BALHAM, BRIEFLY

March 2026. Balham. London.

A second London pub tick in quick succession, the Southeastern service presumably making a request stop just for me at Balham, where I had a restorative double espresso in a cute station obssessed with the local football team.

Matcha seems the drink of choice. What even is matcha ?

What of Balham ? Weird art under the railway arch,

a scary street water dispenser (I overfilled my espresso cup, very badly),

and a first GBG newbie since the days of the Bowls Club and the Bedford.

The bar/Thai diner Firefly claims to have been around since 2004, which almost suggests a Long Service Award of Guide inclusion for a landlord called Mr R. Jenkinson Esq. But actually it’s not bad at all.

CAMRA tells me the freeholder is (deep breath);

“The Provost And Scholars Of The House Of The Blessed Mary The Virgin In Oxford Of The Foundation Of Edward Ii Of Famous Memory Sometime King Of England“.

I’m guessing the Provost and Scholars don’t personally choose the beer board, a thoroughly modern list,

from which Hophead is a well conditioned NBSS 3, and for a fiver in SW12 is practically a bargain, even if it’s been neutered to 3.4% for the duty savings.

A good allrounder, reminscent of that Oakham Thai place in Kennington.

Quite a Clapham crowd, mind, who seem to get animated as the soundtrack moves from “Against All Odds” (RIP Phil) to “Clocks”.

Coldplay is ALWAYS my queue to leave.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

18 thoughts on “BALHAM, BRIEFLY”

  2. Indeed, what is matcha? The same goes for bubble tea, which you can get in Lerwick, no need to go to the Canary Islands.
    Today, the ubiquitous soundtrack was Latino cocktail jazz. Did manage to go to the Cathedral to connect to my inner Catholic and get to the top of the tower via the Otis Elevator of Salvation.

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  3. As this is the most recent blog post here, I shall take the opportunity to let all know the results of (our) Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society’s (Chicago, IL.) “March Forth for Froth” Pub Crawl.
    It always takes place on March 4th, so this year, it was on a Wednesday.

    The Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society proclaim the results of this year’s “March Forth for Froth” Pub Crawl.

    At its height, we had three participants on the crawl. It is unsatisfying that we receive very limited publicity for our foray. Food and beverage spots *which are yet to open* get puff pieces from World-Wide Web sites which decline to acknowledge our existence (and not-for-profit status). We have been around much longer than places which obtained publicity from them, *but are no longer in business*.

    Our key aspect is that *we do not charge participants* to take part in our pub crawl. Most other pub crawls are conducted by profiteering enterprises selling non-refundable tickets. Once somebody pays the funds requested, the enterprise gets to keep the funds even if the buyer does not appear.

    We perplex what we apparently need to perform in order to attract attention. Yours truly suggests _more frequent happenings_, with a wider area of pubs to visit (and grade). I also offer we should remain on weeknights, as weekends pile up brew-worthy occurances, and prospective venues experience more patronage.

    #1: Gretel, 2833 W. Armitage Ave.
    Gretel was the most liked stop on the Pub Crawl. Its Honest Pour, Tap Selection, Freshness, and Friendliness were outstanding. There was less agreement as to its Value, Pub Decor, and Ventilation. But this was insufficient to rate it lower. An Intangible may be if the venue is swarming when a patron enters. It was not this night.

    #2: Babe’s Sports Bar, 3017 W. Armitage Ave.
    This venue was swarming this night. What kept it from the top grade were its limited Tap Selection (but its array of available draughts was notable), and more critically, its draughts were not 16-oz. Its Freshness, Friendliness, and Intangibles were Outstanding. We also remark that one does not have to be female (or identify as female) to call on here.

    #3: The Moonlighter, 3204 W. Armitage Ave. [entrance on Kedzie Ave.]
    The Moonlighter lands here because it was graded Acceptable for the whelming number of our measurements. A patron dropping in will be satisfied with it. It was showing the U.S. Womens’ National Soccer Team’s match; and will also display a sports match with males competing.

    #4: Way Out, 3213 W. Armitage Ave.
    As is understandable, something must finish in the bottom spot. But Way Out deservedly finished here because of its Unacceptable under-16-oz. draught size, and a Tap Selection which Needs Improvement. Yours truly switched to packaged beer while here. Its Happy Hour delivered on Value and Pub Decor.

    On behalf of the Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society, I am Steve “Pudgy” De Rose. 🍻🤗

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    1. Not that I’d want RM to adapt his own format, I did enjoy the punchy and concise reviews, although I’m never likely to visit the windy city (nearly did once, when planning a visit to see US-based friends, but couldn’t be doing with another visit to the US embassy to beg for a visa). What’s the sub 16oz issue – not serving in big enough glasses or not filling them to the ‘line’?

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    3. I absolutely love this, Steve, more please.

      We were entertaining friends from Chicago (NOT Dick and Barb) in Sheffield over the weekend and I really wanted to find out more about Chicago bars. I note on Untappd that the latest review for Gretel is by “Brad” for a “Peanut Butter Fat Pug NITRO“

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      1. I’m very much of the opinion that once I’m in Monk’s Pub, I don’t really need to go anywhere else. Great bar with great beer. It’s all I want.

        Unless I’m up around the ballpark, then it’s Murphy’s or the Cubby Bear. Best vibes ever on gamedays.

        I really need to go back.

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    1. Sadly, Phil died in 1982 with the release of “You Can’t Hurry Love“. Genesis may have lasted a year later till the release of “Genesis“, though opinions on “Mama” vary.

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  6. Looking at that beer board, am pleasantly surprised that Belleville still going to be honest. Their taproom must be doing a fair amount of heavy lifting.

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      1. I mainly think of them as being the kind of micro-brewery that got their cans into the independent bottle shops, plus the bigger/midrange wine retailers, Oddbins (when they were a thing again), Majestic, Wine Rack etc.

        I never remember encountering them in cask very much, but independent pubs in that part of SW (and W) London might have them on one or two keg taps, and maybe they’ve muscled in on a few big pub company accounts as an indie option.

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