Part of our Best Pubs in London microsite. Is your local listed?
One of the most important beer pubs in London is barely in London at all. Carshalton used to be Surrey, but now lies within the Borough of Sutton. Surrey's loss is the capital's gain, for this is a true treasure house for real ale fans.
The Hope wins some kind of CAMRA award every year. As soon as you reach the bar, it's obvious why. Here's how they describe it:
With 7 Ale pumps (usually including Windsor & Eton, Knight of the Garter, Downton New Forest Ale, a Dark, a Strong and a Hoppy beer and usually served in lined pint and half glasses), 3 Real Ciders, 3 Keg fonts with craft beers (we also sell beer in thirds) 20+ different cans and a wide choice of foreign beers you won't be lacking choice when you reach the bar.
The choice was even wider on our visit, with a small beer festival taking place in the sizeable back yard. Indoors, punters will find a nook for every occasion, with little hideaway snugs, huge tables for larger parties, and a bright conservatory with plenty of room. The front bar area is the place to sit if you want to get chatting to the regulars.
The Hope's story is as warming as a seat by their open fire. The place almost closed down in 2010, but a group of regular customers lobbied hard and eventually bought out the lease. It's literally ran by beer drinkers, for beer drinkers. The clientele is a mix of that local fanbase, and those who've travelled from afar from regions where the pub's fame precedes it. For the record, we sampled Bingham's woodsmoke porter, a Cannonball from Magic Rock Brewing and a Belgian coffee brown ale from Brodie's.
Images below this line are from a 2015 visit, and may not represent the current appearance. We leave them in for the sake of nostalgia.