A while ago this was a bit of a shithole.
A place for the ne'er do wells of Grove Park (if there are such a thing) to congregate or for pissed off people waiting for yet another delayed overground train. A little bit transient and charmless. And train station pubs should at least be charming shouldn't they?
Well, the charm has been restored.
The Old Station House sits at the centre of a particularly quaint and villagy spot across from a charming set of shops and wide peaceful roads. And the train track, which makes every road a dead end and gives places near train tracks exactly this type of villagy feel.
The pub is a big building and they've done a good job inside. Warm wood panels, stoves at each end, a sweeping bar, nice wooden floor and comfortable low slung furniture one end, smart but relaxed dining area the other. Spacious and airy. Staropramen on tap. What's not to like?
I've been twice recently and had an excellent meal both times.
Shared a mezze with the missus which was fresh and vibrant. The humous and tzatziki tasted home made to us, the flat bread was superb, bursting with grilledness. Salad lovely and fresh. A really good board of food. And before that I had mushrooms on toast which knocked the one I reviewed at the Hampshire Hog into a cocked hat for £3 less.
A while ago we had a Sunday roast there too. This was also excellent, although the place was heaving and there were plenty of rugrats tapping away at the ankles so beware if you have an aversion.
It's a tiny bit out of the way for us and we have so many great pubs within spitting distance of where we live. But we still visit which proves how nice it is. The sort of place you could happily while away plenty of time at.
Delayed train? lucky you! read more