Cavendish Arms

The Cavendish Arms is a lovely pub in Stockwell, hidden away in a beautiful and quiet neighbourhood. I really liked the retro décor and the furniture that looked like they came from someone’s grandfather’s house.
The drinks selection is nothing special but it’s all right for a local. They also have something called disco fries that I will have to try next time. Definitely sounds intriguing.
The place is actually quite known amongst young comedians, as they hold open mic comedy nights every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so it popular with people who want to get on stage for the first time or practice new material and test how it sits with the crowd. In order to perform you need to bring a guest with you, which is a great policy to make sure there’s someone to spread the word afterwards and they don’t have a room full of comedians playing for each other.
I actually performed some improv comedy with my friends and I have to say it was quite fun being on stage for the first time and the crowd was very supportive. I would recommend paying it a visit if you are in the area and want a laugh. Besides, it’s always good to support new talent. You may see the first steps of someone who will be the next big thing.

Great place tucked away in Stockwell — not pretentious or with any negative vibes!
The Comedy Virgins comedy night is stella, definitely one of the best things you can do for free and worth travelling across London for.

We rented an apartment near here on a family vacation from the U.S. We decided to hang out here one night and play cards and have a few drinks and had a blast. The décor was awesome and reminded us of the places back home (Portland, OR) and the bartender was super friendly. If I make back to the area I will definitely be visiting this place again!

Cool place! I came to support a friend’s open mic stand-​up routine at Cavendish Arms’s Comedy Club wing (pub with a comedy club… now that’s awesome). It feels like a neighborhood bar where you’re welcomed as an outsider, many thanks to the friendly and funny staff.
If you’re around Stockwell this is definitely worth a pitstop. Come for the Comedy Nights, too!

This is one of the best pubs in South London, and I am delighted to have discovered it last night (I attended a free comedy event). It is worth making a detour for.
There’s a real wood fire, which is always a huge plus. The drinks are not exhorbitant for London, £3.80 for a pint of Cider or £3.90 for a pint of Kronenbourg. The armchairs are very comfortable Chesterfields. The decoration is delightful, with fairylights inside and the beer garden has more lights as well as bunting and what looks like the remains of a seaside fairground attraction which I see from the other reviews was to celebrate someone’s birthday back in the summer. The music is excellent (punk classics, as well as the odd bit of Depeche Mode and one of my favourites, Is she weird? by Pixies can’t go wrong!).
Well, yes, you can go wrong. Unfortunately, the male toilet cubicle is one of the most disgusting I have ever had the misfortune to visit. There’s no seat, there’s no lock on the door, there was no toilet paper all night (in spite of mentioning it to one of the staff), and the floor became deeper and deeper in human piss. Why make the pub so utterly gorgeous and then not give a flying toss about the state of the loo? It doesn’t make sense.
The answer is simple. Fix the lock. Then people will not try and piss while holding the door, meaning that they will not be pissing from a metre away from the bowl. (Inevitably, some people prefer to use the cubicle to piss instead of the urinals, you can’t stop human habit).
However, while this experience did dampen the hem of my trousers on more that one occasion, it did not dampen my night. It was great. And the free comedy was superb. But please, please, please sort out your loos!
Oh, one last tip: if you scan a QR code on the wall with your smartphone, and sign up to their Facebook page, you can get a free drink (a half a pint; or a spirit+mixer) every night you visit (though just one per day).

A little poem or rhyme
The Cavendish Arms
It’s Saturday at the Cavendish
The local market is outside
The bar is busy serving coffee but
Sore heads they’re not trying to hide
It’s a bit nippy out today
Standing by a stall
Selling food and other things
To visitors one and all
The pub itself is all decked out
Ready for halloween
And other bits and pieces
Can be seen mixed in between
On other days there’s live music
Burlesque and comedy
With comfy seats and a real fire
This is the place to be.

It’s average pub food and a small selection of beer. Not overpriced at all though.
I go here for Comedy Virgin night, so part of this review is based off of this weekly event, which is well run and maintained.
Nothing too extraordinary about the place, but it’s not a bad venue at all.

It’s def feels a bit strange when you walk in. I came on a Tuesday night for an open mic comedy gig. Packed audience so a great place to gig (I haven’t giged there yet!). Decent beers on tap.

