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Yelp
My local pub of choice, and while there are two or three pubs nearer to home it's always worth the ten minute walk up to Nunhead Green for a well-kept pint and a decent dinner.
A bit of a turn around from a year ago. Managers had lost interest, the beer was barely drinkable and you would only think about ordering food if you were really starving, drunk or more likely a combination of the two.
Happy to report that pretty much everything has been turned around by the new team headed up by Lou and Dan. It's been a gradual process rather than a quick fix and that's why I think the good times might be here to stay at The Old Nuns Head.
The decor is cosy and there are some interesting bits of furniture dotted around the spacious drinking/eating area. Downstairs it's a three part arrangement with a more relaxed chilling type area to the left of the bar with a real fire, there are three nice "booth" tables immediately in front of the bar and to the right there is a fairly large area with an assortment of old school tables and chairs and another real fire. Lighting is subtle and adjusted to match the mood and time of day.
The pub attracts a very mixed clientele, with plenty of long term residents of Nunhead alongside more obvious newcomers. The solitary drinker will find it a pleasant place to while away an hour but be warned it does get very busy with couples and kids during the day at the weekend. Free wifi means you will normally find a few people surfing with their pint.
Dreaming of the return of summer you have a nice drinking deck area out back and a couple of outside tables at the front of the pub if you want to soak up some rays and watch the locals go by.
Upstairs there is another bar inside a large wood panelled "function" room which is usually pretty well occupied. Easycome have been long term stalwarts with quality country acts on a Wednesday night but we are now also being treated to movies, occasional reggae and Northern Soul nights and ping pong tournaments. Also seems to be a popular space to hire out for a private party.
Beer has been turned round in a major way and much hard work has resulted in the well-deserved award of the Cask Mark. There are three cask ales which are regularly rotated and chosen with care so there is always something interesting to try out.
Last weekend we had the Xmas Ale Festival with a nice selection of 10 cask ales and 4 ciders. The Brew Dog Paradox was a bit of a stand out and went a little bit too well with a brownie.
Wine is the one area that I think needs really some more attention as it's a pretty poor selection and we always struggle to find something decent to drink. B usually ends up on the Malbec because there is really nothing worth trying on the white list. It's by far the best of what's available by the glass, but given the choice I will usually just stick to the beer. Come on guys get us some good vino, the pub deserves it.
There is an interesting and evolving menu which has the tiny kitchen in mind. Keep an eye out for the specials on the blackboard as they are usually worth a try; I recently had a top notch coq ou vin and B was very complementary about the ravioli with pumpkin and ricotta. Last weekend I had the fish, chips and mushy peas while sampling a few beers at the Ale Festival and it was spot on with crispy batter and just right chips. Special mention must be made of the brownie; slightly crisp on the outside with a soft, almost oozing centre which delivers an intense chocolate kick .
At the weekend there is a good brunch selection and the Sunday roast for a tenner with a choice of chicken, beef or pork served with all the trimmings is very well cooked and presented with a bit of thought.
Although not trying to be a gastro pub The Old Nuns Head is turning out some very tasty food, with well sourced ingredients, at reasonable prices and for that, and a very decent pint, I salute you.
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Has had a recent makeover by a new couple running the pub and is much more appealing for it - cosy but quirky seems to be the style.
Ale seems to be looked after with more care - the pint of Flying Dutchman I'm enjoying is crystal clear with a good head. Very tasty.
Food choice looks good and no doubt I will post my thoughts later.
7/10. Things are looking up in Nunhead.