Sunday. The day of Roasts. Without wanting to side with one particular place to get "the best roast in London", this Sunday's outing lead me to the Hare & Billet in Blackheath. The pub was relatively busy and full of people eating. Upon further inspection, there were really only about 12 or so tables available. One of the bigger ones was occupied by the Manager/Owner doing the books, which seemed odd, cause more than a few groups walked in, saw no open tables and then left. Ok, back to the roast. I love roast, beef and chicken especially. However, when I'm in a new place experiencing their roast for the first time, I always go with beef. Wow, what a disappointment. I head good things about this place, but this was just not good. The place should be called Bland & Tasteless. The only thing that was remotely decent on my plate was the Yorkshire pudding and I'm pretty sure it was pre-bought from somewhere else. If not, then they need to give the same attention to the rest of the roast as they do the Yorkshire. As a pub, it is pretty lively and even has a friendly labrador pub dog. Being it's a Green King, you'll get your typical and a few non-typical ales. There are definitely a lot of locals, all taking up the bar area on this Sunday afternoon. For me, it is local and convenient, but so are a number of other places in very short distance that have better food and larger ale selections. Two-stars just for the Yorkshire pudding. read more

My second time reviewing this pub, but the first time I've had a meal here. Wife and I picked a quiet(ish) Friday afternoon, and had a pretty relaxed late lunch. Food was hot, plentiful and tasty (I had the fish and chips - not as boring as it sounds - while my wife had the vegetarian Glamorgan burger; we had onion rings as a side dish). Desserts were a good apple pie (with ice-cream) and a sticky toffee and date pudding (with custard - probably Ambrosia, out of a carton, said my learned custard-consuming companion). Washed my lunch down with a pint of IPA (OK) and a Hydes Bitter (better); OH had a large G&T. Total bill was around £32. Service was friendly and efficient (the time of day probably helped, as it has certainly been busier when I've visited at weekends), and we didn't have too long to wait for our food. read more

Idyllic location with all the parkland around it. You wouldn't believe how close you are to the centre of London. But bad bad Greene King Beer. I went for Moorland Original as I had not heard of it before, but it was no escape, it was unmistakably Greene King. Shame..as the pub looks so nice. Hopefully Greene King will expand their experimental scheme allowing pubs to buy from local micros to this place! The other reviewers mention a range of beers, so it can't always have been this way. read more

We went here for Sunday lunch and received very poor service, the website claims that they server food from noon until 8pm on a Sunday and we turned up at around 3.30pm to find the place fairly full. There was no room in the restaurant area but the polite waiter there informed us that we were more than welcome to order food if we found a table in the bar area, although that they'd be taking the last food orders at 4pm. So we went to the bar area and found a table, and spent a while looking through the menu deciding what we wanted. At this point another waiter came over to us and informed us quite flippantly that he'd decided to close the kitchen right then and would be taking no more orders. It was about 3.45pm at this point. We informed the waiter that the other chap had told us the kitchen was taking last orders at 4pm, and so we were planning to order before then. The second waiter didn't seem concerned in the slightest about this and told us that he'd take the final order from the table next to us since they'd reservered their table in advance, but that he wouldn't take our order. It was one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard from a waiter! He made a half hearted apology and gave the excuse that they were running out of some of the items on the menu, which really made no sense as usually when a place has run out of some dishes you just order from what they still have. And if they were willing to serve the people next to us why was it too much trouble to take our order as well? The odd thing was that the waiter acted as if this was perfectly normal, to close a kitchen when he felt like it and without any concern for the people who had sat down and were waiting to order. It's the type of service that's so odd you just wouldn't go back. I was left with the impression that due to the pub's popular location on the heath they've decided that they don't need to bother with customer service as they'll get enough footfall anyway. read more

I do like this pub. I always have fun here. But it's very erm 'Blackheath'. By this I mean that you'll end up talking to someone about redoing your bathroom, and the rise in house prices. Sorry, but that's not my idea of stimulating conversation. Thats the difference between Greenwich and Blackheath. All those hip young professionals live on this side of the park. So if you want chats with posh thirty somethings, then you'll have fun here. I like my posh hirty something friends, so I do have fun here. But I woulnd't come here on my own for a quiet pint. The food looks nice though. One other thing. I won't come here in Winter when it's dark. You can't get to the pub from Blackheath station without walking across the common. There isn't even a path to walk on so it's not even lit. Don't wlak alone in the dark, meet your firends at the station. read more

