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The Ship, Borough, SE1

68 Borough Road
SE1
SE1 1DX
Phone: 02074037059

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Pub Type

Fuller's
Page: 1 2

Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Moby Duck left this review about The Ship

A corner pub no longer leased by Fullers, however despite five handpumps the solitary cask beer on was London Pride along with a couple of craft on keg amongst the normal stuff. Pretty quiet when I was there though it was quite early in the day, not a pub I'd particularly seek out.

On 21st November 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Ship

Dating in some form from 1790, this is situated in a none-too-enticing area, though nicer than the E & C, a former Charrington’s house, as evinced by the sign bracket, though its trademark green banded glazing with red lettering is absent. Or never present.
It’s well covered below, so I doubt it has changed though the interior – which looks very 1930s – is well covered on the website, which even shows the TVs on, despite the pub being cleared for the photographer; at least there was one person watching the football on my visit, from two TVs blasting out the commentary, the games machine, thankfully something of a rarity in Fuller’s pubs, flashing away too. Customers were probably a mix of traditional locals, less traditional incomers and perhaps some office workers.
The Fuller’s range was on offer, so it was a half of Dark Star APA at a very reasonable £4.80 a pint, the friendly and professional barman giving me a top-up, unprompted; fine pint it was too.
This is actually a really great pub, but the games machine and especially the highly intrusive TVs, really knocked the stuffing out of my experience. However, it’s still far better than the Duke of York down the road.

On 14th November 2021 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Ship

A surprisingly traditional Fullers pub which has swerved the excesses of their refurb department, probably helped by its positioning as a halfway house between Borough and the E&C. Entrances at both ends of a long narrow room which has 3/4 length wood panelling, Wedgwood green uppers, varnished wood floor and nautical paraphernalia – an inter-war feel, as noted elsewhere. The main entrance exterior has lovely green tiling, square leaded windows and some nice hanging baskets. I spotted a dart board, again a bit rare round these parts and attests to it being a local, rather than an office workers, haunt. Five pumps at the bar with Pride, ESB, Seafarers, Red Fox (fair) and Dark Star Revelation (excellent shape). There was a nice relaxed atmosphere and it was an enjoyable stop – one to know about if you’re in the area.

On 19th October 2018 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Ship

Good Fullers pub, with more of a local feel than some of the after-work establishments closer to London Bridge station. Generally rectangular bar, albeit having a frontage angled to the street. Slightly austere interior with dark furniture, 3/4-height wood-panelling and upper paintwork. Pride, Seafarers, ESB and Quintessentially Pale Ale (£3.90) available from the five handpumps on this visit. Old-fashioned, but in an upmarket kind of way.

On 9th July 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Danny O'Revey left this review about The Ship

One of those annoying places that could be nice. However, the barman here was busy talking to his friends and totally ignored people who actually wanted to drink here. I hope he enjoys the beer here, I don't know what its like, after a few minutes I just left

On 29th October 2014 - rating: 1
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Malden man left this review about The Ship

This is an attractive looking street corner Fullers house, accessible both front and rear, with well preserved green exterior tiling and colourful hanging baskets, giving a welcoming feel especially as I had traipsed from Waterloo along The Cut and Union St finding some of my other intended watering holes closed along the way. The external impressions are reinforced within, it is a clean and tidy place, well looked after, polished wooden floor, three quarter height wooden panelling and a wooden bar counter with exposed grain, looked like walnut to me. I'd say the pub retains many aspects of a 1930s fit out, but the yellow stock brick exterior and Georgian style windows date the building earlier for me, 1880s probably.
The Ship theme is maintained within the pub with numerous nautical prints plus clocks and gauges mounted on a wall behind the bar, there are candles on the window cills, some set within ship's lanterns. Seating is mixed, there are a few high tables at the front entrance, but standard issue and a run of banquettes elsewhere. There are a few small round copper topped tables which remind me of my formative drinking days.
I went for the ESB, served properly in its trademark goblet and at a refreshing price for Fullers of £3.65. The food looked decent value too with the burger, gherkin and chips at £8.95 and sarnies between £5.50 and £6.95, clipboard menus on the tables. You are at the far end of Borough/London Bridge here, bordering on Elephant and Castle so I suppose the prices reflect the predominantly local trade.
Two TVs were showing early 90s cricket reruns on Sky, muted, the low level dance track music was a minor irritant. More traditional entertainment is available thanks to the dartboard by the back door. Clearly dog friendly, there were three hounds in although it amused me that the woman with the prissy Yorkie had to pick it up and shove it in her bag when a larger staffy type came in and started to bother it somewhat.
There is some outdoor seating to the side and an upstairs function room available for hire which remains unvisited by myself.
I liked it in here, the service was good, a proper local feel and a good well kept and keenly priced drop of my favourite Fullers beer.

