It is not clear how this confusion crept in, but Pub Spy is not a wedding singer. Requests are absolutely discouraged. 

But maybe sometimes a landlord spends too long in the cellar and confusion kicks in and they mistakenly feel it is ok to call News Shopper to ask for a visit.

Normally these presumptive requests will not even reach me, and that could be because the news desk is concerned for the welfare of said landlords.

However, sometimes the caller is so brazen and confident that they will impress Pub Spy that, quite frankly, they are asking for it.

And so I visited The White Hart in New Cross.

This pub has had a spot of ‘bad publicity’ in recent times. In 2009, there was a palaver about the prospect of windows being blacked out and lapdancers moving in. That doesn’t appear to have happened.

After a short walk from the station at New Cross Gate, which felt like a Himalayan hike because of a bitter wind, I was glad to find somewhere to rest my feet.

Commanding the corner of New Cross Road and Queen’s Road, The White Hart is welcoming from the outside. Crossing the road, you are virtually sucked in.

Walking in, at around 5pm on a weekday afternoon, it was spookily quiet.
Half of the pub floor, separated from the entry, even appeared to be closed with lights off.

In terms of decor, this is actually an attractive pub. There walls are a fetching mauve and there’s kind of a silver match going on with the furniture. There is a good ratio of seating to floor space, comfy looking bench seats, lots of stools at the bar and generally a nice finish.

Some among you may be thinking this scene sounds a bit feminine. Well, that is because you have not met the pub characters.

Ken, who runs the place, appears to be a genuine saarf Laaandan geezer with close cropped grey hair, gravelly voice and potty mouth.

At the bar was an old boy, a proper old regular – the sort who remembers the Norman invasion and is not afraid to tell you about it.

Within 10 minutes I felt like a local. The two guys effortlessly cut me in on their conversation and had genuine warmth.

It’s just a shame this pub had a few sticking points. It seems like it is only three-quarters of the way through a refurb.

The message that was conveyed to me by the Shopper hack who took the call was that I should try the food. Well, I wanted to but Ken swiftly told me they’re not doing any yet.

Maybe I’ll have something unusual to drink, I thought. There were the usual boring choices on tap but all the pumps were heartbreakingly turned around.
I forlornly took a Fosters (£3.50). Perhaps they should have waited before making the call.

 

The White Hart, New Cross Road, New Cross SE14 5AA

How it rated:

Decor *** (The half that appeared open was very attractive)

Drink * (I had Fosters)

Price ** (a touch high)

Atmosphere *** (Just a regular away from being zero, but I felt welcome)

Staff *** (Ken’s a nice bloke)