The Pilot

68 River Way, Greenwich, London SE10 0BE
The Pilot – Fuller’s Pub and Hotel in Greenwich (pilotgreenwich.co.uk)
From the outside it looks like a lonely pub attached to a row of Edwardian terrace houses, but the houses are part of the pub and are joined to form the hotel part of this establishment.
We have used the restaurant section quite a few times to celebrate birthdays and they have not disappointed us so far. They have a good and large selection of beers and wines and it should be noted that the beer selection is not the usual ones found in a normal commercial chained pub.
This is a Fullers chain pub which still takes advantage of the lack of competition in the immediate vicinity to slightly hike the prices. You could walk 10 minutes further to the O2 where you will find another three or four pubs selling the same sort of beer but do not expect the prices to be much cheaper.
The locals prefer the Pilot to pubs placed in a high security area like the O2, and the atmosphere is much better and relaxed, especially in the summer when the garden is open and full.
Apart from 2020, in previous years they also do an annual Shakespeare week, where a troop of actors perform one of Shakespeare’s plays in the gardens to a small paying audience.
Despite the slightly high prices I would highly recommend you try this place especially in the summer, with its great beer selection and good food.

Greenwich Tavern

1 King William Walk, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 9JH
Greenwich Tavern Pub and Restaurant
The Greenwich Tavern is located at the lower entrance of Greenwich Park and as such is in the middle of the pricey tourist area of Greenwich and so expect high drinks prices. With Amstel larger (the Dutch equivalent of Carling Black Label) priced at £6.10 you grit your teeth when ordering.
The food although still slightly high in price is good and the beer selection is also good, so remember with plenty of other places nearby you go into this place because it is popular and convenient when leaving the park and not because you are affluent.
In the hot summer days this place will be overflowing with parched tourists and locals using the park, so don’t expect anywhere to sit inside and often there is an overspill into the street.

The Coach and Horses

Greenwich Market, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 9HZ
The Coach & Horses | Pub and Restaurant in Greenwich (the-coach-and-horses.co.uk)
The Coach and Horses is a Youngs chain pub located Inside the Greenwich Market and when the actual market is not in session it uses a small plot of land just outside with heaters to give more room to the patrons.
It has a great selection of beers with the usual house beers and also a good selection of external beers as guest ales.
The place has a relaxed atmosphere especially when the market has closed and you can just sit outside with friends and watch the world go by around you. With decent pub food and prices that are not too high considering the tourist area that it is in the middle of.
Highly recommended if you are in the area and want somewhere to chill.

Trafalgar Tavern

Park Row, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 9NW
Trafalgar Tavern – The Trafalgar Tavern
Built in 1837 this pub is steeped in history, from being the setting of the wedding banquet in the Charles Dickens novel ‘Our Mutual Friend’ to being up until 1883 a regular venue for whitebait dinners held by liberal party MP’s who would travel downriver from Westminster to Greenwich on barges.
It later became in 1915 a home for elderly retired seamen and then between the first and second world wars became a working mens club before reopening again as a pub in 1965.
It’s very much a tourist pub now due to its location overlooking the River Thames giving fantastic views. As such it means the prices are a bit high but that is what you would expect in a place like this.
In the summer this place is in its element, where throngs of locals and tourists alike part take in alfresco eating and drinking.
They have a very good range of beers and the food is excellent as it should be at these prices, and they have a very good but also expensive wine selection.
The catering seems to be on a double tier system. Normal pub dining in one room or fine dining with a different upgraded menu in another.
Another attraction especially for the younger clientele is the live music and comedy gigs or the frequent club nights as well as jazz nights and art exhibitions.
Regardless of the prices, we are still drawn back to this place especially when the sun comes out.

Enderby House
23 Telegraph Avenue, Greenwich, London SE10 0TH
https://www.enderbyhousepub.co.uk/
This bank holiday Monday was a hot sunny day and we could not have picked a better day to try out the food and drink offered at the Enderby House, a Young’s brewery pub along the Thames river bank along the west side of the Greenwich Peninsular.
The Enderby House is a new pub, brought into fruition along with the construction of the new developments that surround it. Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 restrictions it has spent quite a lot of it’s short existence between 2020 – 2021 closed, but I think it’s going to be a stayer.
On a hot sunny day in a pub on the river this place should have been packed to the rafters but we are still adhering to Covid-19 rules, and we are still not totally free of lockdown restrictions yet. This limit on the number of people allowed in the venue made for a rather more pleasant experience, although I suspect the owners would prefer to have the pub packed on such a beautiful day.
After been shown to our table which was outside on the veranda as we requested, we were asked if we had the Young’s App, as they would rather you use the app to order and pay at your table with the app and the waiters would simply bring your drinks and food to your table.
Luckily, I had already downloaded the app and used it to book the table in advance with it, so using it to order drinks and food was no problem. If you do not want to use the app, or perhaps you are of the older generation that is fervently anti smartphones then that is no problem as a waiter will take your order the old fashioned way. You just have to get their attention.
Personally, I found the experience of ordering and paying as you go, easy and actually preferred it as a way of doing things, especially as there was none of the trying to get the waiters attention and waiting ages for the bill and then waiting to pay it.
Whichever way you order, via the app or via the waiter you still have the obligatory 12.5% service charge added to the payment in order to pay for the waiter service. I can’t wait for the restrictions to lift so I can walk up to the bar order my drink, take it back to my table myself and save myself a few quid each round.
We ordered the chilli squid for starters and then the lobster and crab burger and it was delicious. The food was fantastic all round, although a bit expensive as was the prices of the beers, but being in a highly desired location along the river and surrounded by expensive property developments they will have no problem getting customers.
The pub premises have extensive inside seating and dining as well as a river facing veranda and rooftop dining area for those sunny days. It also has a few rooms for private hire or dining in the basement, so it is quite a substantial pub.
All in all, it was a thoroughly pleasant experience, great food great selection of beers and wines and great service, although a tad expensive. I personally will be returning to this establishment very soon.

