please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A fairly typical Youngs pub. Everything was slightly better than average. As noted, the Spy Room upstairs is the place to sit. Convenient for Tate Britain.
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Elegant room upstairs slightly spoilt when I was there by a dishevelled staff member kicking off their shoes and reclining on the sofa at the best table to surf on her smartphone, and that seems to be representative.
Also those expensive Youngs peanuts shovelled into a little paper bag - avoid those.
Youngs bitter as good as ever though!
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A pleasant enough place with a nice upstairs room. However the beer left something to be desired; either Youngs have gone off the boil since their relocation or the staff weren't looking after the beer, which tasted insipid. On one occasion the barman had to be prompted twice to top the glass up. There are better drinking options around Victoria.
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Very pleasant pub in a prime location though position alongside Millbank not necessarily the best for views. There mid-week for late afternoon lunch. Excellent Ploughman's, solid Bombardier. I found the staff gregarious and welcoming.
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Traditional pub opposite the river - sounds great. Unfortunately there isn't much view of the river from the ground floor; it's obscured by Millbank, a major road, and a building site. You can see the MI5 building though.
Despite being a traditional pub, there isn't much atmosphere and the layout and furnishings are unremarkable. On this visit, the service was lazy and less than friendly.
It seems that the criteria for entry is that you be upper-middle class at a minimum, with a braying voice to match, otherwise expect you-don't-belong-here looks.
Worst of all are the prices: £10.90 for a pint of Kronenberg and a medium house red (wine). Extortionate!
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A bit bland. Looks great, but the crowd is exceedingly dull after work. Great during the day, though, but you must sit upstairs in the Spy Room and look out across the river. Comfy sofas, the light coming in on a sunny day is beautiful, and the beer is pretty good. Hardly anyone seems to know about the upstairs, which is strange.
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Went in here on Saturday afternoon after visiting the Tate - around 3pm. Initial feel of the pub is very nice - good solid tables not too close together. We ordered two sandwiches, a pint of Bombardier and a pint of Peroni which came to �20.05 - this seems expensive. The two pints were less than full in the accepted British pub tradition and we were not given any cutlery or napkins to eat the food with.
Not an entirely happy experience but a nice pub in which to while away the hours.
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A traditional, street corner pub alongside the Thames path. It's a slightly unusual in that it's something of a wedge shape rather than completely square owing to the geography of the roads that it is on. It's a two room pub with the main bar being at the front and a smaller room behind. Apparently the pub's cellars form part of an old tunnel network that was used to transport convicts on to Thames barges prior to deportation to Australia.
The d�cor is a rather sombre shade of burgundy paint-work, although with somewhat lighter ceilings where there are two very large, candelabra type light fittings. There is brown carpet at the front with old wooden flooring at the rear. The wood panelled bar counter is unusual in having a curved brass plate running around the bottom. Whether this is decorative, or to prevent it from getting kicked, I'm not sure. A few locals pictures hung on the walls and there was a pile of board games on a shelf. Staff were friendly and helpful. The rear room was smaller and had a few high tables with some red, velvet covered bench seating and a small domed window in the ceiling.
The food menu was a decent �pub grub� offering, with a good choice of mains including some with smaller portion sizes available at lunch time, jackets, sandwiches and a few tapas style dishes. Most of the mains were around the �8 - �10 mark, and we enjoyed the dishes that we had.
Young's dominated the beer line-up, with their Bitter, Special, London Gold and Bombardier. The guest on this occasion was Rucking Mole. The solitary cider was Strongbow, unfortunately. Prices seemed a little step at �8.45 for two pints.
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Always a very pleasant, well situated pub to visit; in my case of an eventide wandering over from Surrey across Vauxhall bridge to the first pub on the Middlesex shore. Fine and dandy,comfortable seating outside to sit upon, pulling on my half Chuchill and supping a well pulled pint. Heaven!
anonymous - 26 Jul 2010 11:36 |
This pub is so far up its on backside it can see out of its mouth. This was a good pub that Young's have completely ruined.
