Drink 2/5 Decor 4/5 Food n/a Price 3/5 Atmosphere 3/5 Staff 3/5
IF YOU are friends with MacGyver or the A-Team and you want to shoe a horse then you will find all you need at Ye Olde Blacksmith.The walls of this Orpington pub are adorned with traditional blacksmith's tools, cart wheels and pictures of old smithies.
I'm sure they would hang an anvil on the wall if they could find a strong enough nail.
Part of me wanted to put a nail in my head because of the pub's music. It sounded like more like a night club than a pub.
Then the music suddenly turned a bit country, which was a little better, with strange instructions about getting a blanket from the bedroom and walking among the bluebells.
For a trip among the bluebells I would have certainly left my pint of Courage Best behind in the pub. It had the distinctive Best taste but was more tepid than nicely refreshing.
When I switched to the lager enjoyed by most of the mixed bunch in the pub, it was perfectly chilled and delicious.
There are fruit machines for those who need to get their five servings of gambling fruit a day.
Quiz machines, a dartboard and a pool table were all popular when I visited.
Ye Olde Blacksmith still manages to create a warm welcoming atmosphere.
It is the busiest pub on Orpington High Street and will probably stay this way until the other pubs start nailing interesting things to their walls.
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