The Green Goddess

43a Vanbrugh Park, London SE3 7AA

http://thegreengoddess.pub/

Reviewed 18 March 2023.
I for one will recommend a real ale pub over a bog-standard pub selling the usual merchandise any day. Being a member of CAMRA I seek out a different beer wherever I go just to say I have tried it.
I gave a glowing review of the River Ale House, a real ale pub on Woolwich road, but there are never enough real ale houses as far as I am concerned.
During the lockdown restrictions easing one Plumstead-based microbrewery ‘Common Rioters’ opened up a temporary mobile bar in the gardens of Charlton house and hinted that they had acquired the disused Barclays bank premises at the Blackheath Standard and hoped to be brewing and selling real ale from there.
Being the complete saddo that I am I listened online to their licence application on the Greenwich Council YouTube channel and really wanted them to succeed, and they did.
They opened in July 2022 and I first went there a few weeks before the official opening and was highly impressed with the wide selection of real ales and stouts from other breweries as well as their own products.
Comparing the selection with the River Ale House nearby, the Green Goddess wins on variety but loses on price. The River Ale House prices are lower Ale, and when ordering at the Green Goddess bar I highly suggest looking at the prices first before ordering as the prices are not always for a half pint and a pint. The more expensive priced ales tend to be served in three-quarters of a pint. When I was there just over a week ago ordered a pint of Stoutzilla at 10% ABV for £12 a pint. It was a fantastic stout and I ordered it even though I knew the price. I think I was a bit drunk at the time as now when I look back, I wonder, what the hell was I thinking?
The clientele in the Green Goddess gave me the impression that they are locals that appreciated the real ale culture.
One of the things that struck me when I visited after work, was the number of babies and prams in the place giving me the impression that the place is very family-friendly and also the number of people that bring their dogs to the place as well.
Despite the higher prices than the River Ale House, and the place being filled with babies, toddlers and prams and dogs, this is a place that I would recommend, if only for the fantastic variety of beers and stouts.
One thing that did rather annoy me about the place is they have adopted this trendy practice of booking tables for their patrons at certain times. If you haven’t drunk your drinks at the table by a certain time and have not booked you have to give up your table to the reservee at a specific point in time. I can understand reserving tables for large parties, or food to be consumed at a table rather than just drinking, or if someone is disabled.
This is a practice that the River Ale House has also started doing, and myself being old school do not agree with this practice. A pub is not a restaurant and as such tables should be first come first served, unless a special event is planned. When I was there one table never showed up, and one reserved table group stayed for one or two drinks then left.
Would I recommend this pub? Yes they have lovely beers and the place is popular with the real ale appreciating locals and if very family orientated and dog friendly, but I would like to see them put a stop to this table reservation policy.

The Crown

176 Trafalgar Rd, London SE10 9TZ
https://frontierpubs.co.uk/pub/the-crown/
The Crown is unmistakably a local’s pub but not the sort of local’s pub that you would feel uncomfortable entering if you were a stranger. When you walk in the pub it doesn’t suddenly go silent and everybody looks at you like you’ve just come from outer space. The bar staff have been friendly and welcoming when I have visited it on a number of occasions.
Prior to an external paint job in 2020 the entire frontage of the building was covered in huge giant letters spelling out the word ‘CROWN’, so you had no doubt it was The Crown. Today you just have a sign high up the outside of the frontage of the building that can be easily missed.
One of the reasons that I love this pub is that it is what a pubs basic function should be, a hub of the local community that sells great beer, and The Crown is good at both. The Crown sells real ale and has a weekly rotating guest craft beer and ale selection as well as the usual mainstay selection which is also good.
The Crown is also known locally for its onsite produced Flatboys Pizzas that can also be delivered as well as consumed on site. Beer and Pizza, a marriage made in heaven.
On most Fridays it also has a DJ playing vinyl old school Rock and Roll and Soul music as well as a regular Sunday evening pub quiz.
In the summer when the weather is nice you should try out their pub garden at the rear of the pub.
It’s far enough up the Trafalgar Road to not be caught in the tourist area so the place is more relaxed and less pricey. Still London prices but not as pricey as the area around the Cutty Sark.
I would highly recommend this place for a visit for its great beer and ale selection, it’s atmosphere and its great Pizzas.

The Rusty Bucket
11 Court Yard, London SE9 5PR
Tel: 02088595500
The Rusty Bucket Pub
Reviewed 11/11/23
The pub used to be called The Crown, but it closed shop, remained closed, and boarded up for about four years before reopening as The Rusty Bucket.
It has a fantastic large selection of constantly rotating ales stouts and craft beers on tap.
Apart from the draught beer selection, there are also many bottled and canned beers to choose from in the large chiller cabinet to the side of the bar.
Tea and coffee are also available and a good selection of wines for the non-craft beer enthusiast
There is bunting all over the ceiling in rainbow colours, so it would appear to be LGBT-friendly.
If you are sitting there on your own with a pint, but still bored with fiddling with your phone, there is a bookshelf filled with various books for you to enjoy. Make sure you don’t leave with the books though as it is a pub not a library.
The decor is rustic but functional and plenty of tables and seating although some of the tables had reservation tags on them for later in the evening. It does get a lot busier during the evening.
No Sunday roast on a Sunday but every Sunday seems to be ‘Cheese Toastie Sunday’. I don’t think there is enough room for a kitchen but there is always room for a Breville toasted sandwich maker.
If you are into your real ales and craft beers, this is a place I would highly recommend trying out.

Bankers Draft
80 Eltham High St, London SE9 1BW
Tel: 02082942578
Facebook Bankers Draft
Reviewed 11/11/23
Wetherspoons spent a long time trying to off load this pub and for some reason they struggled to find a buyer, but eventually they did, and surprisingly the new owners have kept most of the things that made the pub a typical Wetherspoons. A fantastic range of beers to select from, a mainly working class and retired clientele and the typical Wetherspoons thing of needing a long route march to get to the toilets, up steep steps and along long corridors. (Why Wetherspoons? Why?)
Externally the pub looks the same as it did when it was a Wetherspoons, but with all Wetherspoons naming and signage removed.

The demographic of the pub is old, very old. When I was in there on a Saturday afternoon I felt like I was one of the youngest in the place and I’ve just turned sixty. And the bar staff looked like they have just left school.
Besides it not being a Wetherspoons pub anymore the beer and ale variety was impressive with 19 beers and ales on selection including Fosters lager. which personally I would have banned from every pub in the country years ago, but some of my friends like it and I suppose it still sells for some reason.
On there Facebook page they say that they have reopened the kitchens but when I was there on a Saturday lunch time, I could not see a single person eating any sort of meal.

Eltham GPO
4 Passey Pl, London SE9 5DQ
Tel: 02088509685
Eltham GPO
Reviewed 11/11/23
Once the Eltham General Post Office, hence the name the Eltham GPO.
This place is definitely a family pub. young kids, toddlers and babies all over the place.
They serve food which is cooked in an open kitchen area at the back of the pub, which is always a good thing in my eyes, when you can always keep an eye on the staff cooking your food in a professional manner.
There is an impressive courtyard area running the length of the side of the pub opening out to the main entrance. Great for those sunny days.

