The Mulberry Bush, SE1

Official site of The Mulberry Bush - www.mulberrybushpub.co.uk

Official site of The Mulberry Bush - www.mulberrybushpub.co.uk

Located a short stroll away from the Thames Path behind Gabriel’s Wharf, this is a traditional looking pub from the outside but has clearly been “renovated” at some point and now seems to cater to a primarily younger clientele. Our Friday evening visit found it very busy, with the music somewhat too loud for easy conversation. Décor wise it’s a mixture of traditional and modern with grey slate style tiling on much of the floor with large areas of inlaid wood strip elsewhere. Paintwork was mostly a dark green with further areas of dark green wood panelling as well as green iron supporting pillars, whilst a freshly plastered ceiling had been painted white. Large bi-folding doors all along the front of the pub no doubt make it light and airy in the warmer weather, and there looked to be some sort of more contemporary extension at the rear with light oak panelling, although we did not investigate this. Lighting was predominantly exposed filament light bulbs, which are of course de rigour in any pub renovation these days. Despite five hand pumps on the bar, only two were in use dispensing Young’s London Gold and Proper Job, with two appearing to have run out and one seemingly unused. Not a great start to the weekend. To make matters worse, the solitary cider was Aspall’s Suffolk. Had I caught this at a quieter time and with a better drinks selection available I might have warmed to it a bit more, but as it was I don’t feel any particular urge to rush back.

Young’s pub that hasn’t changed much from the reviews below.

This modernised Young's pub always seems to be doing a roaring trade whenever I pass it, perhaps benefiting from being situated just a short distance from the Southbank. You enter into a small lobby with a single high table and stools in a draughty spot beneath a staircase. A door to the left leads into the main bar with the servery running down the left hand wall and a raised seating area to the right. The bar has a chunky curved counter and a decent mirror and bare brick bar back. The room has bare pine flooring throughout which created a very loud and echoing environment on a packed weekend visit - so loud in fact that my companions left midway through to watch a firework display on the Thames which they claim was significantly quieter than being in the pub! There are a few long tables directly opposite the bar, ideal for large groups, with smaller tables and standard chairs on the raised platform to the right. The walls are painted white with a few sections of glazed brick tiling and the decor hints at the nearby TV studios with a giant clapperboard on one wall. Elsewhere there are some nice framed mocked-up book covers for classic titles and the obligatory picture of the Queen Mother. In the front right corner there is an attractive curved glass wall which screens a spiral staircase leading up the 'The Green Room, which is seemingly a separate dining area. Elsewhere, a few nice etched glass partitioning screens add a bit of character to a pub that has obviously been given a very contemporary makeover. To the rear there is a wide but shallow area that almost feels like a separate room and seemed to have been reserved for one large group on this visit. Some comfy looking seating options were available back here under wood plank walls decorated with various mirrors and lamps, whilst stacks of books filled the window sills. The pub was remarkably busy when we arrived but we were rather lucky that a group left whilst we were milling around, so we were able to bag their table. A very friendly chap who was collecting glasses, spotted us taking a seat and came and took our drinks order to save us getting stuck in the scrum at the bar, which was very good for us, less so for those waiting at the bar. There were three ales to choose from - Youngs Ordinary and Special and Wimbledon Common Pale. I tried a pint of the latter and thought it was in very good condition and it went down very well after a long afternoon of sight seeing around the city. I felt a bit conflicted about this place, as the lively atmosphere, good service and well kept beer were spoilt a little by the corporate interior design, uninspiring beer range and maddening noise levels. I'd say this is a decent enough place to stop off if you want to avoid the pubs on the Thames Path, but you'll need to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth.

This is still a Young's pub, and had five ales on - Young's Bitter; Special; London Gold; Bombardier; and Autumn Gold (£2.20 a half- that's London for you). Most people in here appeared to eating on Wednesday afternoon, but I didn't see a menu. It's unchanged from Maldenman's visit. It's still a typically madeover, modern and grey Young's pub. It was a fine day when I visited, so the folding doors at the front were fully retracted making it much lighter and airy than it otherwise would have been. There's a fair bit of flagstone flooring around the bar area, some tables that appeared to be constructed from reclaimed wood, and a few booths on the right. There's another room at the back with more reclaimed wood on the wall, and upstairs is the "Green Room", no doubt so named after the hospitality room one might expect to find in a TV studio - such as the ITV studios over the road. There was one of those water jars on the counter, but this one went a step further than most, containg sliced lemon and sliced cucumber. I'm afraid I didn't rate this place very highly, although it clearly serves a purpose as it was well patronised on the midweek lunchtime when I visited. It's more a bar and restaurant than a pub.

The pub has a rather bland modern interior featuring all known types of seating and also a good mixture of floor coverings. The bar runs along a side wall and opposite is a slightly raised area. To the rear is a sort of semi-conservatory with a half glazed roof. The front elevation has a full run of glazed doors which can fold back when the weather allows which must be pleasant. There's a fair bit of grey paint around, décor includes a bit of framed arty stuff, a display of old SLR cameras and a recess has beermat themed wallpaper. Board games on a side table. Upstairs is "The Green Room" which I didn't bother taking a look at but there looks to be a bit of a balcony up there. There is a bit of pavement seating too. It's a Wells place with Young's branding, Bitter, Special, London Gold, Bombardier plus guest Truman's Blindside which was a decent drop. The place is rather foody, plenty eating on Monday lunchtime, mains £10-£18, also a "Grazers" menu of smaller bites. A busy place, the ITV studios are nearby so I expect they provide a fair bit of trade, it's ok for one as a stop off if passing by.