live music is regularly to hand on the stage at the front of the venue.
The environs are what really make the Montague it’s own place though. Deer heads on the wall, an old carriage, board games scattered over the back all collaborate to give you the impression that some sort of archane pirate barge carrying the sum contents of a small 1940s church fate crash landed into the rear of the pub.
It’s a very unique décor and really gives the place it’s own vibe. Check it out if you get the chance!

An amazing little pub, apparently voted one of the best in Britain– I wouldn’t be surprised; inside there is a carriage with a stuffed zebra’s head in it. And you can play scrabble or any one of the hundreds of board games strewn around the pub.
The owners are a little old couple who look like ghosts (!) and are really lovely to chat too. You can really tell that the pub has been theirs for a long time, and that they are unwilling to ever sell out. Always bustling, and even if it isn’t the atmosphere is unique; quirky and a bit spooky. I have been there for band nights, burlesque nights, rowdy nights and quiet nights and it has always been an endearing place to go to.
Drink prices are average, and there is a huge selection of beers and ales in keeping with the pub ethics. Really bizarre little place, but one that will stick in your memory and one you will want to return to!

Went here first in January after being prodded and poked into braving the wilds of New Cross for a Sunday roast by my best mate. Any whining about the fuss and the buses to get there stopped as soon as I crossed the threshold though.
The interior is amazing and surreal. A weird mix of nautical odds and ends, tools, taxidermy, and other assorted knick-​knacks made for one of the most eclectic inns I’ve ever been in.
Real ales included London Pride, Speckled Hen, and Black Sheep, and we had a Sunday roast which was great value.
Not exactly the first port of call for vegetarians (especially given the mammals hung on the walls and the zebra in a horse-​drawn carriage) but there were two dishes for non-​meateaters.
We were also thrilled to hear renditions of The Wheels on the Bus and Run Rabbit Run played on a keyboard on the stage where they usually have even more exciting bands.