Tower Bridge Arms, Bermondsey, SE1

My early midweek evening visit a couple of weeks ago was my first since back in 2009 when this place was known as the River Bar, as per my old review. It would seem that there have been a couple of name changes since, before now settling on the Tower Bridge Arms. I like this name, they should keep it. An open plan bar is located to the right where a bar counter sits on the left wall facing high tables in the centre. Banquettes run under the windows along the right and rear walls. To the left some steps lead up to a seating area with booths along the left-hand wall and standard furniture at the rear. Unusually for a BrewDog venue this place has four hand pumps, two of which were in operation. Unfortunately both barrels went whilst trying to pull me a half so the embarrassed barman gave me a free half of premium keg as an apology for wasting my time. I appreciated this gesture and I will return when next in the area to see if I can actually get some real ale. Food is available, the burgers are priced between £11 and £14, which is OK for the area.

In 1921, this building was home to a tea dealer. It was formerly a Courage house (all three façades sport Courage sign brackets, cockerels having fled the roost), opened by them seemingly in 1971 and actually called the Draft House, so clearly people couldn’t spell then either. Now called the Tower Bridge Arms, this is actually owned by BrewDog, but because it sells real ale, it has a pub name, no cinema beer board and an interior that isn’t modelled on an oilrig, though I suspect that it’s little changed since the previous reviews. There’s a modern boarded floor, smoky blue and pale grey paint scheme, conventional furniture, with some fawn-coloured studded banquettes, hanging spherical glass filament lamps, a dark grey bar front with tubular steel shelving and quite loud music. Customers seemed to be office workers and many were in high spirits. The ale front displayed Siren Session Pale Ale, Anspach & Hobday’s Golden Bitter, Brick’s Peckham Pale, me choosing a Siren Memento at the ridiculous price of £3.20 a half and really not in great condition either, served by a barman who said, “This is the last thing I’m doing this evening”. I don’t see a massive point in coming here again. The rowdy but neighbouring Pommeler’s Rest offers superior beers at superior prices, albeit without the hipster affectations.