There is a large selection of 11 London or locally brewed beers on tap to choose from as well as a selection of canned and bottled beers.

The pub gets very busy throughout the day and into the evening so don’t go here expecting to get a seat or a table unless you book a table for a group meal in advance.
The bar staff seemed friendly, fast and efficient. I suppose you would have to be in such a busy establishment. Many people these days work from home with flexible working and the GPO Eltham is cashing in on this trend. When most workers are at work and the place is a bit quieter from Monday to Friday they give you a deal, whereby for £15 you get unlimited Tea, Coffee or soft drinks and a Lunch, while you work. Sounds good to me. I wish I could work from home.
Their Sunday roast looks good and many of the reviews back up this claim. I didn’t get to try out the food at this place as the pub was just too packed to even entertain the possibility of getting a table, but I would like to try their Sunday roast sometime in the future.

The Duke
125 Creek Rd, London SE8 3BU
The Duke (thedukedeptford.co.uk)
Along Deptford creek Road and just with the boarders of the Royal Borough of Greenwich is The Duke.
This pub used to be one of my late dad’s frequently used pubs as he used to work in the now-demolished Deptford Power station nearby and you would often see him in there having a pint and lunch. He would not recognise the place today,
When you walk through the door your eyes are immediately drawn to the flames emanating from the wood fire stone pizza oven at one end of the bar, The pizza company called the Yeast Brothers runs an in-house and take away service from Wednesday to Sunday.
The clientele is on the young side and gets younger as the day progresses. This is due to the McMillan and Greenwich University student digs just a few yards away.
Being frequented by mainly young students it would only be right to assume that this pub is a late opening establishment, and you would be right with Friday and Saturday opening time till 1 am.
When I was there were a few families with very young kids and a few dogs were also inside, giving me the impression that this place was both kid and dog-friendly.
The entertainment in the pub is varied with comedy nights every Tuesday, Jazz and Jam sessions every Thursday a DJ every Friday and Saturday and a Quiz night every Sunday.
If none of this entertains you then you can entertain yourself, with games including pool, darts, Monopoly, Chess and Draughts and table football, as well as other board games. There’s also a bookshelf full of books if you are feeling in a solitary mode.
There is quite a good selection of beers and ales to choose from including real ales which makes it a great pub straight away in my eyes.
My wife and I went there some years ago to celebrate New Year’s Eve and were very disappointed with how the night turned out, but that is not going to stop me from recommending this pub. If you are of a more mature age, then you will feel more a home during the afternoon and early evening before the students converge on the place.
You never going to be short on entertainment even if you have to do it yourself, whether it be reading, playing games or stuffing yourself with pizza.

The Sail Loft
11 Victoria Parade, London SE10 9FR
Greenwich Pub | The Sail Loft | Riverside Pub & Restaurant in Greenwich (sailloftgreenwich.co.uk)
We’ve had a few birthday meals and drinks at this place over the years since it first opened. With a large drinking area and a small eating area and the kitchen downstairs, and the main restaurant area upstairs along with another bar. This place is quite big.
The clientele is a mixed batch during the day of locals, tourists, both old and young, and people celebrating in large family or friends groups. As the evening wears on it is often frequented by younger patrons in groups and stragglers from earlier parties.
As we have found out it is often better to book a table or two if you are in a group as most of the tables are either booked or occupied.
The pub is a Fullers chain pub and so can be a bit on the expensive side, especially as it is in a tourist area with the Cutty sark and Greenwich centre just a few minutes away. This does not stop it being popular though.
With seating inside and outside and situated along the River Thames, the views upstream and downstream are equally impressive, particularly in the summer, and especially at dusk.
There is live music and entertainment every other Friday, but even without the entertainment if you are in a group of friends the atmosphere is usually upbeat.
Another thing that impressed me was the accessibility factor, as someone with a disabled family member, it is always good to see an establishment that thinks of the less fortunate amongst us. As well a disabled toilet facilities it also has a lift to get people up to the first floor and the restaurant area.
I recommend this pub for it’s great food, it’s location, especially in the summer and good selection of beers. It’s also a great place for post party meet ups.
There is a similar pub called the Oyster Catcher virtually next door but although good, does not capture the atmosphere that the Sail Loft revels in.

The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/london/the-stargazer

Although Wetherspoons are closing or selling off their pubs all over the country including the Edmund Halley in Lee, and the Bankers Draft in Eltham they have also opened a few new ones at the same time. One of the new venues that has opened is a new pub in the O2 called ‘The Stargazer’ which was opened last year.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about Wetherspoons pubs I love the variety of beers and the great low prices, but I cannot stand the founder and chairman Tim Martin or his exploitative labour practices.

As an avid real ale drinker, I Welcome any new pub that opens in the borough as we have lost far too many over the years. Be it micropubs or regular pubs, all are welcome, but it takes one of the big boys of the beer industry to open up in the O2.

The O2 already has three other large chain pubs, one from the ‘Slug and Lettuce chain another is part of the ‘All Bar One’ chain and the other is part of the Nicholas pub chain, all of which tend to be much more expensive than any Wetherspoons so I think the Stargazer will do a booming trade here and the expensive pubs will see a drop in their profits.

When greedy corporations get too greedy and suffer the consequences it always puts an evil smile on my face. Sorry.

The interior is spacious and there is extra seating outside at both the front and back of the pub.

The external seating at the front is protected from the elements by the covering of the O2 but the back rear garden is only partially protected from the elements as the beer garden is actually outside the O2 but partially covered at one end by its overhang.

Being a Wetherspoons it has the obligatory security staff manning the door and wandering around the place, and the bar staff were frantically trying to keep up with the orders.

After finishing my first pint I ordered some food and another drink with the Wetherspoon app and was impressed with the speed at which my order came.

The food is the usual Wetherspoons fare, cheap but not too bad considering it’s all-reheated frozen food and there’s a good selection of beers as you would expect from a Wetherspoons pub.

One thing that you will notice if you are a regular Wetherspoons customer is the prices. When compared to other nearby Wetherspoons such as the Gate Clock in Greenwich Centre or the Great Harry in Woolrich or The Watch House in Lewisham is a   marked increase in the prices.

Even with the increase in the prices probably to cover the overheads of trading in the O2, the prices are still much cheaper than the other large chain pubs in there.

