MrBen

Very interesting to see the current barometer of pubs/bars on the lane at the moment - its subtly changing all the time and not always in the way longtime drinkers in the area would expect. The Great Exhibition is a great example. Its always been popular but its also been a slow grower on non peak nights. Monday night last week in there was full and you couldn't get a table (2 for 1 burger night). Like Franklins they've focussed on a neighbourhood vibe and people are going there for decent food, a good cosy atmosphere and great music. It's rammed and these are all people going there as a destination (not random footfall as per EDT). Franklins are also now doing busy steady pub trade with locals and restaurant goers alike now that they've relaxed things a bit and they continue to deliver good stuff consistently. The Pig is now looking super pricey and now that the shine has worn off is not as busy as it should be. Th eEDT is trading nicely but has the highest count of randoms /passing footfall. The Gowlett? I couldn't even find standing room in there on Friday night. It still has a low key charm to it, friendly regulars of all ages, colours and creeds and still the best pizza's around in my humble opinion.

Jocky. You're from Dalkeith? Then Sema's won't even register on your scale of good. If it's all relative by English standards then it's probably ok ish. Sorry but Scottish chippies are three leagues up from anything you get down here.

Alan Medic wrote: > You can't blame the American's for the ignorance > of people here. As for it being grotesque, it's > just another day of sales in shops. I think it all > the publicity the day has got has helped cause a > type of feeding frenzy. But that's the thing Alan. Stupid people...what can you do. ..but I don't want to be American. The UK retail industry has just embraced and created the sales equivalent of crack. With the media amplifying that. America is a civilisation on the decline. It is full of the worst excesses of capitalist greed. It might be my hangover but basically Americans trying to bring their shit over here and make us dance to it can #???# right off back to Kansas.

Somehow we've managed to pollute our usual shopping rituals with this grotesque Americanism. When people are living below the poverty line and hitting food banks....who are the people knocking down old ladies to get thirty quid off a flat screen telly? It's really depressing.

And don't get me started on North London. Going up there brings me out in a clammy sweat.

All of the places above feel the same to me apart from Bromley which is like a 1980s moonbase accessed by a black hole.

Skehans is the hot ticket in Nunhead. Angry, chain smoking old men in tracksuits.

Actually Otta....from The Raider himself... http://deserter.co.uk/2014/08/get-thee-to-nunhead/

Side question: what happens when you feed an already arrogant bar team with lots of cheap builders grade ching? Do they become: A: More modest, pleasant and focussed on the customer OR B: Al Pacino at the end of Scarface. Ego driven. Losing focus on the customer and their front of house execution.

Move over Dulwich and Peckham....Penge is the hot ticket now.

Things not to say at a Late Knights garden centre bash: "What this place needs to really kick start it is a Cafe Nero" "The property here is a bargain" "Anyone know a decent baby reiki joint?"

Everyone is moving to Penge.

If you think about it. The food scene in London just gets more and more sophisticated.Very like NYC. Like rock and roll music, how far can that go? Perhaps when we have a Peruvian truffle shop on the lane in 2036 it will all have been done. Until then I'm going to have me some excellent fresh pasta.

There is a hip scene going down in Penge. Those in East Dulwich who much derided it can but dream....their two garden centres now bulldozed for "luxury" housing. Oversleeping on the 176 now has a bonus ending. Big up the Penge.

Good post LouiseC.

Indeed. Could it be "careful what you wish for?". Having freedom of choice on stock is a good thing. But would it work for all demographics? Perhaps there is something to be said for mainlining Carling to those pubs where drinkers couldn't give a monkeys about the latest regional craft brew...and yes...plenty of places like that still happily exist......

DulwichFox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > AllyCat Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Gosh, you really are full of the joys of > spring, > > aren't you? > > You might say that you're not glad or smug but > you > > are making sure everyone knows "I told you so" > > I'm sure local businesses must be so happy to > hear > > that! > > Can't you try and be a little more positive?! > been there myself.. > > and therefore know what I'm talking about. > > Too many people here suffer from selective > reading. > > DulwichFox And perhaps selective hearing on your part Foxy? Seriously give it a rest - I'm sure you're a decent guy at heart but you're spoiling all of these threads for the less miserable majority.

A recent consultation around proposals to scrap the tied pub model suggests that doing so would lose more pubs and more jobs versus keeping it. Others looking for change and independence strongly disagree. Either way, last weeks rumblings in parliament indicate that major industry changes could be coming..... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11246223/Beer-prices-may-fall-as-beer-tie-is-scrapped.html (ignore awful embedded ad)

Some of the posters on here to be honest. You get little insights from their writing and it feels like a fair bit of lonely, sad and angry out there. Which translates to some depressing shit on here. I wish peace on all of them. (And it's not even Christmas yet).

edcam Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Do you need a "Chelsea lifestyle" to use estate > agents/pizza/indian/Italian/gift shops then? edcam, the jist seems to be.... curry is good and helps you live longer. Having 8 curry houses on the lane is great and they last without doing much visible business because they are busy all the time. Italian food on the other hand is bad and we have too many Italian eateries. Cafes / coffee shops generally are also bad - why bother when you can do it at home?

The Patch....appears to now be closed. At least it was all last night (Thursday).

Agree LondonMix. I'm a big fan of this place as it happens....nice addition to the Lane.

Cross posted but as Fahrenheit is the new Hai Karate I win.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It's not all just 'luck' If you were brave you > could get a deal in the not so distant past of > 2009ish but most people didn't want to. Ditto > 1991-95 for the older ones (or mid/late 70s for > the even older). Where we are sitting now most > non-owners looking to buy in SE22 need a big > salary job or parental help or on a macro-level > some decent general inflation or a crash or > ...neither of which look especially likely in the > short to medium term. This. I said as much on one of the property threads and got shot down by frustrated sheep buyers in 2014 lamenting the crazy prices. I argued that many of those who were lucky enough to have the means to buy in 2009-2011 didn't through fear. I wont be popular for saying this but surely we're all ultimately responsible for the choices we make in life, whether it's career (and salary), timing of a house purchase whatever. That's not to say that the current situation isn't messed up, inequitable and out of kilter for people on average salaries - it clearly is. But luck you cant do much about, personal choices you can. And the implications of the choices we make often last a lifetime....

My Canadian missus doesn't get British/Danish bacon. When she "does" bacon it's only ever streaky and only ever cooked crisp /rigid. She can't actually cook it any other way and gets very confused when I do my European wide rashers. And I also like it in pasta better than pancetta.....