You can pretty much guarantee a good night here every night there will usually be some event on, whether it’s music, comedy, cabaret, burlesque or just a Scotsman playing a 1980s electric organ. It’s certainly worth the short walk from Stockwell tube (and don’t be put off by the picture, it’s a bit like Narnia). They serve beer so you can get drunk too.

really good place to go and see new stand up comedy, I have played there and watch it on other nights. It packs out and the MC’s no bullshit approach to the night works well. It free entry also

The pub is nice, staff are friendly & the Sunday comedy is really enjoyable.
Now the bad stuff.
Service is (very) slow.
Unfortunately they have started fleecing (ripping off) the customers by changing the drink prices (dramatically) without warning or altering on the actual list on the wall.
Mulled wine (which we all know is much cheaper than normal wine) was increased from £3.50 per glass to a massive £4.25. This happened last night (19^th Dec 2010).
I felt cheated, as it only became apparent when I got my change from buying a round. This left me brooding for a while & stifled an otherwise nice night.
SHAME ON YOU ‘THE CAVENDISH ARMS’

This is a sardine tin of a place to go see a band play.
Ive only been here once and I cant say I would relish the idea of going there again!
However everybody was pleasant and it wasnt difficult to get served

I’ve played a couple of gigs here with my band and would really recommend it as a live music venue. If I lived locally then I’m sure I’d pop in for a drink or two once in a while, but it’s not the most accessible place in the world, and a good 10 minute walk from Stockwell tube station. Saying that, the pub itself is pretty decent, with cheap pie and chips deals. But the ballroom which is adjoined to the pub is by far the highlight of this venue. It even has a disco ball for goodness sake! Every couple oof months a chap called H Anthony Hildebrand runs a music /​comedy night called ‘An Event Of Some Kind’, and this quirky event is definitely worth a wander through the back streets of Stockwell for.

The Cavendish arms is a paradox… or an oxymoron… no, wait. it’s a pub!
The layout of the building feels like an old school working men’s club with a function room on the side. The walk from Stockwell station is a little hairy due to the flat blocks looming at you en route.
Don’t be put off by this as when we got inside the Cavendish we found it was run by a lovely couple who’ve built a little Utopian music paradise for themselves in Lambeth.
Unfortunately on the night we were there they were having a few issues (heating wasn’t working and our table had been broken the previous night making the small task of resting your drink a high risk balancing act!)
I shant hold these things against them though as the rest of the evening was lovely. The place is decorated nicely, has a modest but well chosen bar.
The function room oozes character and continues with the classic décor from the main bar, it shows live bands, acoustic nights and occasionally cabaret and burlesque.
To have all that in Stockwell not only takes hard work, but balls of steel too! Hats off!

I like this pub. I came her for a gig a little while ago and whiles it’s slightly off the beaten track, it’s worth the trip) about a five minute walk through Stockwell which I’m sure is much nicer in summer and when you’re not alone).
The pub itself is pretty standard (and my goodness the barmaid could at least throw a smile on her face — it was a Friday night after all). But the locals were friendly and it was jolly enough.
But the reason this place gets four stars is the «ballroom» in the back. Fun disco balls, great little stage and good bands. But with seats which is novel. There was place to stand, place to sit and everybody could see the stage. Great venue for local bands, but probably not worth the trip unless you’re planning on catching some live music.

Really pleasant little pub/​venue tucked away out of sight in Stockwell. The staff are very friendly, the lounge room is comfortable and the venue room (aka ‘The Ballroom’) has great sounds and is well equipped.
Food is basic but tasty and of the pie and chips variety.
Well worth a look!

What a local gem! Plush leather Chesterfields, complimented by a lovely fireplace, board games, and really, really, friendly bar staff, with a great little beer garden complete with fairy lights.
And that’s before you come to the back room — a striking two tone floor with a little centre-​stage with lovely red velvet curtains. There’s stuff on almost every day, ranging from comedy, open mic nights, poetry, and live music. For the open mic nights /​comedy etc, the back room is dotted with candlelit tables, turning it into a lovely intimate venue.
Well worth checking out — and only a five minute walk from Stockwell tube.

Great place. Lovely atmosphere with good grub. Prices aren’t too bad for ‘central London’, but of course I always wish things were a little cheaper!

This pub is a genuine find. Beautifully done out with massive leather sofas doted around a fireplace but in that modern trendy, knowing way of doing old fashioned.
There is also probably London’s best completely unknown venue lurking in the back room of this pub. The room is spookily reminiscent of the dream room in Twin Peaks. It has a chequer board floor, red velvet curtains and has a dwarf speaking backwards. All true except the dwarf.
A great venue for all sorts, unfortunately there was a tiny crowd in for ‘Laughing Stockwell’ last night. This has the potential to be one of London’s premier experimental comedy nights, so it would be good to see a few more bums on seats.
A lovely fairylit beer garden makes this a real flower in the dirt (sorry Stockwell).
Also, wine served in massive glasses. Brilliant.