The Park Tavern

45 Passey Pl, London SE9 5DA

The Park Tavern 

When I did a review of Eltham GPO in Eltham, I noticed a lot of online reviews for the Park Tavern just across from The Eltham GPO, saying that it was a much better pub, so I thought I needed to see it for myself.

I wouldn’t say that The Park Tavern is better than the Eltham GPO or worst, just different and more aligned to the older generation.

When I entered the pub, I was immediately met with the impression that this is not only very much a local’s local, but the demographics of the place more suited to the older and more mature generation.

The styling of the place is very much a no-nonsense old-style pub. That is not a slight on the décor in fact I am sure the older generation much prefer it that way, and when I say older generation, I think I am at that age when I can now include myself if that category.

The bar staff were very efficient and friendly and pleasant with the customers be they locals or not.

I could not see any children or dogs in the pub, so I cannot say if the pub is dog or family friendly or not, and they don’t even state on their website that they are a family or kid friendly pub. This could be why the Eltham GPO has plenty of families and young children frequenting it.

One thing that I liked very much was the way the background music level is deliberately kept at a pleasantly low volume. They even state in their website that the volume is kept to a quiet and relaxing level. A level that you can hold a decent conversation and not struggle to hear or must shout over the music. I could say that is because it is frequented by the older clientele, and it would probably be true as I have always hated going to youngsters overcrowded loud pubs that seem to think they are discos or nightclubs even when I was younger.

Although not lit at the time that I visited it, there is an old-style fireplace in the centre of the pub which I no doubt adds to the cosy ambience of the place in the winter.

In the summer there is external seating at the front of the pub and running to the side and to the back is a nice beer garden, which seemed to be very popular, even on the fairly overcast and fresh afternoon that I went there.

There is a large choice of beers and ales on offer, much more of a selection than your average old-style pub.

One thing that I did notice, and that was that although I would class this pub as an older generation pub, no one was paying with cash. Everyone was paying either with their cards or their phones. I don’t know if this pub has gone cashless like a lot have these days, but most old people that I know still want to pay with cash.

My local working man’s club now insists that any purchase that totals to under £5 must be paid with cash and not card. Let’s be honest that is in a social club and they specialise in cheap beer. It is very rare these days to find any beer in a normal pub, apart from say a Wetherspoons which is priced under a fiver, so going cashless for most pubs will not be to their detriment, unless there is a backlash from the older generation, and there doesn’t seem to be any problem going cashless in the Park Tavern

Hardy’s Free House

88 Trafalgar Rd, London SE10 9UW

If ever you find yourself in a pseudo-Irish pub or as I refer to them as Plastic Paddy Pubs, the O’Neill’s pub chain springs to mind, then you will notice the mandatory bicycles and agricultural paraphernalia hanging precariously from the ceiling or the walls adorned with Irish memorabilia and vintage photos of a romanticised Ireland.

Well, the Hardy Free House is nothing like this and is a straight up no nonsense genuine Irish pub.

At one time it had an Irish restaurant attached to it called The Green Pea, but alas it is no more. According to their website, they now offer a small range of traditional Thai food in the bar.

They also brag on their website that their prices are the cheapest in the area. They are not in the centre of the tourist area so the prices are probably more affordable than others in the area, and it is not a tourists pub, so while a lot of the nearby tourist pubs are fleecing the tourists with extortionate prices, I don’t think the locals who make up most of their clientele would stand for high prices. With a pint of Guinness listed on their outdated website, as just £4.00, a pint and Fosters at £4.00 and Carling at £3.50 a pint, they are definitely cheap. Even cheaper than Weatherspoon’s.

These prices are on their social media and website and has not been updated for years.  When I last visited Hardys on 5^th October  2024 the price of a pint of Guinness was £4.50, still very cheap and I dare say still cheaper even than Wetherspoons.

As well as most of the usual sky sports and big terrestrial sports games, being a proper Irish pub they show Gaelic football and other GAA games, as well as English football on the TVs dotted around the bar. They also tend to show horse racing throughout the day, which seems stereotypical of an Irish working man’s pursuit.

There is a beer garden at the back which although convenient is nothing to write home about and I thought rather basic, with wooden benches and coverings dotted around the walls.

They also often have live music, usually Irish music, but not always.

Years ago the bar was managed by a lovely lady called Bridie, who used to manage my old local The Bramcote Arms when I used to live and drink in Rotherhithe. The owner of both pubs was the same also, hence the same management.

In January of this year planning permission was given to replace the pub with a restaurant and to increase the height of the building to improve and expand the hotel room side of the establishment. It’s now October and nothing seems to have been done with the pub, and it appears to still be business as usual.

If you love cheap beer in a pub with a good atmosphere, then I would say visit this place soon before the developers destroy it.

The Prince of Greenwich

72 Royal Hill, London SE10 8RT

https://www.theprinceofgreenwichpub.com/

You wander through the doors of the Prince of Greenwich and suddenly you think to yourself, have I wandered into a surreal posh version of Steptoe and Sons?

From the giant Rhinoceros head hanging on the wall by the bar to the instruments and antiques hanging everywhere, to the old-looking comfy sofas and fireplace that give the pub a homely feel to it.

The owners refer to the place as a Museum pub. You could spend ages looking at all the curiosities displayed in this place.

The owner Pietro La Rosa and his wife Paola who is an Italian, seem to have done a great job with this place as there are no really bad reviews out of over 1207 reviews on Google with an outstanding rating of 4.8 / 5, since taking over the pub in 2015.

The pub has gained a reputation for its fantastic Italian food, especially its pasta dishes.

There is live music every Sunday. Live music with your quality Italian cuisine What could be better?

A very good way of learning about the eccentric owner Pietro La Rosa is to watch this video about him on the Vimeo video channel:  https://vimeo.com/334291690

This place as well as being a locals pub is also frequented by a few tourists who have heard about this place through the grapevine, so it can at times get a bit busy.  If you want to guarantee you get a table you will have to book one on their site or call them.

Highly recommend it for a visit whether for the food, the cabaret or the decor.

The SALT Taproom, Woolwich

15 Major Draper St, Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6GD

http://www.saltbeerfactory.co.uk/

If you don’t know where to find it the SALT Taproom in Woolwich can be a bit hard to find.  Tucked away in a corner of a courtyard, this is a taproom from the SALT brewery, based in the West Yorkshire town of Saltaire.

They have 9 Taprooms in Yorkshire and 2 in London, one in Deptford and the other in Woolwich.