One of the first pubs I visited when moved to the area. The Hare and Billet overlooks the Heath and has a much more local feel than places such as the Princess over on the other side of the green. I've heard the food is tastey though I've yet to sample it for myself. Usually not too busy due to being a little bit set back from main Blackheath village. The Hare and Billet is a good pub for an evening sit down drink with friends. read more

Thought it was worth noting that the Hare and Billet was recently refurbd with real ales and gourmet food... I think this is the first review since the refurb. The food that was available was exquisiteness cooked. Feta and broad bean salad stater was fresh and rich with the flavour of the ingredients rather than the flavour of an over eager vinaigrette. The lamb came with the best slice off potato gratin ever made with a perfect measure of nutmeg. Full Review Here http://wp.me/p2yXJS-aN read more

Blackheath is actually very safe, if not a bit chilly during the winter months. hoever i do agree with you on the greenwich/ blackheath bit- this pub is very nice, ideal if you are redoing youre house. wuite a small pub, but very friendly read more

this is a nice local pub. tended to go here at lunchtime for a liquid lunch on a Friday, and this is one of the slightly pricier pubs in Blackheath but it also is the one with the best food. They have quite a good selection of food but don't tend to do many specials. It slightly away from the main village so it don't get as busy as the rest of the pubs as well which is quite nice. It's a very friendly feeling when you enter the pub, and you find that it keeps going with the staff. The drinks are slightly overpriced. But hay it is blackheath read more

The best pub for a quite drink in Blackheath. It almost has a country feel to it.

Like a lot of pubs in Blackheath, this one became the in place to be at one point, on a summer evening there were hundreds of people outside, having a laugh and enjoying a drink, then someone from the councils office of lets stop the fun, showed up and put an end to all that, so the crowds of bright young things moved on to pastures new. What were you left with, well actually a pretty decent pub, not the in place to be, but decent all the same. It does a loverly pint of bodingtons, and the atmosphere is happy and relaxed,friendly bar staff. read more

A local with a decent range of beers and wine, pretty good menu and lots of character. It gives a nice view of the heath just a shame you can't take drinks outside onto it. read more

Nice and quaint pub. Food was pretty good and the drinks were spot-on. Not too pricey either.

I've been here a couple of times and it's quite a good pub. Has a good selection of beers and is certainly less pretentious atmosphere than most of the other pubs in Blackheath. I haven't tried the food there, it looks like it is fairly standard pub food, but as I say I can't be sure. For me it is the sort of pub I like to go to on a Sunday afternoon after a stroll across the heath. The bar staff are friendly and it is a good place for a pint! read more

The Hare and Billet is a funny pub, it is a real ale fans favourite as it has a wide selection of beers and it does nice food though not the best roast dinner that you'll ever find. It reminds me of pubs in the lake district and seems to attract that sort of 'walker-type' crowd. It has a nice lay out (though it has the coldest toilets in the world and no baby changing table) and I've been told that the landlord is pretty grumpy though I've never seen any evidence of that. They don't have a juke box so it's nice and quiet in the evenings even when it's full up (which is quite often is on a Saturday night), it's in a lovely spot over looking the heath so it's a nice place to have a sunday stroll to for a bit of lunch especially on a chilly day. read more

Easily the best pub in Blackheath. Very comfortable for a few pints in the evening. I agree with other comments regarding the range of ales on sale. All GK with guests often taken up with other GK beers such as Speckled Hen and Moreland. If they started selling more local micro beers they may move up to a 5. read more

I really love the Hare & Billet pub - always a nice atmosphere, nice crowd etc & far enough away from Blackheath Village to deter the idiots. HOWEVER. Last sunday we decided to try it out for Sunday lunch and I have to say, never will I eat in there again. I chose not to have a roast as I find that 9/10 they are a dissappointment as most people prefer their own - so instead I opted for the fish special which was baked salmon with salad. There was nothing wrong with the salad buy my God, I reckon the salmon had been previously frozed for at least 150 years and then boiled furiously until it was the texture of grainy old beef - it was vile. My friends all had roasts and predictably they were bad - you could barely tell the difference between the different meats & each plate resembled a badly put together school dinner (minus the vegetables - there was nothing that wasn't beige or brown on the plate). We decided that pudding was best avoided. what a shame. read more

Very nice pub away from the busier places in central Blackheath. Lovely atmosphere and a good place to catch up with friends or to go on a date. read more