The Bedford

Ok if you are drunk as a skunk

29 Apr 08, 17:22 As expected

The Bedford is the place to go in Balham if you are planning on getting very drunk and dancing like an idiot! It is always really cramped and hot downstairs. Once the upstairs is opened, it is slightly more spacious but still pretty dingy. Only go here is you have consumed a lot of alcohol!

Good in Bedford

15 Apr 08, 16:49 Above expectations

On first glance, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. You’ll walk through the rickety doors and note that the walls could do with a good lick of paint and the furniture with a good sheep-dip. But you’ll soon succumb to its wily charms and come to revel in its comfortable, unpretentious potential for lazy boozing.

And The Bedford has a lot up its shabby sleeve. In its maze of back and upstairs rooms it hosts classes ranging from salsa for new mums to lindy-hopping, has artist showcases which are incredibly well respected by the music industry and holds regular and popular comedy nights, under the Banana Cabaret moniker.

I have it on good authority that it’s a great venue for watching big footy internationals, but my attentions are usually directed elsewhere, at the food, which is border-line gastro, but without the fanfair and price tags.

There is a downside though: its weekend club nights in one of its back rooms are notoriously dreadful, bringing local South African, Australian and British meatheads out of the woodwork.

So many gripes

29 Jul 07, 14:25 Below expectations

This review, like the above, is based on just the pub. The gigs, banana cabaret and quiz nights are great.

My gripe is with the pub. The Bedford still refuses entry if you arrive after 11 and the bouncers aren't the nicest. Of course, if you are organised enough to get there before 11 you can go to the club night, but the bar downstairs close at 11.20.

My second gripe is the meals. The Bedford likes to think of itself as a gastro pub. It starts serving at 12.30 at weekends. Once I arrived at 12.20 and they wouldn't let me order because they were still "printing out the menus". When the menu had been printed I went to order, but was told to sit down and someone would take my order. The waiteress went round to the tables, apparently in the order people arrived in the pub - so much for a quick bite to eat in the pub.

The stuff on tap is not much to write home about either.

Comedy.

15 Jun 07, 16:33 As expected

As a pub, I can't imagine The Bedford will ever win any awards. However it has made its name for the very good Banana Cabaret comedy club every Saturday, which is held in a theatre at the top of the building (difficult to describe - think what The Globe would look like if it were in a pub!).

You need to get to the place very early to grab tables, and getting tickets in advance is advised since the queues can be huge.

They also serve food just prior to the performance which is usually very good.

As most comedy clubs do, the place turns into a nightclub afterwards. On my last visit, we were expecting to go elsewhere after the comedy had finished. However the music turned out to be really great, and the crowd were cool too, merried by the comedy, no doubt.

3 stars because the pub is just a pub, and honestly the comedy is better at The Comedy Store or Lee Hursts, but given how cheap it is the package is very good for a fun Saturday night out.