All their Taproom serve guest craft beers from other breweries as well as their own and they also specialise in the pint and pizza craze that seems to be happening at a lot of craft beer venues lately.

The venue is fairly small but they have built another floor over the top of the bar in a sort of Manhattan apartment-style construction, giving extra seating upstairs.

I visited on a very quiet time on a  Sunday but I can see the place being packed later and the seating and tables being at a premium. Their table booking policy is ‘We don’t do table booking’ which I like. It’s a very casual place, just order your pizza choose your beer or drink of choice and find a table, if you can.

When I was there one of the bar staff was sitting there making up a lot of pizza boxes and I believe the pizzas are as popular as the beer. They don’t do deliveries but I believe they do takeout collections as long as you actually come into the venue to order your pizza.

This place is very much a craft beer and real ale establishment.  No Guinness or Fosters here.

There were about 16 different beers and stouts on offer and the guest beers were changed on a regular basis.

The beers from the SALT brewery reflect the industry that Saltaire was at one time famous for, which appears to be rope making and textile manufacturing. Hence the beers are called names like Jute, Loom, Huckaback and Black Lace.

I tried the two stouts that they were serving at the time, both were good but one seemed to lose its head rather fast, not like Guinness which keeps its creamy head till the end. There are many stouts out there that are better tasting than Guinness but when it comes to structure and texture then Guinness should be the benchmark by which other stouts are measured.

I have tried almost all the SALT brewery beers in the past at various venues including at home and can categorically say for a fact they are very, very good.

The clientele are mixed and varied in age and types and with most probably coming from the local luxury apartment developments that now spread out over the old Woolwich Arsenal site, rather than the rough council estates on the other side of Woolwich, the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant.

There were people bringing in dogs and toddlers so I think this place is fairly family and dog friendly.

This is one place that I will definitely be trying out again and I will make sure I try out one of the Pizzas next time.

Although outside the borough of Greenwich and therefore unable to be reviewed on this website I will also be trying out there other London Taproom at Deptford. My wife had used it a few times and said she liked it.

Elephant and Castle

18 Greens End, London SE18 6JY

Visited: Sat 12/10/2024

Going by the reviews on Google maps The Elephant and Castle would be a pub that I would have tried, just to see what it was like as a rating of 4.1 out of 5 , isn’t bad. All I can say is that most of the reviews must have been written by its locals, and I will not be holding Google reviews in the high standing I have in the past.

The Elephant and Castle is without doubt a locals local and unfortunately not in a good sense.

Normally sitting at the edge of the Beresford Square open market, at the moment it is hidden away behind hoardings due to the Beresford Square redevelopment.

As we walked up to the entrance it looked like a place we would regret visiting, and I was right.

Outside was a group of old boys sitting on their mobility scooters and rough looking group blocking the entrance.

When we walked in we were met by a stale stagnant stench in the air and the carpet had cigarette butts that had been trodden in by people entering the pub as there were so many butts just thrown on the floor outside.

 I walked to the bar and the barmaid looked shocked that a pair of non-locals had actually entered the pub. The pub was filled with people that were obviously local patrons. She served us in a pleasant and friendly manor, so that’s a plus for the service.

To add to the sense that we were not local and being closely scrutinised, my friend was aware that we were being constantly watched by an old lady sitting in the corner who would not take her eyes off of us. Giving him a sense  of uneasy and paranoia.

The range of beers was limited and basic. This is definitely not a craft beer or real ale pub. I ordered a pint of Guinness and a pint of Fosters and was glad to see that unlike the big pub chains the prices were very reasonable.

The demographics of the pub was a mixture of young, middle-aged and old men and working-class families.

I know in this day and age we should be living in a classless society,  but when you look at this place and compare it with the Guardhouse and the Dial Arch on the other side of the Old Woolwich Arsenal wall,  you can see clearly that there is still a class system at work here and in Woolwich it is a territory  clearly marked with a physical  dividing line.

My friend used the toilets and said that although they were not filthy, they needed a bit of a clean. The furniture and carpets were a bit worn but not filthy dirty and I have seen much worst elsewhere. That lingering stale smell in the air though was very off putting and was a sign that this place needed a much-needed spring clean.

I dare say that before the hoardings  went up they probably had a bit of footfall from the market, and they must have had a mixture of locals and shoppers weary from sampling the commercial delights of Beresford Square Market.

I have tried looking on all the social media platforms to find a redeeming features, such as live music, quiz nights or anything resembling entertainment but I could not find any website or social media for this place anywhere.

Even with the prices being low I still would probably not frequent this place again. For a start I’m not a local and what with the limited choice of beers and rather dowdy ambience of the place, it’s not a place I could recommend to anyone.

The Plume of Feathers

19 Park Vista, London SE10 9LZ

https://www.plumegreenwich.com/

Visited: Sat 12/10/2024

The Plume of Feathers is the oldest pub in Greenwich and is steeped in history. It is believed the pub was built in 1691 and was called the Prince of Wales until 1726.

Although you could say this place is a bit of a locals place in the evening, throughout most of the day, due to its location and history, it is also a bit of a tourist pub. Because it is a tourist pub in a tourist area, they charge tourist prices. Charging £6.85 is a bit steep for a pint of Guinness, especially when The Hardy’s Free House just around the corner is charging £4.50 for a pint of Guinness.

I’ve had a meal here with the wife in the past, and it was a very good meal, but the price of the food has increased substantially since we dined there.

I know that everything has increased in price to ridiculous proportions over the last five years, but some establishments are just taking the piss. I will stand by any group that is trying to save our pubs that are closing at an alarming rate, but some landlords and publicans are just not helping themselves with this greedy attitude.

The actual pub was clean and tidy and well kept, although some of the furniture and decor is showing a bit of wear and tear. The bar service was prompt, efficient and friendly. The range of beers on offer was OK, but nothing to write home about.

From past experience, I thought the food here was excellent, and the waiter service was very efficient and friendly. We did not try the food on this latest visit.

There is a dining area behind the bar area and beyond that is a nice, well maintained  beer garden.

Although I have visited this place many times in the past,  I’m finding it hard to justify recommending it again with these high prices. Yes, it is a bit of a tourist pub at the end of the day and they are charging tourist prices. I will probably go back there for a quick pint in the summer and I will probably be infuriated and whinge about yet another price increase.

I would recommend it to tourists for its  historic theme, but not to friends and family unless they are rich.

