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Beer of the Week (w/e 12th May 2024) with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Sail Loft
I initially visited this one not long after it first opened some 9 years ago and was completely uninspired by it, so much so that I didn’t even buy a drink, just turned round and left to go to a nearby proper pub.
But in the interest of Pubs Galore research, I thought I should pay it a return visit and actually drink here, especially as The Oyster Catcher had opened virtually next door in the mean time and I could compare and contrast.
Yep, sorry to say I still don’t warm to this type of modern pub and find them all very sterile. And although granted the riverside vistas are very good, I would still very much prefer an alfresco pint outside the Trafalgar Tavern for example.
But a lot of people clearly like it and it was very busy on this glorious day with people dining and sizeable parties of American tourists, who had clearly come off the Viking Cruise ship moored right by the pub.
The fact that they now allow the miniature cruise ships to dock as far upriver as Greenwich probably explains the existence of this one and the Oyster Catcher being built right next door, and of the two I probably preferred that one. And if these new builds perform the function of filtering out the cruise ship passengers before they get to the proper riverside pubs in Greenwich then I fully support their existence.
On 10th May 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2147 recommendations about 2019 pubs]
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Sail Loft
Riverside Fuller's pub at the base of a rather large building which is either flats or offices. The inside of this place reminded me very much of another Fuller's pub much further west along the river at Hammersmith (the Blue Boat). There is a large central bar on the ground floor with seating all around and an open kitchen in one corner. Stairs lead up to the toilets, further seating and another bar on the first floor, whilst there is a nice outdoor patio on the river where yesterday there were views of a rather large cruise ship which was moored on the river.
Fuller's London Pride is the regular ale. The guest beer was Stroud Budding, whilst Harry's Dirty Harry Raspberry & Blackcurrant Cider was also on handpull. Craft beers included Tiny Rebel Easy Livin', Meantime Anytime IPA, Goodness Yes!, Brixton Reliance, Beavertown Neck Oil & Jubel Cut With Peach.
This pub feels a bit too modern and foody for my liking, but it can still make a decent stop-off for any walk along the riverbank.
On 2nd May 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2501 recommendations about 2500 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Sail Loft
Large Fullers pub in a modern building directly on the Thames Path with great views of the river activity.The bar room is modern with high tables and some low backed seating booths further along close to an open kitchen.Outside the is a decked seating area underneath sail styled awnings.I didn't investigate the seating area on the first floor but it looked like a dining area from the towpath.
Just London Pride and Olivers Island on offer,the latter a joke at £3.90 for a half and dull NBSS 2. The food options were expensive with starters median £9,mains £19 and sandwiches & chips £12 so I didn't eat.
Although the view is great,you certainly pay for it,the ale was unimpressive even if the seasonal ale had not been conditioning and I am most unlikely to return.
On 14th September 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2745 recommendations about 2745 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Sail Loft
Shiny new Fuller's pub in a prime riverside development with fine views overlooking the Thames. Both ground and first floors feature island bars within elongated rectangular rooms designed to maximise the benefits of the windowed frontage. Modern furniture and decor throughout, but in decent weather the outside tables are definitely the main attraction. On this second visit, I found a slightly better choice of real ales available from the two banks of four handpumps in the main bar and three more at first-floor level: Pride, Seafarers, Oliver's Island and the seasonal Wise Men.
On 18th December 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8149 recommendations about 8149 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Sail Loft
The previous reviewers sum this place up nicely. Like them, I found the ale choice a bit uninspiring with London Pride, Seafarers, and Oliver's Island on. I didn't see a menu but they obviously do food. The upstairs, or mezzanine, floor is labelled as a dining room, but the tables weren't laid for diners and there didn't seem to be anything stopping us from having our drinks up there. But we were in on a Wednesday lunchtime, and it might be different in the evening.
It's clearly very modern in appearance, but some effort has been made to recognise the area's maritime heritage, with model ships as decor, what looks the remains of a ship's wheel as a table upstairs, rigging supporting lights, and one wall at the top of the stairs covered with bits of old packing cases. The furnishings are comfortable enough, if quite modern.
The main selling point of this pub is its enviable riverfront location, with excellent river views from the upstairs dining room, or from the outside seating at the front of the pub on the river pathway. It's nice enough even if there's nothing remotely traditional about. But perhaps in a 100 years or so pubgoers will be enthusing about this place an unspoilt example of a classic late Elizabethan glass and steel pub.
On 27th September 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Sail Loft
Opened in January 2016, this is a shiny new development from the Fuller's Brewery on a prime riverside site that marks it out as an obvious destination pub for the many tourists in the area. As you might expect, the interior is large and spacious, with the main room focussed around an interesting elongated oval island servery. The bar has a nice panelled counter with a pewter top and a smart bar back topped by an integral clock. The room has laminate flooring and some patterned tiles around the bar area. High tables and stools run along the riverside wall and are presumably the seats to bag in the day time, with fine view across the water towards Canary Wharf, although it was dark when I arrived and all I could see was my own reflection. Some of the tables here are made from various bits of former industrial machinery, which might suggest that some sort of theme based around the area's former industry might be found throughout the pub, but this was all I spotted on that front. Further back there is standard and padded bench seating opposite the open kitchen, whilst the left hand side of the room sees more high tables and stools under some nice back-lit display cases full of wine bottles. There is a lot of exposed wiring and piping running around the ceiling, but a glance up will also reveal some interesting light fittings and a mezzanine area that looks down to the bar. This upper level is seemingly set up for formal dining, but as far as I could see, people were eating and drinking wherever they liked. A good soundtrack played throughout my stay and despite arriving shortly before closing time, there was still a good crowd in on a Friday evening, suggesting that the place is proving popular with the locals.
For such a high investment, prime location venture, I expected to find an extensive range of Fullers ales available, but the two banks of four hand pumps both had London Pride, Oliver's Island and Seafarers clipped, with a final pump unused on each bank. Other Fullers options were available in keg and bottle format, but I found this fairly underwhelming and my pint of Oliver's Island was nothing special. Some kudos should go to the bar staff who seemed very friendly and enthusiastic.
Fullers have shown with recent venues such as the Admiralty in Trafalgar Square, that they are perfectly capable of creating a smart, interesting mass-appeal pub in a tourist focussed location. For me, this place doesn't match up to such previous standards and I felt that a lot of emphasis had been put into exploiting the enviable views at the expense of a high class pub-going experience. It's still a decent place to unwind over a pint or two, but I left with the nagging feeling that it could have been so much better.
On 6th April 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3126 recommendations about 3126 pubs]