At the Runoff we don’t usually take requests as that would make us no better than, say, a wedding singer. However, we’re nothing if not inconsistent, so when the King’s Arms in Kennington Lane asked us to visit their new beer garden as it is the biggest in Kennington that left us feeling intrigued, so we popped open the hatch to our subterranean office and toddled over there to see if the statement was true. 

The inside of the King’s Arms has its usual group of locals who’ve been going there for a long time (maybe not when it was a gay bar), but the very spacious outside is a younger brood who were watching sport on the many TV’s and generally just enjoying themselves. All of the spaces, including 4 enclosed banquettes, are bookable. And since it is fully outside it isn’t as noisy as more enclosed spaces. The drinks are nothing to get too excited about, but we had a very well priced and drinkable Cruzcampo, from Spain. People were also having cocktails and wine, 

As the weather gets nicer, al fresco King’s Arms is a good alternative to being indoors, and an even better alternative to a certain pub in Kennington Cross with outdoor seating that masquerades as independent, but is in reality just another outlet of a faceless mega chain. King’s Arms, if you’re reading this (and if not, you really should be) the only area of development we suggest is to take down the fencing facing Kennington Lane so the world can see that you, in fact, have the largest beer garden in Greater Kennington. Salud!