The Royal Oak

54 Charlton Ln, London SE7 8LA

https://m.facebook.com/TheRoyalOakCharlton

https://www.instagram.com/theroyaloakcharlton/

Visited: 12/10/2024

The Royal Oak is not just a locals pub, but due to its location just behind Charlton  Athletic FC ground, it’s also a die-hard Charlton fans pub.

When we visited on a Saturday at about 5 pm it was very quiet. Just my mate and I, and a handful of locals.

On the day of our visit, they were advertising a Karaoke party night starting at 6 pm. Unfortunately, we were on a limited-time schedule so didn’t stick around for the entertainment, but I do know that this place can get popular and busy with locals when they have live entertainment.

They have a Facebook  page that had not been updated in over a year, but they are now advertising entertainment events via their Instagram account.

The pub has weekly entertainment usually either a Karaoke session  or a DJ or live music.

Like the Rose of Denmark down Woolwich  Road, on a match day the pub will be packed with Charlton supporters and maybe a few brave away fans.

The place was clean, tidy and well kept. There is a nice multi tier staggered beer garden at the rear, and additional outside seating and tables at the front of the pub.

The bar service was polite and friendly and they have a decent range of beers and ales although no craft beers or real ales, just the standard ordinary pub selection of beers and lagers. They also serve a good selection of food on their grill menu.

During the height of the Covid pandemic  and the lockdowns the pub closed in 2020 because it relied on the crowds on Charlton  FC match days to keep them afloat. When the fans were unable to attend matches, the pubs clientele disappeared and the business collapsed. After it closed it was saved from being turned into flats by local publican and restaurant owner Kevin Latta and his father Robert, who both used the pub regularly on match days. By agreeing a deal with the landlords they took over the lease in 2021 and saved the pub. They have also invested heavily in the pub with a full refurbishment inside and out.

I can say for sure, that I would go back to this place again and I would recommend it. I personally prefer real ales or craft beers, but I would come here for the cleanliness,  the entertainment, and for a quiet drink outside on a nice summers day, but not on a match day.

The Guardhouse

No 1 St, Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6GH

https://www.theguardhousewoolwich.co.uk/

Visited:  Sat 12/10/2024

The Guardhouse is more of a restaurant than a pub. Like the Dial Arch just 70 meters across the green this is a Youngs pub.

As you walk up the steps to the entrance the pub sometimes has two entrances. The one in front is the main pub and restaurant and the one to the left is another bar but is used as a private function room. To get to the main bar you have to walk through a small room with comfy leather chairs and sofas. Although the room only has about three or four tables it is the actual pub part of the building.

The large bar is in the restaurant part of the building which is a modern glass walled extension to the building.

As the name of the pub insinuates this pub was actually the old Guardhouse to the entrance of the old Woolwich Arsenal.

Both the pub and restaurant parts were clean and tidy and well kept.

There was a good range of Young’s brewery beers and ales, but like all the big pub chains they are getting greedy, charging £6.85 for a pint of Guinness. They can get away with these prices because most of the patrons probably come from the nearby expensive property developments.

If you are only after a pint without all the thrills, then there are much cheaper places nearby.

Leaving aside the high price of the beers, my wife and I have tried the restaurant in the past and were impressed with the service and the quality of the food on offer.

When I visited with a friend at about 15:00 on a rainy Saturday there was only a handful of people in both the bar and the restaurant parts. I know that it gets busier in the evening and there was a party being set up in the private function room,

We were served promptly as we walked to the bar, which was not surprising as we were the only customers at the bar at the time. We were served in a polite and friendly manner and relaxed in the comfy leather chairs.

Would I go there again? Well yes and no. If I wanted a quick pint then I would try somewhere a bit cheaper. Comfy leather chairs and sofas cannot justify overpricing. If I wanted a sit-down meal then the answer would be yes undoubtably.

The King’s Arms

16 King William Walk, London SE10 9JH

Kings Arms Greenwich

Last visited Sun 15/9/2024

Located in King William Walk a short walk from the entrance of Greenwich Park sits what is now a Greene King pub by the name of the Kings Arms.

The decor is wooden literally to the core. Wooden floor, wooden ceiling and wooden benches.

The clientele tends to be a mixture of local students and tourists who wander in out of curiosity.

I personally like the place for its relaxed atmosphere and in summer I particularly love the beer Garden at the back, especially on a hot summer day.

There is the usual Greene King offering of own branded lagers, ales and stouts that are served in all their establishments.

Unfortunately, I get the idea that the two big boys in the brewing game Greene King and Fullers seem to be in a competition to see who can stealthily and cynically raise the price of a pint to its maximum level before there is pushback from their ever suffering customers.

The bar staff are fast, efficient, friendly and helpful and the place is clean, neat and tidy.

They serve food which is the same in every Greene King pub and is one of the things that I like about their pubs. I think they have a good selection of food that in my humble opinion is of good quality.

One thing that I did not like is the men’s toilets,  which because of the narrowness and size of the urinal area, the person using the urinal nearest to the door is constantly being banged and bashed in the back every time someone pushes the door open. Bad design.

Despite the Greene King prices this is a good pub and doesn’t get too packed, and it’s worth a visit if you want a quiet drink, after s stroll around Greenwich Centre or the park.

The Dial Arch

Riverside, The Warren, No 1 St, Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6GH

https://www.dialarch.com/

The Dial Arch is currently probably the best pub in Woolwich. It ticks all the boxes: a great restaurant, live music and other entertainment, great beers, a large outside front drinking area, and a green.

This pub is a Young’s pub as is the Guard House pub about 70 metres on the same green.

The pub is housed in a building that was part of the Royal Woolwich  Arsenal ordinance depot and is steeped in secretive history. Up until the MOD moved out and sold off the land in 1994 everything that happened behind the high walls of the Woolwich  Arsenal was covered by the Official Secrets Act. The place was huge. Covering an area of 1 mile by 3.5 miles and employing 100,000 people at its peak. Many of the buildings within the Woolwich Arsenal are said to have been designed by John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor in about 1720 and the Dial Arch building was at some time used as an ordinance store.

The Dial at the entrance to the building, which gives it its modern name was added later in 1764.

Before the pub was built, the area at the entrance to the pub and the green was excavated and they found the front seating area and green used to be a Roman burial ground and contained numerous roman skeletal remains, and parts of the Woolwich Arsenal development site was once part of a roman settlement.

When the MOD moved out, the developers moved in, and the whole area around the Dial Arch building has now been redeveloped beyond recognition, although a handful of the historic buildings still remain.

