Wimbledon Hospitality In The Village

The pubs and bars, cafes and restaurants of Wimbledon Village are very lively throughout the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. If you are visiting to watch the tennis, I imagine you may want to stop for a drink at the end of a day at the AELTC.

If you were to ask Robert and I where is our “local”? we would find it hard to choose. There are three pubs (I think they are all owned by Young’s) all within five minutes walk of our home. Perhaps the Rose & Crown is the pub we most often stop into for a drink (although I have to admit, we are enjoying a glass of Pimms in our garden with friends more often than going out nowadays).

The Rose & Crown have been preparing for a fantastic tennis tournament, and if you would rather avoid the crowds down at the AELTC, you may prefer to watch the action in comfort with a constant flow of rosé and burgers. There will also be live music to make sure every night is party night throughout the tournament!

The closest pub restaurant to the AELTC is Fire Stables. It is located at 27-29 Church Road, so if you are heading down to watch the tennis, this is your last chance to grab a bite to eat. Or if you have traipsed back up the hill from the Tennis Club towards the Village, this is the first pub to turn into for a drink. Normally, the Fire Stables boast the best roast dinner in Wimbledon. But if the weather is hot, this is still a very comfortable locations. They open up the doors to leave a the front of the pub open to a cooling breeze. If you look at their website, it is clear they are all ready to look after visitors during the tennis tournament.

The Dog & Fox pub is the very center of Wimbledon Village, and it is the largest pub in Wimbledon Village. I recall a Chinese restaurant being next door to the original pub, but very cleverly, Young’s bought it and although we had to endure a horrible construction site in the heart of the village for months, the end result is quite fabulous. They now have a lot more space, including a spacious outside terrace that makes the Village very animated.

This has always been a popular place, especially for larger groups to descend upon, but during the tennis tournament, it is always at its most vibrant. You really cannot miss this pub, it is huge and it is right in the middle of all the action.

Now…there are plenty of other pubs and restaurants to pop into for a drink. I have only mentioned the restaurants who have put up Wimbledon decorations in my series of Wimbledon Village posts, but there are lots more.

Here are some other popular locations with website links so that you can take your pick if you are visiting Wimbledon Village:

Hotel Du Vin (The Cannizaro) (you ought to go for a stroll around the beautiful Cannizaro Park)

The Fox And Grapes (Robert’s favourite pub restaurant)

The Hand In Hand

The Crooked Billet

The Rushmere (recently changed names, formerly The Swan)

Of course there is so much work that goes on in the weeks leading up to Wimbledon. I enjoyed this short video from the Wimbledon Championships YouTube channel which gives you an idea about how much effort goes into these amazing two weeks:

• The Topic On The Table