Hoopers Bar
28 Ivanhoe Road SE5 8DH
Tel: 0207 733 4797
http://www.hoopersbar.co.uk
Hoopers Bar is perched atop the hill in the posh triangle where Camberwell meets East Dulwich in an enclave of large and beautiful houses. We ventured there for their free comedy night on the last Sunday of the month, but it seems they also do various music nights too. Hoopers Bar feels like a proper local pub. Almost like a pub from my childhood village in Scotland. Or Cheers. Busy wallpaper. Horseshoe bar. Victorian vibe. Low wooden chairs and tables. People who know each other. Convivial atmosphere. What makes it different from my childhood village pub, and indeed different from lots of the pubs in Camberwell, is that it feels distinctly full of, well, posh people… no doubt due to its location (it hides its SE5 postcode behind comedians’ proclamations of it being in East Dulwich). The drinks list is long and features a number of esoteric beers, including several on tap. There is an impressive menu of Belgian beers too. The bar staff are friendly, and enthusiastic about Gay Camberwell. The prices are average. And the comedy was really quite good. Worth climbing the hill for an unusual Camberwell pub, especially when they have events on.