Jolly Gardeners, Vauxhall  

The Jolly Gardeners (or 'Zeitgeist @ the Jolly Gardeners' if you want to get technical) describes itself as London's first German pub. Whilst not strictly true, considering the German love of beer, it's surprising there aren't more places like this. Situated on the rundown Black Prince Road just south of the river, it's rather intimidating from the outside. High windows prevent you seeing in properly, while the black paint job makes it look a like a funeral parlour. Inside the black theme continues, with the modern elevated bench seating sitting uneasily with the last vestiges of this Victorian boozer. It also felt sparse, with the scattering of high tables and chairs looking rather like a forest after a visit from an over-enthusiastic lumberjack. Still, as a German pub the most important thing is the beer, which doesn't disappoint. With both dark and wheat beers amongst the 20+ selection, you'll find Bitburger, Paulaner, Erdinger and Warsteiner. While not exactly groundbreaking if you've ever propped up a good bar in Berlin, the choice is still impressive by London standards. They also show German footy, which was proving popular with the German ex-pats present. The food, as expected, was meat heavy, with plenty of sausages and meatloaf dishes to chose from at reasonable prices. There might be a few niggles keeping this as a two pint rated pub, but things are improving so we'll return again soon.

reviewed:
19/08/2008

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

Large selection of both bottled and draft German beers

Sky TV (2 screens)

beer garden

two pool tables

karaoke

jukebox and dj

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