The Clock House

[Bresso]

If you are thinking of eating in the Clock House ... Dont Bother!

Extremely overpriced, undercooked (or microwaved to death!) food.

I had the chicken wraped in bacon and taragon sauce (which was mediocre) on a potato rosti which was burnt on the outside and raw in the middle! My husband burnt his mouth on the pie which was nuked to death and he wasn't impressed with the 'child' portion of mash that they served up with it. All in all, very very disappointing for a lunch which cost us near on ?20! Had it been half the price i dont think we would have reason to complain, but its too expensive for what it is.

Had we have known how rubbish the food would have been I would have gone to the Palmerston instead where the food is excellent for about the same price!

Clock House have got this wrong! PLEASE go back to serving SIMPLE GOOD pub grub at REASONABLE prices, and I bet the amount of people who eat there increases! They are way off the mark with the current menu and pricing. They could do with a new chef too! Someone who knows when things are actually cooked would be a good start!

We certainly wont be eating their overpriced nasty food again.

[mockney piers]

I did have a bit of a gripe about this after their reopening weekend.

I hope you let them know what you thought, we certainly did.

I agree, if they were charging ?6.50 a dish it'd be what you expect, at those prices they've a lot of room for improvement.

[SeanMacGabhann]

The brewery in question don't have a great reputation for food. When I go back to Devon I notice several places they have taken over and introduced a tarted-up menu with prices to match only for it to be pretty poor

The staff in The Clock House were very nice but I'm not sure they can do much about it themselves

[davidm]

went in there last tuesday had one look at unimpressive menu (surely they must now what the local competition is like). We ended up in the Herne 2 minute walk away which in comparison is light years away from the offerings at the clockhouse

[mockney piers]

Yes, I wasn't meaning to denigrate the general levels of service or beer (although the food service was chaotic but well meaning) but the quality of food was dubious, the value woeful.

[bald marauder]

Sounds like a classic candidate for Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares!

[Cat]

Yes, I agree, I had a terrible meal in there, what a rip off. Such a shame because they have missed a real opportunity, but why pay top dollar in the Clock House when you can go down the road to the Herne Tavern and for the same price get some proper food

[mikese22]

I agree too - we had possibly the worst pub meal ever there on Sunday

The goats cheese salad arrived on a bed of mashed potato (?); the fish was a curled up bit of skin and bones in soggy batter, with chips that were so oil soaked that they were bendy; the pie (which was ok) was served on a white plate with shredded white (grey) cabbage and potatoes that looked like dried walnuts - very aesthetically pleasing!

We (politely) complained and were offered a free desert but no refund or free drinks - we declined

The fitout is also a bit 'posh Wetherspoons'

We won't be going back...

[all_star]

Oh dear, I'm afraid I'm going to have to make it 9 out of 9 on the food front - we called in the other weekend and ordered a couple of sandwiches - took over an hour and both were wrong (goats cheese sandwich with no cheese/ steak sandwich on wrong bread). We did point it out to the management and put it down to teething troubles following the refit.

On the plus side, the staff were apologetic, I like what they had done with the 'snug' upstairs, and no smoking throughout is a winner for me.

Will be back for drinks but not food I think.

[badger]

Oh dear. My burger was okay (though not worth the ?8 odd) and (despite Mikese22's comments above) the plate of mashed potato, mashed swede and goats cheese (whilst not on the menu and not what we ordered) actually looked rather good in a comfort-food sort of way.

[Brendan]

Oh no, oh no, oh no. They haven't buggered the Clock House up have they?!?!?!?!? It used to be the best pub in East Dulwich although I have not had the chance to visit it in the last 8 months.

2 years ago I would go in for lunch at least twice a week for the steak and kidney pie which was quite litterally the best steak and kidney from a pub I have ever had.

What have they done to it? What brewery is running it now? I used to be Youngs.

[mockney piers]

Consensus so far, and my feelings too, seems to be that the non food pub aspects are fine, but the food needs some urgent rescuing.

and it seems to still be Youngs

http://www.youngs.co.uk/pubSearch.aspx?locationID=&AtmosphereID=&FoodID=&strPubName=clock

[Brendan]

Baahhhh!!!! I'm going to stick to the CPT where the conversation revolves around old duffers complaining about the new upstarts moving into the area and the menu consists of the barman givng you directions to the closest kebab shop.

[Keef]

Bloody great isn't it! :)-D

[Jah Lush]

I'm not surprised the Clockhouse is having teething problems. As well as changing management last year, Youngs & Co also changed ownership. The Ram brewery has now moved from it's home in Wandsworth since the 16th century and has been bought out by Charles Wells and Co in Bedfordshire. A similar thing has happened at the Dulwich Wood House, another Youngs pub. You can still get a good pint of ale in both of them though, but if it's food you're after take my advice and go somewhere like the Palmerston or the Herne Tavern.

[Louisa]

Why is not eating in the Clock House such a revelation? I knew not only never to eat in there, but also never to drink in there, MANY years ago! I always remember that awful couple who were running it in the 80s who banned jeans and trainers and loved pulling up in sports cars outside to show off to the punters... That place was once an off-licence, and the atmosphere is similar even now!

[Jah Lush]

Because Louisa, some people in East Dulwich haven't been around in ED for as long as you or I have and they need to find out for themselves one way or another whether they like a place or not. Why do you have such a downer on the newbies?

[Louisa]

I dont have a downie on newbies.. My only issue with them has been over embracing ED as it was rather than trying to enforce claphamisation on it.. however, thats a seperate issue and off-topic here, I was just expressing my opinion on the Clock House!

[Keef]

I too have always found the CH to be a bit crap, but there you go, different folks and all that.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I always want to like the place - (good location and all that) and had hopes for the refurb but it just doesn't come together properly

[Jah Lush]

It's all right if you want to sit outside in the summer and watch the world go by over a few pints.

[TillieTrotter]

I quite liked it, not in my staggering range so prob wont go much, but still.

[peckham_perkster]

Thanks for the warning about the Clock House, it's a real shame as it was an alright boozer before though the quiz night could be a bit scary. Friends of mine went in and were politely asked to move by some regular quizzers who claimed that the table they were sitting at was theirs.

Sorry to be pedantic but Youngs hasn't been bought by Charles Wells, they are still an independant company using Wells' brewery in Bedford to make Youngs lovely beer. I work literally on top of the old brewery site in Wandsworth and it was a sad day last year when we no longer smelt the hops being brewed. I know it's unusual in this day and age for a woman to know her beer but I love a drop of 'real ale' :)-D I hasten to add that I am not a member of CAMRA and don't attend beer festivals.

[Jah Lush]

Good on yer Peckham Perkster for liking your ale and thanks for the info on Youngs. I'm a bit worried about the move of the brewery to Bedford as surely the water will be of a different texture and a pint of Special surely won't taste the same.

[Louisa]

From what I know about Bedford, the water will probably come from the smelly river that flows through the centre of the town.. Bedford really is an awful place..