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Quite a pleasant riverside pub with an excellent range of Youngs' beers plus Bombadier. Food not at all bad - really enjoyed the Fusion Platter. A nice change to my usual menu choices. Staff friendly and efficient. We were in about six so it was mainly the after work crowd but everyone seemed happy enough.
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I don't think you refuse to serve people because you don't like thier polatics
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They get a 0 for serving all the racist EDL yobs who marched in London last week. Bet it was great for business, but some things are more important than money. A pub I now boycott in principle.
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Not bad at all in here - probably hasn't changed that much in 20 years. I'm guessing the crowd in here was mainly residents and the atmosphere was a bit more relaxed than some of the post-office pubs in Westminster.
Not sure I'll find myself in this part of town too often so unlikely I'll return.
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Still a very pleasant pub to sit outside and enjoy a smoke and drink and watch the world go by. Cleam and always pleasant staff. Beers always presented well. Highly recommended.
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What have the nearby Morpeth, Royal Oak, Buck, the Clock House (Peckham), and the Dulwich Woodhouse got in common (apart from being once five of my favourite pubs in London). I think the current reviews say it all.....
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As bog standard as a London pub can be and utterly wasteful of the prime location just along the river shore from Tate Britain. Listless and uninteresting - an injection of enthusiasm is needed badly to convert this into what could be a great boozer.
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Had a very enjoyable night to night. Great beers, well presented. Pleasant girls behind the bar.
anonymous - 30 Oct 2008 00:06 |
Horrid place. As previous posters have pointed out the staff are at best disinterested. I used to pop in en route to Vauxhall station, you have to leave at least half an hour now to get served have a lukewarm pint and leg it for the train. Not worth the effort now. The royal oak up the road is a better bet.
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I agree with many of the comments below. I assume the manager is passing time until she gets a career she really wants - utterly incencere type - no wonder there is a big staff turnover. Only thing keeping it going is proximity to the Tate and lack of other places.
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Greatly improved; good service, pleasant staff and fine selection of ales.
anonymous - 29 Sep 2008 00:51 |
It was better pre-makeover (inevitably) but it's still not bad. Handy for the Tate. I once got serenaded here by a 70-something former set-designer wearing a fetching neckerchief who worked through most of Doris Day's back catalogue. I can see that's not everyone's cup of tea.
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I certainly agree with the foregoing about how to ruin a perfectly good pub in three easy lessons or one hard one! Add to that disinterested staff and mediocre beer it simply means I'll have to go further afield when visiting the Tate from now on.
BobOs - 30 Aug 2008 13:24 |
Another lovely pub that really should have been left as it was. I also used to combine a visit to the Tate with a jar here but will have to find a new watering-hole.
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Having just had a reasonable session at The Jolly Gardeners over the river I cannot find much to comment upon other than the bottle of Youngs Special was perfectly fine.
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Why have they changed this pub? It was a lovely old boozer. I always used to pop in when going to the Tate. Now ruined with new furniture, a clone makeover and the most expensive food menu you can imagine. Nearly �9 for some camembert? You must be joking... Sad times � leave it well alone.
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If you went into this pub for the first time you would think not a bad place, in a sort of flat pack by design clonish sort of way.
If your drank here before summer 2007 you would say why oh why did you try to ruin what was such a charming place, getting rid of the traditional banquette seats, and replacing them with high chairs, redecorating in cool chill-out colours in what should be a brigh and brash typical Victorian pub and unecessarily remodelling the bar.
Some comments after spending some time their tonight - now totally patronised by students from the arts school, unlike the wider mix it used to entertain. Some came their to play on their lap tops (shoot me know, I really am getting old). And whilst the toilets could not match the gradeur of the Princess Louise in Holbourn, they were still magnificent fully height urinals, with highly polished copper and brass work. Now sadly replaced with the diddy ones.
