Hermits Cave

With pubs across the country still shutting down at a rapid rate, the idea that you don’t have to change with the times is fanciful at best. But, the Hermit’s Cave is proof that there’s still space for the humble, traditional pub that doesn’t have the backing of a brewery chain. A short walk from Camberwell’s hectic high street, the drinkers you’ll find in the Hermit’s Cave offer a fairly good representation of this South East London neighbourhood. Students, artist types, loners and locals who look like they moved in with the furniture make for a refreshing atmosphere. You may well walk in to be confronted by a glaring mixture of men propping up the bar in silence on one occasion, only to find a lively afternoon inspired by football on the big TV on another. It’s a lottery and you’ll have to walk through that door to find out what you’re going to get.

Traditionally decked out with plenty of greens and browns, a mounted bull’s head and some battered looking couches, the Hermit’s Cave is gloriously stuck in the past. The ales on tap are as exotic as the drink selection gets but the quality of the cask is good. If you can put up with the occasional surly attitude you can tend to find behind the bar then there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a pint here. And that’s a pint that won’t cost you over £4.

The Hermit’s Cave is a peculiar pub with bags of character that anyone residing in Camberwell should visit once at least.