skip nav  
 


Graduate, Greenwich

back to pub details

user reviews of Graduate, Greenwich

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

There comes a point in life when you have to be open and admit what you are. Yes the Graduate is an “old fashioned” pub that hasn’t been decorated or improved in God knows how long, yes it is still clinging to the belief that it is a traditional Irish boozer (somehow attempting to stamp this impression into the initial mind-set of everyone entering by having a poster policy ensuring only Guinness is advertised), and yes, it has two fairly decent pool tables which are desperately screaming from the back of the room that this pub has more to offer. But the fact has to remain that this pub is so far back in the closet that I wasn’t sure if it was a pool hall at the back or Narnia.

In true Barrymore style, the handful of patrons in there on a Sunday afternoon assured me that the pub over the road (that opens at 6) was the gay bar, but judging by half the clientele, if that one is the main attraction, this was certainly the aperitif. The staff were friendly and the drinks were fine, the gents had that familiar smell of leaky urinals and over used disinfectant (which indicates they were presumably clean), and the music was audible enough so as not to be too loud but to mask the fact there was no one else in there.

All in all, this pub needs to work out what it wants to be in order to attract a crowd. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with going after the pink pound, but you won’t attract too many of that crowd without introducing a paint brush. An Irish pub is always a good draw, but again they need to be catered for.

All in all, this pub is trying to appeal to everyone on the cheap and I fear that due to that it may be appealing to no one. It gets an extra point though as it’s the first place a man has ever called me attractive.
HereForTheCraic - 5 Aug 2013 15:03
That'll be the Fat Frog :-)

Once the staple after-midnight diet of half the Irish pubs in south-east London.

The Graduate is a a nice enough place. A bit of a Tardis-pub, with almost no street frontage and a large wedge-shaped bar behind. As others have said, its the real thing. And hasn't been done up. See it while it lasts.
bob_brown - 8 Jun 2008 18:37
Offers a 1L drink that's a combo of blue WKD, Smirnoff Ice, Quinn's Orange, and a double vodka. Should give you an idea of the intended clientele.

At least I like the ironic "Please drink responsibly" notice.
topdog_andy - 14 May 2007 09:07
Well, what can I say? I've lived in the area for over 3 years now and out of all the pubs I have frequented, this has to be the friendliest and traditional of all.

Too many pubs these days are swooped on by corporate vultures and turned into lifeless, soulless gastro-wooden floor-art advertising- bars. This pub has managed to survive and at the same time provide a genuinely unique pub experience. The staff are friendly, the locals are mad and there are, indeed, the splattering of trendy youths who appear tired of monotonous bar experiences and drink here in search of the 'lost' days they hear they hear their grandparents speak of with effervescent eyes.

On the busier evenings (in particular St Patrick�s) the sound of cheer and beer can be heard welling up from the Gothic-like architecture, while a glow emanates from its intriguingly frosted windows. Inside, the drinkers sing and dance, drink and play (darts and pool).

Go and have a drink there and glimpse a true taste of South East London days gone by. It certainly is an experience like no other

thedukeofgreenwich - 29 Mar 2006 19:26
please excuse the poor spelling used in the previous comment... that comes from spending too more much time in the pub in question!
bheathrd05 - 15 Apr 2005 16:41
The best local in greenwich. Although it may not look much from the outside, you'll be instantly welcomed by the long standing number of regulars there for the fantastic pint and good conversation.
With a new breed of youthful regulars, the graduate as developed a cult following amound students of Greenwich there for a guareenteed laugh and good time on a saturday night.. if you haven't heard about it you will soon.
bheathrd05 - 15 Apr 2005 16:38
A friendly pub but not the most attractive of pubs. Typical old man boozer but the staff are all friendly and now and again there are a couple of youthful regulars under the age of 40.
ST2004 - 21 Feb 2005 13:04

got anything to say about this pub?

Please read our reviews policy before posting.
Only registered users can post reviews. Please log in. If you don't have an account yet, register here.