Not the most awful pub, just sad what they have done to it. Check out older postings to see what others thought pre-makeover.
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Went in on recommendation and found nice and charming. excellent staff with smiles a plenty with fast service and great tasting beer. ask about the prison cells and ghosts there's plenty of character here
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Refit has opened it up a bit and not changed the place excessively. Beer is the usual Youngs and Wells stock plus Deuchars IPA which was on good form. The upstairs is in common use now (previously I think it was special functions only).
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Treading water is how I'd describe this place. Ok I guess but nothing to divert you there unless when you're passing, the sun's out and you sit on the street tables. An MOR boozer.
anonymous - 30 Apr 2008 17:31 |
Sunday afternoon, not too crowded but waited nearly an hour for our food (they said there was an accident in the kitchen) and it wasn't really what I ordered. It was supposed to be a chicken breast stuffed with lemongrass with a sweet chili glaze but was covered in orange goo that tasted like campbell's tomato soup. The waitress said the menu said it was 'homemade sauce' but er, it didn't.
No real cider but the seats were comfy.
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I'll third AbeC, the interior could be anypub, anywhere, what's with the current mania for turning boozers into departure lounges. Still a nice pint and a friendly welcome, but bar leaving do obligations I'll not be back. Not that the Jugged Hare would be my alternative, save yourself the walk and try the Grosvenor just the other side of Vauxhall Bridge Road.
anonymous - 25 Sep 2007 15:15 |
Drunk in here on and off for almost twenty years. Had two leaving do's there including one where I spent far too long in the toilets.
I only seem to be posting "why?" (why did you do this to your pub) nowadays, clearly I am prematurely old aged.
See AbeC's posting thtee below, think that says it all. It did not need a make over, it was nice already!
OK I have seen worse, and beer was decent and not too expensive for the area. Doing up the interior seems pointless.
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nice to sit outside.Shirley thought the toilets were very good.
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Didn't think the conversion was too bad although it's a while since I was last in there. Beer was on good form although the food was very poor. My friend had the fishcakes which were tasteless, overcooked and then microwaved - has to be one of the worst meals I have seen served and they charged eight quid for it! To be fair the staff were apologetic and gave a refund - stick to just the sandwiches if you are hungry.
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A catastrophe has occurred - I thought this pub was too lovely for Youngs to alter. Wrong - and the wreckage is a miserable sight.
Youngs' pub conversions have been getting brasher (e.g. White Cross and the Old Ship in Richmond,) but this is much, much worse.
Goodbye Morpeth, Rest in Peace - I'll trudge up to the Jugged Hare hereafter.
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Popped in for lunch, whilst waiting for our time to visit the Hogarth Exhibition at the Tate.
Good food and a well kept pint of Youngs Bitter.
The upstairs non-smoking eating area has good views of the Thames and the river traffic.
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Nice spot by the Thames, although watch out for the fast road outside...Nice old fashioned feel to it. Youngs beer, quite nice. What particularly won me over about this pub were the picture on the wall of the late Queen Mum pulling pints.
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one of my favourite Youngs. Bitter is always top-notch,nice cosy feel to the place and can usually be served fairly quickly. Bought one of their heavy china pint pots as a birthday gift for a fellow Youngs devotee. Only downer is that i never win the monthly prize draw !.
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Lovely place on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon - not too busy - v close to the Tate Gallery.
Decent pint of (new) Youngs, also Brakespear. Adequate pub chow.
Nice old Victorian pub, little changed.
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A riverside pub. Well the Thames is across the busy main road. Decent booze, decent food, decent atmosphere, decent. 7/10
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I knew this pub very well in the 80's. Met most of my good friends from Pimlico in this pub. Fosters was fine and the bar staff were friendly enough. Not a pub known for punch ups. There is a staute outside which I sleapt in one night. My ex and me used to go here. An okay pub as far as I'm concerned. Lots of good memoments with friends.
anonymous - 4 Oct 2006 18:19 |
Good pub with great Youngs, interesting mix of drinkers as said below, worth a drop if you are near.
