Greenwich Pensioner, Poplarback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Went in for a pint in early March waiting for a mate who lived nearby to get home from work. Bit of a mistake and the delightful frontage is false advertising to what awaits you when you get inside. Grim one room drinker, not very welcoming, full of local chavs f'ing and blinding and, to top it all off, one of the punters dogs took a sh*t on the sofa. I drank my pint quickly and left. Avoid.
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So the Pensioner is at it again. Another spate of time and another manager gone, mind you she had let the place go to rack and ruin.
So its back, Admittedly only keg beers, Stella, Fosters Guinness etc but at very keen prices! £3.30 for Fosters, £3.50 for Stella? Ale is coming apparently. Cant wait!
Meanwhile some local history adorns the walls (The Confessions posters and the Sharks head have gone, as has the dreadful smell of drains) and the young lady whose taken over seems keen to get it moving. Heres hoping!
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It doesn�t seem as if this pub has changed much since RogerB visited over three years ago. It looks might impressive from the outside � as you can see from the current photograph that I uploaded recently � with its original brewery facade and signage, and floral displays that give it a well cared for appearance. But it flatters to deceive, and the interior is very disappointing. There�s a pool table on the left; a sofa with a low cerise coloured plastic table; and a few normal tables and chairs comprise the furnishings. There are some bizarre decorations as well � the walls are adorned with advertising posters for the �Confessions� films, and there is a large false shark�s head on the wall to one side of the bar glaring down at punters in the pub! There was a TV showing a music channel, and the usual one-armed bandits and cigarette machines. In essence, it�s pretty characterless inside.
What they didn�t have is anything worth drinking. There are two pumps; one had a clip turned round and the other advertising GKIPA which was not on. I always wonder why pubs leave a clip facing out when the beer in question is not on? It just leads to disappointment � not that I�m a great GKIPA fan, but it�s a darn sight better than the only other bitter (John Smith�s smoothflow) that they had on. I can�t see any reason to return.
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Looks great (on the outside). However, same old same old beers: Stella, Fosters, Guiness and quite bad bright lighting don't make it a welcoming place.
It is family orientated, but don't expect to go for quiet pint. Children run around (relations of the owner) and toys are strewn across the tables. The paradox of this is the risque posters on the wall.
Run by the ex-owners of the Brunswick (which closed):
an odd place, I would suggest passing this one by.
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As I previously informed you, the gang from the Brunswick are now in charge.
London Pride @ �1.90. Carlsberg, Stella, Boddingtons and Guinness at affordable prices. Plus bottled Bombardier, Spitfire and Abbott.
Karaoke on Thursdays, weekly quiz coming soon. Darts, pool, Sky Sports and music to entertain.
Ideal for a quiet pint, or family gathering.
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Good news for all pub goers.
A new company has taken over the Pensioner.
As we bid farewell to the Brunswick, (another victim of the big-business bully-boys), we now have the Pensioner back from the dead.
Having been a gay bar for a while, it looks plush in the bar area.
The decor leaves it with a mixed-up identity, but, given time, the owners are committed to changing it back to former glories!
Currently selling Fosters, Stella, John Smiths and Guinness. Soon to add Carlsberg and XXXX.
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contrary to your assumptions roger,We are all entitled to our opinion, and i'll make you 100% right about the unfortunate demise of the east end pubs including the greenwich pensioner, But let me just add; If you were'nt around in the late seventies and eighties either through age or that you lived in a different part of the country, The pensioner was an extremely busy local pub, As was all the others around poplar, stepney, limehouse etc; So unless you were around at the time and actually using the pubs, dont assume that they were always cynical designer pubs; Because your 10/10 wrong. PS: If your unsure of the reasons that east end pubs have declined so rapidly; May i suggest you have an amble through stepney some time. cheers.
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Warning. This is a prime example of what could happen to your local if it falls out of popularity and into the wrong hands. From the outside this is a typical traditional Victorian local with a fine fa�ade bedecked with flower arrangements and a beckoning welcome. Indeed, I thought I had found a back street gem in a somewhat bleak part of London as I approached, especially as the only 2 people rating it so far have given it 10/10 each. Inside you will be in for a serious culture shock. This is a cynical designer pub that has had every last drop of its 100 odd year old life and atmosphere removed and shoved down the nearest drain by people who do not seem to care one inch for a building�s past. Heaven knows what the previous regulars must have thought when this place reopened. It is now a kind of modern art deco yuppy pub with designer lighting, cushioned cube seating, glass top coffee table, even designer nibbles (�1 for a packet of designer crisps if you please) and just so you don�t forget where you are, there are business cards neatly arranged on the tables. I am surprised I didn�t get my change on a silver tray. The only feature worth mentioning is the living room mural plastered across one wall (I assume from the previous report that this is a prized piece of art). There is hardly a single original feature left and it is impossible to imagine what the pub looked like before the makeover. Outside it says �Prized Ales�. Inside you will find Fosters, Stella, Guiness and John Smiths - hardly a great selection and none that I would describe as �Prized Ales� by any stretch of the imagination. Other than that it is wine, spirits and cocktails, and this is the customer base that it is obviously aimed at. I don�t mind there being modern, trendy and fashionable bars around but not at the cost of the established local pubs and especially in an area that is somewhat sparse for pubs in the first place. I can only assume that this place was a complete dump beforehand and was forced to close before being turned into this. The moral of the story is if you want a decent pint, don�t be fooled by the exterior and walk on by. Support your local to prevent it becoming designer twaddle like this. 10/10? I don�t think so!
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Looks like a traditional East end pud from the outside with stunning display flowers, the inside is Pop Art Deco with an original Lichtenstein on the wall. Staff are really friendly, prices very reasonables and excellent food!
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