I would say the Dial Arch is a locals pub, but not the sort of locals pub associated with some of the other locals pubs in the area, where you are either welcomed or viewed with suspicion for being an outsider.

Most of the locals come from the expensive riverside developments that surround the pub so are fairly affluent.  Other patrons tend to be from nearby surrounding areas that appreciate a good pub in a relaxed atmosphere.

There are a few tourists that frequent the place,  but Woolwich,  unlike Greenwich is not known as a tourist area.

They have a good selection of beers on tap including real ale and craft beers.

Having tried the restaurant section of the pub a number of times over the years,  I can say with hand on heart the food is excellent.

The wine selection is also very good.

They have kept the architects’ structural feel of the original design. The interior has not been plastered and covered and the stone walls and original bricks have been left exposed. The exposed beams and rafters of the ceiling have also been incorporated into the design update.

The bar is in the central atrium as you walk through the entrance.  To your left is the restaurant area and to the right is a wide corridor lined with comfy leather armchairs and booths and tables. Off of the corridor is the main drinking room and entertainment area. They also have frequent live music sessions here.

One thing that I have seen in this place that really irks me is the modern trend mainly seen in tourist pubs, is the act of customers standing in a queue waiting next to be served at the bar. As I said in one of my blog rants, the British will form queues for almost anything,  but the one thing we do not queue up for and never have is waiting to be served at the bar. You stand at the bar and wait your turn to be served. Unfair as it may seem, regulars will always be served before you.

As I stated earlier whatever you are after the Dial Arch has It all, great beer, great food, great wines, live entertainment all in a relaxed atmosphere.

If you can overlook the higher prices due to it being a Youngs pub, Yes even in these times of high prices,  £6.85 for a pint of Guinness is a bit excessive, then I cannot recommend this place high enough.

The Bat and Ball Micropub

275 Court Rd, London SE9 4TH

(5) Facebook

Situated just within the borders of the Greenwich borough boundary in Mottingham, the Bar and Ball is a fairly popular micropub since it opened a year ago, in fact they celebrated their first year in operation a few days ago (26/10/24).

The decor is tidy consisting of stools around narrow tables and wall benches seating four at a time, with a few beer barrels as makeshift tables for standing clientele.

There seems to be as much seating outside at the front of the pub as there is inside, which is good if the weather is nice.

They have frequent live shows and some of these shows are charged and entrance fee. It is fairly small inside so I would have thought it must get very crowded when there is a live music show on.

When I visited the pub at about 4 pm on a Sunday there was not a lot of patrons present, but it slowly got busier, especially when they started showing the Arsenal v Liverpool football match.  They only had one small screen to show it on, but that was OK in such a small pub.

A few people were working away on their laptops as they also have free WiFi here with the password shown on the wall.

Being a micropub it obviously has had a constantly changing rotation of real ale and cask beers, and a very large selection of ciders, and they even do cocktails for the ladies.

The prices I am glad to say are very reasonable with a pint of stout (Anspach and Hobday, London Black) costing £5.90. Not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive, when you consider the pub chain big boys are charging at least £6.85 for a pint of Guinness. Micropubs don’t have the same purchasing power as the likes of Wetherspoons, so they charge what people are willing to pay whilst not ripping off their patrons, unless they want to go out of business.

If I lived local to the Bat and Ball, I would probably make this my local real ale place, but unfortunately, I don’t.

The Pelton Arms

The Pelton Arms, 23-25 Pelton Rd, London SE10 9PQ

https://www.peltonarms.com/

The Royal London Borough of Greenwich has several live band pubs within its borders, and I think that the Pelton Arms is probably the best and most established live music pub in the borough.

The music genres showing her range through the whole spectrum from folk music to heavy metal, ska and reggae to punk.

When the live music is not playing the nights are filled with various forms of quiz nights. Normal pub quizzes, speed quizzes where you use your smartphone to monthly music quiz nights.

There is a good selection of beers, and they also have a selection of craft beers and real ales on tap.

There is a nice beer garden at the side and if you walk down Banning Street in the summer, you will often see the smoke rising and the beautiful smell of a roasting BBQ wafting through your nostrils.

The furniture and bar decor looks a bit tattered and worn these days but it’s acceptable.

Although the bar decor is in need of a makeover, I was pleasantly surprised by how smart and tidy the toilets were.

The demographic of the pub varies with the time and the acts. Not every act is a rock band and so, not every act is aimed at the young. For most of the day, this just is a great family pub, but later on when there is a show on it’s not a place for the kiddies.

When I last visited on a Saturday afternoon there were no acts on the stage, just a mixture of drinkers and families of all ages and types. A few tourists but mainly a vast majority were locals.

The pub was used as a television shooting location for the ‘Only Fool and Horses’ prequel ‘Rock and Chips’.  It was made out as the Nags Head Pub, frequented by Del Boy and younger versions of most of the original Only Fools and Horses characters such as Boycie, Denzel, Trigger and others.

They sell food and actively promote their Pizzas. They also do a Sunday roast which me and the wife tried after a local media recommendation. Personally, I loved it, although the wife was not as impressed.

Give it a try yourself and let us know what you think in the comments.

Abbey Arms

31 Wilton Rd, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9RH

http://abbeyarmsse2.co.uk/

Abbey Arms

I would class this place as a locals pub with maybe the odd customer going to, or coming from, the nearby main line and Elizabeth line train station. When we visited the demographic of the place was mainly young men, with just one lone woman drinking there.  I know from social media that lately they have started having weekly quiz nights and bingo hosted by a drag artist, but as far as I know, this pub is not a gay pub. Perhaps it fills up with more women later in the evening.

The range of drinks is OK, just the usual suspects and a few real ales and craft beers.

Before the opening of the Elizabeth Line, various businesses around the train station took advantage of a grant to tidy up and gentrify the surrounding area of the Elizabeth Line termination point. The Abbey Arms is one of the businesses that took advantage of this grant.

The outside of the pub has been painted various shades of green with wooden front decor. Within the front fenced-off area that they erect daily, they sometimes have seating and benches. At the back, they also have a beer garden.

When you enter the place your eyes are immediately drawn to the ceiling which is decorated with multi-coloured fairy lights, which is a permanent fixture rather than a Christmas period decoration.

Price wise I would put this place in the average bracket,  with a pint of Guinness costing  £6. Not the cheapest,  but not expensive either considering what other establishments are charging these days.

It took a while to get served, but when we were eventually served the barmaid was pleasant and efficient.

