User name:

Password:

Login


Sign in with Facebook


Not already a member?
Join our community and - Rate & review pubs - Upload pictures - Add events JOIN for free NOW


Chat about:
Approving photos with rpadam on the Pub Forum

The Wellington, Waterloo, SE1

83 Waterloo Road
SE1
SE1 8UD
Phone: 02079286083

Return to pub summary

Pub Type

Fuller's
Page: 1 2

Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


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

Just a short distance away from the Waterloo station concourse, it remains a better option than the station pubs whilst sharing the transient feel. Features a two-part bar plus another lounge area to one side. Most distinctive features are the high painted ceiling and plaster busts in a niche above the smaller, central counter. Several TVs showing sport. Also offers accommodation. As a Fuller's pub, I found Pride, Seafarers, ESB and Dark Star's Skylab (£6.10) available from the two banks of handpumps on this revisit.

On 10th July 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Wellington

This dates from 1851 but was rebuilt as this barnlike structure around 1918. It’s a Fuller’s pub, but with a huge fake ‘baronial’ interior, dominated by a high, vaulted ceiling with a trompe l’oeil (ok, mural) depiction of the Battle of Waterloo, which took place on the site of the railway station, opposite; there’s a large framed portrait of Arthur Wellesley or ‘Duke’, as he was affectionately known, the winning team’s captain; the pub is named after the pair of wellies above the bar, which Duke invented.
It’s very noisy in here, with customers comprising mainly commuters. Multiple games’ machines here are thankfully a rarity in Fuller’s pubs, likewise the multiple TVs showing a variety of channels; lounge furniture is mixed, like the customers, but unlike the customers, isn’t transient.
There were the usual Fuller’s beers, though thankfully Hophead at £2.80, which is steep for the area.
I agree with Moby, in that this is like an upmarket ‘spoons, but without the beer or the prices; in a word: awful – who would want to drink here with the fine Kings Arms round the back?

On 24th January 2022 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Wellington

This is a very large Fullers pub located roughly halfway between Waterloo and Waterloo East stations. The pub consists of two large, spacious open plan rooms, connected by a wide walkway. The right hand room is a fairly straightforward public bar, with bare floorboards, high panelled walls and the servery along the back wall. The bar has a nice counter boasting some intricate carving and a gold framed, mirrored bar back. A mix of high stools and chairs, banquettes and armchairs serve a variety of different sized tables on a lower level seating area to the far right. Several TV screens were showing muted coverage of a golf tournament and I spotted a few arcade machines around the room, including a golfing game – not sure if there are a lot of golfers drinking in here?! To one side of the bar is a large mural of the Duke of Wellington and above is a pleasant stained glass ceiling feature. Elsewhere, old pictures and plain mirrors dot the walls and there was a replica canon on top of the entrance porch. Over in the left hand room, you find a much grander room which is far more impressive and a big improvement on the plainer public bar. The room has a tiled floor and some lovely wood panelling on the walls including some sections near the entrance with finely worked carved decorations. Through the centre of the room, there is a high vaulted ceiling which depicts Wellington and his troops at one end of the arch, behind the bar, and Napoleon’s forces at the other end, near the front door. It’s an impressive centrepiece for the room and I kept finding my eye’s gaze drawn upwards to it. Tub chairs, sofas and some odd mid-height chairs predominate, with standard seating along the left hand wall where a nice fireplace can also be found. The servery runs along the back wall and has a nice traditional counter and bare brick bar back, with a large brickwork arch as the focal point. There are lots of TV screens in this room too, this time showing a muted football show and, unlike the right hand room, there was no music playing in the background.
It’s a Fullers pub, so you kind of know what to expect on the bar. There were four ales available – London Pride, ESB, Seafarers and Red Fox – with the latter costing £4.75 for a pint and being in pretty good shape. The staff here seemed very friendly, which isn’t something you can take for granted with pubs in this sort of Central London location, and there was a busy post-work crowd in, many of whom has spilled out onto the pavements outside.
I liked this place, which despite feeling a bit scruffy and neglected in places, still boasts a fine main room with some impressive features. Its location close to two busy train stations makes it ideal for a quick half before setting off on your journey and I’m sure I’ll be stopping off here again sometime soon.

On 11th January 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Moby Duck left this review about The Wellington

Didnt like it, like a wetherspoons without the beer range or low prices.

On 19th June 2016 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about The Wellington

Nice warmly decorated pub with a great mural on the ceiling.Usual range of Fullers beers but my Seafarers was a bit bland.Seemed to be a queue for the fruit machines.Another good Fullers pub.

On 1st March 2014 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


hondo . left this review about The Wellington

Large Fuller's pubs round the side of Waterloo station. Interior as described below. Respect to Ensign Charles Ewart "great souvenir" on display in Edinburgh Castle.