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What a place!! Guys in drag. Girls in punk. Wierd (if I'm not being too conventional) outfits. Occasional beered up suit. Not sure if we'd happened on a fancy dress party the first time round... but nope, been exactly the same every other time. Good to meet some entirely random types. World Cup Free Zone - and very proud of it. Sit outside and great view of the River / MI5 building... Amiable barstaff. Adequate wine.
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The picture of the Queen Mum pulling a pint is brilliant!
I love this pub. It's a nice, quiet place with a good selection of beers and a friendly and relaxing atmosphere. The place is nicely done up with authentic decor and it feels like a good, honest London pub without the attitude you can get elsewhere. Definitely worth a visit.
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...And there is a fornightly quiz night
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As most of the other contributers say its a good standard Youngs pub with reasonable range of sandwiches, paninis and other snacks. It is reassuring that a good pub like this has not been converted into All Bar One clone. Particularly reassuring is the picture of the Queen Mother pulling a Youngs pint!
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Typical Youngs pub really. Friendly bar staff, one of whom is a whizz on the card game on the Itbox. Relaxed, quiet and hassle-free.
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An absolutley brilliant place. I used this with some regularity many moons ago when dating a girl who lived near Dolphin Square. Comfy feel and 'pubby' vibe about the place with always 'on' ales. It is perfect for a post Tate refresher.
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in terms of positioning you couldn't ask for more from this boozer. picture the scene: the GF wants to ``do something'' at the weekend. yep, you've been stitched up with a visit to the Tate. But here lies this little oasis you can duck out to whenever you need to. also good when you've ``earned yourself a pint'' after an office-based weekend morning and speed-marching round the gallery.
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The prices went up after the last landlord & lady went, but they've kept the standard up. Sells everything Youngs make, and know how to keep it.
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This pub usually quiet at the start of the week but can get rammed on Thursdays and Fridays with civil servants and students from the nearby art college. The ale (I'm told) is good and they have a good wine selection but it's not really that cheap. Weekends, especially in the summer, mean bucketloads of Tate visitors but Saturday and Sunday nights are often really quiet with just the locals around. Head barman Dave is very friendly. Celebrity spot - Tory MP David Davis can occasionally be spotted sipping a quiet pint in the corner.
anonymous - 18 Aug 2005 16:06 |
Used the Morpeth regularly for lunch back in the days when Westminster allowed me to park my coach across the street.
Shame 'cos it's a really friendly place.
I park at Tesco in Kensington these days and use the Britannia Tap in Warwick Road.
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Dropped in here for a couple after a day at The Oval and it was one of those sunny days that Londoners pine for. Even if I remove the late-in-the-day sun advantage it was a good time spent.
The interior is certainly worth a look through and I agree with Chris (27/6/04) as to traffic on Millbank but being on a corner we opted for the side street where it was quieter.
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Very nice, unpretentious Youngs pub on the river. Does get quite busy with the after work crowd but always seems to be enough room (to stand at least) and the staff are on the ball ensuring fast service. The beer is well kept and there's lots of interesting bits of the pub's history on the wall - it's cellars used to be used to house prisoners prior to deportation, and are still rumoured to be haunted... Well worth a visit if you're around Vauxhall/the Tate.
Mr Lash - 11 Nov 2004 12:21 |
I used to work at this pub when I was living in the UK and I enjoyed drinking there even on my days off as I got to know all the locals. There were lots of very friendly regulars from all walks of life there!!
anonymous - 10 Jul 2004 04:44 |
Good little Young's pub that does get very full with (a) visitors from the Tate along the road and (b) employees from GOL just over the road. Food ok. Seats outside but unfortunately there is too much traffic on Millbank to make sitting out very pleasant.
West London CAMRA pub of the year 2004.
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