On 26th August 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Ship

Located at the southern end of Borough High Street, just a short walk from Borough tube station, the Ship is a tidy, street corner Fuller’s house. From the outside, the place is certainly an attractive proposition with smart exterior tiling and colourful hanging baskets combining to create an appealing look. Inside, things are a bit more standard, with a bare wooden board room with high dark wood panels describing an unusual shape caused by the pub’s corner position. You enter into a mixed seating area with the servery on the far wall extending through a narrow space with room for a couple of high tables before things open out again beyond the bar where more seats are available, as is a darts area. Various pictures of the local area are on display and a vague ship theme emerges behind the bar where a number of nautical implements can be found, including clocks, meters and gauges. A couple of TV screens were showing some Premier League football and there was a big stack of board games in one of the front window sills, which didn’t seem to be enough for one lady who was most upset that Scrabble wasn’t included in the pile. There is a function room upstairs and a decent patio area with some picnic benches.
Just the three Fuller’s ales on the bar – London Pride, ESB and Chiswick, but Oakham JHB was also on as a guest and my pint was in fine shape and slipped down nicely. The bar staff were friendly enough and seemed to have a good rapport with some of their regulars.
Whilst there is nothing particularly out of the ordinary about this pub, it seems to be doing all of the basics well and I was glad to find a well kept pint awaiting me. There are a few good pubs in the Borough area that might merit investigation ahead of this place, but if you’re touring the area, this is a solid addition to any crawl.

On 2nd June 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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Nick Johnstone left this review about The Ship

Open early which is always handy. Traditional and welcoming and has some interesting prints of old London on the walls.

On 29th April 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 98 recommendations about 98 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve of N21 left this review about The Ship

The Ship is a very decent Fullers pub and is a sight for sore eyes when escaping from the E&C heading north. Externally the dark green tiled, lead lined windowed exterior is festooned with hanging baskets. And internally it is a one long bar pub with a pleasant wood panelled traditional pub decor with a decent collection of nautical artefacts and pictures on the walls. There are two flat screen teles at either end of the bar, which were showing the two Europa League games with Fulham and Liverpool with the sound muted, so you could enjoy the footy but not have it intrude into your conversation. And there is an alcove at the far end of the pub which contains a dartboard. There is a function room upstairs and apparently a garden area also.
The bar supports five hand pumps dispensing most of the Fullers range and the Pride was perfectly fine.
We did experience some issues with the service, but this was a small moan and all in all The Ship is a good solid traditional pub and long may it remain so.

On 3rd April 2010 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Ship

The entire Fuller’s range was on, with the exception of Gale’s Seafarer. The Chiswick was on good form, and at a pretty reasonable £2.60 a pint. This is quite an attractive pub, both inside and out – I think well tended hanging baskets always give a pub an attractive look. It looks like a classic inter-war pub to me. Gone are the original partitions between the different rooms that would undoubtedly have been there at some time in the past, but the bar counter and wood panelled walls certainly appear to be the real deal. There are some of those high stool and tables that I quite dislike, but there are a number of normal tables and chairs round the sides. The barmaid was friendly enough without being chatty. The menu was fairly standard pub grub (nothing wrong with that) at reasonable prices. I didn’t eat there so can’t say any more than that about the food. There was a TV on, but muted, showing Sky Sports. The decor on the walls, consisting of prints and miscellaneous artifacts was, as you would expect, entirely of a nautical nature. There is also a functional dartboard at the back, being used when I was in there.
So, we have a clean, comfortable and welcoming pub doing decent Fuller’s ales. You wouldn’t travel from the other side of London just to visit it, but it’s definitely worth dropping in for a pint if you’re in the area.

On 30th September 2009 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]

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