On 22nd November 2013 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Malden man left this review about The Wellington

Close to the lower concourse entrance to Waterloo Station, this is a fairly cavernous pub semi-divided into three areas. The obvious main feature is the room sized mural of the Battle of Waterloo painted on the vaulted ceiling of the middle section, there are also various busts on display and a picture depicting Wellington himself above the bar. An area of the bar back is arched with some exposed brickwork. Part tiled, part wooden flooring with a splash area around the bar, seating is mixed, high tables, sofas, plus more conventional arrangements. Several TVs high on bulkhead walls were showing football highlights on Sunday evening competing for attention with the loud music and the din made by the punters trying to hold conversation above the music.
Worth a quick look for the ceiling alone but not much else, apparently accommodation is available, not sure it would be my first choice for a relaxing night.
Always tends to be busy and obviously with a transient bunch having regards to the pub's location.
Fullers beers these days, Pride, ESB, Discovery and Wild River were on at the time. £4.20 for an ESB.

On 26th June 2013 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Roger Button left this review about The Wellington

The Wellington stands between Waterloo and Waterloo East Stations and is an amalgamation of 2 buildings, Shropshire House and the Lord Hill pub which were knocked together around 1918 to form the Wellington that we see today. The upper floors are dissected by the footbridge that links the stations whilst the main line rattles past the end of the building which, in its hotel capacity, must make for some interesting sleep experiences.

The pub is now part of the Fullers Empire having been taken off Marston’s hands in 2011. Given the 8 hand pumps (2 sets of 4) it was disappointing to see just 4 ales doubled up across them - Pride, ESB, Seafarers and Black Cab Stout. Fullers are normally at the top end of the price range but at £3.80 for the Stout, I found this comparable to other pubs in the area. Food wise, main courses are around £7-£11 for the usual pub grub stuff.

The large interior still shows signs of being knocked through various buildings but can be conveniently divided into 3 areas. The focal point is undoubtebly the central main bar with its imprssive Battle of Waterloo mural that spans the barrel ceiling, the Duke of Boots and his cohorts above the bar itself and a defeated Napoleon and his troops conveniently placed near the exit. Recesses house a selection of busts and other Waterloo themed artworks. To the left is a slightly more loungey area with paneled walls, some interesting pictures, panoramas, mirrors and a sofa section in front of an open fire beneath a hexagonal coloured glass ceiling centerpiece. To the right is a rather faceless section albeit the fairy light adorned windows do give it a bit more natural light than the rest of the pub which is a bit glazingly challenged.

The pub can get very busy, especially in rush hour with the commuter traffic and with the piped music and general hubbub it can get vibrant and noisy. There are several TV’s so I would imagine when sport is on the place could get quite uncomfortable.

The area does have an interesting mix of pubs and the Welly certainly has enough of its own character and quirkiness to make it a worthwhile visit if you avoid peak periods.

On 12th February 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


John Bonser left this review about The Wellington

Situated opposite a side entrance to Waterloo Station is The Wellington at Waterloo ( to give it its full pub name ), a large pub recently acquired by Fullers from Marstons.

A long bar counter with two banks of four handpumps serves two adjoining rooms plus a further area down the far end. Seating is the usual mixture of traditional tables and chairs, sofas plus long tables and stools. The middle room has several fine large murals of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, painted by one John Waldon, apparently a renowned muralist. The most impressive of these covers the large arched ceiling. Note also several plaster busts in a small recess above the entrance to this room.

On the wall at one end of the bar, a framed print tells us about Buster Edwards, one of The Great train Robbers, who was found hanged in 1994. We learn that it was believed that he had taken his own life, but an open verdict was returned on the basis that he had been drinking in The Wellington the previous day and had got too intoxicated to commit suicide. I’m not sure that this is something I’d be boasting about if I were Fullers.

Describing itself as a pub / hotel, accommodation is available – 26 rooms – but, rather than having the atmosphere of a hotel bar, it’s very much got the feel of a typically transient characterless impersonal station bar with bare floorboards and some exposed brickwork contributing towards a rather noisy and echoey feel. Even by London pub standards, staff are generally clueless and unresponsive. Staff collecting glasses wear bright yellow tee shirts with a message reminding us to take care of our belongings.

Various screens dotted around show live sport and, on my recent visit, I was able to see the conclusion of the latest England v Pakistan one day cricket international.

Beers on were London Pride, ESB, Front Row and Seafarers.

With the possible exception of the Battle of Waterloo paintings, this place has no real redeeming features or merits at all and I don’t envisage a return visit any time soon. The Hole in the Wall, with its better atmosphere, service and beer range (and quality) is a much better bet

On 17th February 2012 - rating: 4
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve of N21 left this review about The Wellington

Seeing that this place had been purchased by Fullers, decided to poke my nose in when emerging from the train station last night.
I haven’t been in for many a moon, but the decor definitely seemed brighter and smarter than I remember it. Not sure if that’s down to Fullers or the previous owners Marstons.
Two sets of four pumps operating but it was so rammed I could only get close to one set. But that was good enough as, along with Seafarer this set had the new seasonal Black Cab Stout which was excellent.
I can’t really judge if the pub has improved under Fullers, but as I am partial to their beers and especially to their chain which stocks the Gales range and the seasonal ales, I can see myself utilising the Wellington much more in the future.

On 15th December 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]

Page: 1 2