They serve food which seems to revolve around pizzas and pasta dishes, and from what I saw of the pizzas they look very tasty. They also do a mean Sunday roast.

The place looked clean and tidy, and the ambience of the place was friendly enough.

Apart from the drag-hosted quiz nights, and drag bingo, they occasionally have other acts to entertain there customers.

If you want to know what is happening with this place look up their Instagram and Facebook page, as their actual website just gives the address and opening times and is basically useless.

Would I go there again? Yes If I happen to end up in the Abbey Wood area, maybe frequenting the farmers market or the craft fair there.

18 Well Hall Parade, London SE9 6SP

https://www.berryandbarrel.com/

Berry and Barrel

I had been meaning to try out this place for some time. I thought I would be trying out just another bog standard micropub but I was not expecting what we were about to experience.

For a start when we walked through the door we were greeted by one of two lovely pleasant waitresses. I informed the waitress that we just wanted to have a drink,  and expected her to show us the door for not booking a table in advance, but I was wrong.

She showed us to a table and gave us the drinks menu.

When I looked around almost everyone else in the place was doing the same as us,  just having drinks from beers, and wines to cocktails.

The food that is on offer is mainly pizzas, which go very well with craft beer or real ales.

The place was clean airy and bright. The description of micropub is slightly misleading as there is plenty of room inside and they also have a rather nice large covered beer garden at the rear giving plenty of extra seating.

This place is under Google as a cocktail bar, but they call themselves a real ale micropub on their website, but the place acts like it’s a restaurant. I loved it.

We asked for two Guinness’s and it came to £6.80 just under what the big chains are charging,  but you don’t get the attentiveness and service like this in your local Greene King pub.

The higher prices from a normal micropub are obviously to pay for the waitress’s wages and although no service charge was added to the bill,  which you pay when you are ready to leave,  I still added a few pounds on. They deserved it.

I was even impressed with the toilets which although each sex only had one cubicle, they were very clean and tidy.

When we visited there were a few kids in the place, in fact, one of the tables that they were sitting at was completely covered in toys. They allow children in the pub until 6 pm.

Themed quiz nights seem to be the only entertainment they provide, according to their social media and website.

Would I come back to this place again? Hell, yes. But I will book a table next time, and probably sample some of their pizzas.

I highly recommend this place, if not for the beers,  wines and cocktails on offer, then at least for the experience of sampling a real ale micropub on a whole new level.

189-191 Eltham High St, London SE9 1TS

https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/rising-sun-eltham/?utm_source=g_places&utm_medium=locations&utm_campaign=

Rising Sun

The Rising Sun is a pub belonging to the Greene King pub chain.

Being part of the Greene King pub chain I was expecting to fork out for extortionate  Greene  King pub prices but was shocked when we were only charged £5.50 for a pint of Guinness. I know this is Eltham High Street and not the centre of London or even a Greenwich tourist pub, but £5.50, that’s nearer to Wetherspoons prices. Maybe we went at a time of the day when they were having happy hour.

I thought this place was supposed to be a popular pub frequented by locals and high street shoppers alike,  but when we entered, apart from one other customer the place was empty. The barman was friendly enough,  he was probably just glad to have another human being to talk to or bored having no customers.

They had a good range of beers mainly affiliated with Greene King, even though Greene King stocks its pubs with beers that pretend to be from countries that they are not from when they are nearly all brewed in the UK.

I am quite fond of Greene  King food, although it is all the same at all their pubs, it is usually of good quality.

If we were not about to do a review on the restaurant next door I would have had some of the food here.

It’s very hard to give a sample of the demographics and ambience of a place when the place is empty. I’m sure the place must get a bit busier earlier in the day or later in the evening.  We visited the place at 5:30 pm on a Saturday, so we would have thought there would be some shoppers frequenting the place at least but no. Perhaps I will have to do an update in future to give a more balanced review of this place.

To summarise this place. Nice food, cheap pint of Guinness, but not very popular at times of the day when you would have thought it would be. I will have to do an update on this place sometime in the future to give a more fairer and balanced review.

110 Westmount Rd, London SE9 1UT

http://www.thelongpond.co.uk/

Long Pond

Named after a pond at the nearby Eltham Park North.

After opening 10 years ago and being the first micropub within the Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley, I finally got to try out this place.  Unfortunately, the experience was ruined by a pint of beer.

To visit this place, it is best to check the opening times as it seems to think it is still in the bad old pub licencing days, where pubs open, then close in the late afternoon and reopen again in the evening. Like being back in the 1970s or 80s. When we visited on a Saturday early evening the place had shut at 3pm and we had to wait till 6:30pm for it to reopen.

As you walk through the door you walk to the bar through a seating area and another section of seating in a side room next to the bar.

The bar setup is similar to the River Ale House,  along Woolwich  Road. There are no taps or pumps at the bar, instead you tell the bar person what you would like from the board on the wall,  and they disappear behind  a door and pour your drinks straight from the casks and barrels at the back.

My friend who was helping me with the reviews  is a Guinness  drinker, but like a lot of micropub real ale places they don’t sell Guinness. So I chose the nearest thing to it. An English Porter by the name of  Monumental English Porter, brewed by the Mad Cat brewery in Faversham,  Kent.

After the barmaid disappeared  behind the door she came back with two pints of flat vile liquid that looked like a sample taken from the Thames. I know that a lot of porters and stouts will not have that creamy head that Guinness  has but this stuff had absolutely no head at all and was devoid of any carbonation or life.

Since we were reviewing the place as a whole we did the review,  drank up and left.

If you are claiming to be an expert in real ale you should not be serving up beer that is obviously  flat and completely dead.

I have read reviews  of this beer and seen photos of how it should look and be served and both were very different from what we were served.

The toilets,  one for each sex are located at the end of a long corridor lined with casks of beer. I couldn’t help thinking why they don’t use this long corridor for more seating.

They do not have entertainment although there was an upright piano standing in the corridor.

They also have a beer delivery service of bottled beers and casks, with free delivery if you live within the SE9 post code area.

I have read many good reviews for this place, and I am an advocate for real ale and craft beer establishments, so although this visit was ruined by a dire pint of stout, I will revisit this place again soon and give it a second chance. We could have complained at the time rather than drink it, which in hindsight was probably not the best thing to do, but once again we were on a timed schedule and had to leave.

I will endeavour to give an updated review of this place soon. So the answer to the question, would you go back to this place again? I suppose the answer will have to be yes, but only to give it a second chance, so watch this space.