Tag Archives: Black Dog

Outdoor Pubs in Greater Kennington

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We were summonsed into the office today to address that strange, heat producing orb almost never seen on a Bank Holiday. Executed in haste but with exquisite precision, below is our guide top local independent(ish) pubs with outdoor seating. We’ve left out the big chain pubs and those that cram a few benches to within 6 feet of the wheels of the #3 bus.

Orbit Brewery – Walworth. Winners of our highly relished ‘best Sunday Roast’, Orbit is our own little brewery tucked in railway arch in Walworth, with a large and quiet beer garden in front. Tzatzikii beer is on tap.

Old Red Lion – Kennington Park Rd. Fun, young pub with a faux Elizabethan meets car boot sale feel. Shady garden at the back.

The Rosy Hue – Elephant Park. Swishy gastropub in the newish Elephant Park. Very dog friendly and some quiet seats outside.

Betty and Joans – Elephant Park. Cool and trendy gay pub that’s straight friendly. Lots of outdoor space and huge doors bringing the outdoors indoors. They have a cracking comedy night but it is unfortunately not outside

The Black Dog – Vauxhall. When your little pub is name checked in a Taylor Swift song you hardly need our assistance, but were giving it anyway. Friendly but very popular seating area in front and smaller area in the back that reminds us somewhat of a prison cell.

The Jolly Gardeners – Vauxhall. Another contender for our ferocious quest to unearth the best sunday roast, the space outside is often full but there is a less known outdoor space at the back which looks not dissimilar to a ski lodge.

The Duchy Arms – Sandcroft St. We’ve always felt a bit sorry for the Duchy Arms as it suffers from BPLS (thats bad pub location syndrome). But they have been gifted with an outdoor space that is so big it was once a car park. When the smoker is one they have some cracking BBQ.

The Pilgrim. – Ken/Vauxhall – Fun sports pub with a some seating to the front and more in the back. Very lively.

The Ship – Kennington Lane. Another local stalwart with a somewhat private front area. If you visit please keep your personal front area totally private.

The Tankard – Kennington Lane. The only local pub we’re aware of with a rooftop bar, and they make the most of it during the warmer months. Tankard, we are loving your retro Sunday Roast carvery. So pass the Blue Nun and crank up the Bonnie Tyler.

Now, where’s our Pimms?

Back Dog Sunday Roast

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Ahead of our profound and moving, yet highly subjective,  ‘Top Ten Best Restaurants in Greater Kennington’ (plus one Sunday roast) countdown, we recently enjoyed a Sunday roast at local stalwart the Black Dog in Vauxhall and were here to tell you about it. 

Aside from the roast, what the Dog is particularly good at are the starters and bar snacks. With a Spanish/European tilt, what looked good to us were the padron peppers, squid with wasabi mayo, and their signature Scotch eggs. For roast one, your scribe had the sirloin steak roast with a curious spinach and cream mash. The steak was very lean and thinly sliced, with generous vegetables and a not-very-Sunday-roast-but-still-delicious curious creamed spinach mixture. Sides of horseradish and apple sauce were also a treat.

  • Pork
  • Steak

Our Ombudsman Phil had the pork belly roast, which was a thick slice of rolled pork belly topped off with some crackling. The meat was well cooked, with delicious but not overwhelming fat. Yorkshire pudding pulled off the great feat of being soft yet crispy – a triumph. Good veggies alongside, not over cooked. Paul is a gravy man and gave it a big tick. There is also a good selection of Casque Marque accredited ales and beers. And a good value at £17. 

The look at the Dog is one of a fun antiques shop mixed with assorted kitchen tables.  The crowd is an interesting mix of middle class white people under the age of 35. If this describes yourself, then congratulations and you’ll fit right in. if, like us, that does not describe yourself then you’ll still feel at home as the atmosphere is very inviting. But please be warned, that the toilet marked ‘U’ is ‘urinals’ and does NOT stand for ‘unisex’. God knows we’re  not making that mistake again.