The Brew Wharf, London Bridge - pub details
Address: 1 Stoney Street, London, SE1 9AA [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 27812) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
London Bridge (0.2 miles), Borough (0.3 miles), Cannon Street (0.5 miles)
Bank (0.6 miles), Tower Gateway (0.9 miles)
London Bridge (0.2 miles), Cannon Street (0.5 miles), Blackfriars (0.7 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Food served
Pub suggested by lipster on 1 Feb 2006
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> Current user rating: 3.1/10 (rated by 58 users)
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> Local guide: London pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Market Porter, Borough (0.0 miles), Katzenjammers Bierkeller and Restaurant, Southwark (0.0 miles), Katzenjammers, Southwalk (0.0 miles), Wheatsheaf, Southwark (0.0 miles), Southwark Tavern, London Bridge (0.0 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Brew Wharf, London Bridge
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 64 shown - see all reviews
| It was shut for a "private function" so we didn't even get past the bouncer on the door. I have been here before to try their home-brew which was OK but nothing special. Drinks are pricey and we didn't stop long - headed back to the nearby Market Porter for some great real ales. mcroyal - 17 Nov 2011 11:10 |
| Bar staff unwelcoming and difficult. One of them tried to short-change me. Overpriced beer. Lacking in atmosphere. ale_addict - 17 Feb 2011 00:17 |
| Like many people I have witnessed the transformation of the London Bridge area from a neglected destination on the perimeter of the City of London into a trendy hub of tourist and after-hours social activity. The cause of this transformation can be traced to the opening of the Jubilee line extension at the end of the 1990s which for the first time allowed fast transit to Westminster and the emerging centre of Docklands via London Bridge. The convenience this brought to those living in the southern outskirts of the city has led to an ever increasing tide of commuters passing through the barriers at London Bridge. Couple this with the offices and financial institutions of the square mile continually encroaching across the river and you begin to appreciate the forces at work in this transformation. From the local to the transitory, from the market porter (literally) to the international conglomerate; the range of drinking establishments have been mutated by the same material market forces as the rest of the area. Substituting rootedness and authenticity for simulacra and vacuity. Brew Wharf, an extension to the Vinopolis empire which owns an immense block of former warehouses and arch spaces (bought at a relative pittance before the boom years) has been around for about 5 years. It flogs the now staple format of the gastropub but with the added incentive of a small microbrewery and a nebulous relationship with the brilliant Meantime brewers of Greenwich. The bar is itself comprised of a shell built around the already existing structure of two railway arches. High roofs, minimal décor and plain benches result in an atmosphere akin to having a drink in an abattoir or continental art gallery. You would assume this place is appealing to the style of German beer halls, but the large standing area near the bar and the irritating trend of the suited clientele to stand in groups around the tables rather than sit at them negates any possibility of communal atmosphere. They have a wide range of ales, even supplying the occasional rarity or seasonal exclusive from the likes of Meantime. But as most reviewers have noted the prices are prohibitive to most but those suited denizens of office cubicles who traipse across the bridge after 5pm. When even the Floris range of sickly syrup based wheat beers (Belgian, like Fosters is Australian) go at £4.80 for their paltry 330ml bottles you may be in need of a financial advisor before buying a round. Their own brewed beers are passable and are the cheapest of the beers on draft. However given the choice I would go for the Meantime London Stout if they have it on draft, which even at £4 a pint is vaguely worth it. Barring that, get it in bottles at £1.60 a pint from your local supermarket! The same applies here as it does for The Rake and so many other establishments in this area; fantastic range of beers served at restrictive prices in an environment that is an insult to the craftsmanship of the brewers involved. Artisan produce consumed by spivs as if it were swill. Again I can only echo the comments of others in saying that the bar staff are far from knowledgeable, generally quite rude and often borderline contemptuous, particularly if you wander in wearing anything less than a shirt and suit jacket. Table service for the food which is variations of standard gastro-faire with a mark-up of 20% for the privilege of dining amongst so many fallen masters of the universe. I have also sampled the mussels which were bland and no better than you would get at Belgo or other faux Belgian chain. In short Brew Wharf exemplifies everything wrong with the contemporary drinking experience. Environment, price, customer service, quality, all superficial or absent. A play of appearances that picks your pocket while you sit moaning about falling property prices. As you exit the bar the soon to be completed Shard of Glass is an ominous sign that this situation is only going to get worse. When will someone liberate us from this toss. xaventaner - 30 Nov 2010 17:22 |
| UPMARKET AND PRICEY MAYBE BUT YOU CANT KNOCK THE QUALITY OF THE BEER, THIS IS SOMEWERE TO TAKE THE WIFE OR SOMEONE ELSES FOR A SPECIAL TREAT , BUT DONT FORGET TO TAKE PLENTY OF WEDGE! TWOJACKRUSSELLS - 3 Nov 2010 03:55 |
| Added this to our normal list of pubs around Borough Market as the beer range tends to be interesting, which it was. The pub / Restaurant is a bit austere though and a little unwelcoming for our liking. So its more like get the beer, knock it back and move on, perhaps having to manouvre around folk sitting on the steps and floor doesn't help. imdownthepub - 27 Jun 2010 13:06 |
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