The Dolphin

[Blushingsnail]

The Dolphin's website has a lot of photos of the work on the garden. The April set are the latest and give the best picture of what it will look when it's finished: http://www.thedolphinsydenham.com/spgm-1.4/index.php

[user100]

Has the new garden opened yet? Anyone been there?

From the photos - what an amzing transformation! Well done!

[mummycat]

Hi there,

Yes the garden's opened - we had lunch there on Saturday, it was lovely and sunny, if a bit windy...... Nice enclosed space, no fumes from the passing traffic and no danger of the children running off! Quite calming, as the interior was very busy with 2 big lunch parties.

Nice bit of greenery arranged in an Elizabethan style garden! Plain frames around the edge of the plot, (above the tables), which I imagine could be draped with material or even vines to provide shade and/or shelter from rain. Also a few areas where you could drink without taking up tables, on cubes of wood!

We had a very enjoyable time there, it's what we've been waiting for in Sydenham!

[robotfish]

Garden well and truly open - I popped in for a swift pint with my dad on Sunday lunchtime. It was great, drinking San Miguel in the sunshine, I could have been in Benidorm. I cannot think of a higher accolade than that.

[sydenhamboy]

I was in the Dolphin a couple of Friday's back - really good atmosphere - v busy and nice mix of peeps in there. Felt, dare I say it, quite Crouch End/Muswell Hillish - does that make sense or do I sound like slightly sad and delusional Norf London wanabee? Garden looks excellent. If a decent summer kicks in it will be the talk of the town.

ok - at least the talk of the borough.

[Savvy]

We were there too Saturday afternoon, its lovely, a little haven. I spoke to the gardener, the architectural metal 'fringe' is not going to be covered, they're just structural visuals (not his words but I couldn't think of anything else).
I do wonder about how busy its going to be on Saturday evenings in summer with all the children who will be there with their parents, I'm really pleased that its there so that people can take their kids but if you've ever been to the Dulwich Woodhouse on a hot Saturday night you'll understand my concerns - its like a mad playground with children running wild. They had to start a 9pm curfew because it got so bad you couldn't hear yourself speak. The Dolphin is like 'buggy city' during the day already - and that's just inside (which is fine by me, I welcome that, having a child in buggy of my own). Anyway we shall see, lets have this discussion in mid August and see how everyone feels.[/code]

[sydenhamboy]

Well then they need a 'no kids in the evening' policy.
Job done.

[simon]

They now have the marvelous Timothy Tailors Landlord, my favourite beer and the kedgerie for lunch was splendid.
Like the garden, at last somewhere to smoke without feeling like a pariah.

[Savvy]

yeah but how long before even smoking outside near people (children especially) becomes unacceptable? I was with a friend and her baby some weeks ago sitting outside a bar by the thames (nice and breezy) and when I it up I felt I should move two tables away. My friend must have though this perfectly fine, didn't bat an eye and continued to talk to me across the void. We're meeting again soon and I feel I've set a precident.

[user100]

Acceptable or not, smoking near children or pregnant women is certainly selfish and harmful, as it still causes passive smoking, and I don't need to tell anyone the implications of that.

You did the right thing, well done.

[Savvy]

I'm not planning to make a habit of it. I think moving tables when one is OUTSIDE is a bit unnecessary!

[kiwi in sydenham]

I went to the dolphin this evening for a relaxing drink in the sun the garden was very nice the staff pleasant and the food great as always.What i did not like was all the kids running around making lots of noise, my partner works with kids all day the last thing she wants is to be surounded by noisy kids i really dont think a pub is a place for children in the evenings... in New Zealand you have to be over 18 to be in a pub.
I think the management should think about banning children after six pm for those of us who work hard and want a quiet drink at the end of the week.

[MR G.]

What do you suggest parents with children do then? Do they not want to unwind too? There are plenty of other pubs to go to without children if they cause you too much distress.

[kiwi in sydenham]

Mr G you could get a child minder and then you could really relax i just dont think a bar / pub is a good place for children espesically in the evening

[Juwlz]

I think its really weird when people complain about children playing.

Then again I haven't got any kids myself so maybe that's why I don't mind kids playing around making noise, cos I don't have my own to escape from!

Just to change the subject a bit - has anyone actually taken in how fabulous the garden is? Can you think of any pub in London that has such an amazing landscaped garden in fact? Makes a change from the boring lawn/picnic benches combo. I think it looks particularly good at night when its lit up - the old crumbly walls at the back look really effective in a shabby chic sort of way. Can't believe there hasn't been an article in a local magazine/paper or even a launch party for it.

I reckon this should be up for the best pub garden award - if such a thing exists.

This kind of garden must've cost a packet to design/build but the pub owners must be really proud of the result.

[sydenhamboy]

why don't you drop a note to Time Out/evening standared/london lite/Metro .. spread the word ;o)

[fishcox]

Well we left the kids at home last night (with a babysitter of course) and headed down to the pub, sat in the garden and had a superb, and incredibly reasonably priced bit of tucker (three bean cassoulet for me, and the squid for mrs fishcox).

A couple of pints/glasses of vino, and the whole lot was less than £30. I did question the fact that we were charged £1-50 for a basket of bread (about 4 pieces of thinly cut french stick) and, hey presto, it was taken off the bill.

On a beautiful summers evening, what more could you ask for?

[Suzee]

Have to agree about how much they charge for 'sides'. I had a green leaf or garden salad and it was a tiny bowl of limp lettuce that have obviously been taken out of a ready salad bag, and without any oil or dressing. Apart from that the place is great!

[sophie]

I like the set up on the Dolphin a lot. The garden is gorgeous and somewhere I have been to me on my own for an afternoon drink and a read of papers and magazines. I don't really drink beer so can't talk from personal experience but husband likes it! HOWEVER, I don't think the food is "all that". We've only eaten there once and probably won't eat there again. I think the food is over priced and the portion sizes too small. Side dishes are very expensive as well. I don't mind paying for things if I think they represent good value or are really really good. The dishes we had could only be described as mediocre - kedgeree and chicken casserole. We had the large portions and I thought they were really small. For 2 main courses, a couple of side dishes (veggies(, a bowl of nuts and 2 drinks we paid what we pay in Joanna's, Crystal Palace but didn't get the same quality.

[Weeble]

I think the food is pretty good, but if it is anything like their sister pub in Forest Hill, it may take them a while to completely find their feet. The first few times I ate in the Dartmouth Arms the food was very hit and miss and they seemed to change their chef and menu ideas a lot. However I think they're hitting the mark consistantly now - the last meal I had there was outstanding. Hopefully the Dolphin will follow suit.