The Windmill, Southwark, SE1

Good venue for sports. Large horseshoe shaped bar divides the pub.Lots of photo,s of actors adorn the walls. Nostagic. Missed the hidden pumps and only saw Brains -Scum Diddly which was decent

This large sports themed pub is part of the local Windmill Tavern group who also run the Ring and Jack's Bar near Southwark tube station and the King's Arms just around the corner from this pub. This place doesn't have the cosy, traditional feel of the King's Arms, partly due to the large, open interior. Whilst the pub has been divided into two different rooms thanks to a centrally positioned U-shaped servery and adjacent partitioning wall with doorway, there is no bar back, so you can see through from front to back. The front half has a good deal of seating in a spacious area which was reasonably well lit thanks to the large front windows. The décor is a little basic with the sports theme only really communicated by several TV screens, mostly showing Spanish football on this visit. An archway to the left of the servery allows you through to the rear part which is a bit more compact and has comfy curved banquettes running along the rear wall and more TV screens showing the same sports. It felt a bit scruffy and in need of a spruce up to me and this area was a bit gloomier thanks to less natural light finding its way here. The walls here are covered in photos, some duplicated, of famous actors, which is presumably a nod to the pub's location between the Old and Young Vic theatres. A good soundtrack played throughout our stay although I wonder if the commentary would be turned on during particular sporting events. There doesn't appear to be a proper beer garden, but there is a pretty good space to the front, partly under a nice awning, which offers picnic bench seating and seemed pretty popular. The handpulls are hard to spot here, having been positioned behind the partitioning wall, so it's worth asking if there is any ale available. There were three options on my visit - Fullers London Pride, Gales Beachcomber and Sharp's Doom Bar - and possibly a real cider, although it was hard to see the pump clips. I tried the Beachcomber which was okay, maybe a little flat. We primarily visited to enjoy some Thai food from the extensive menu and my Massaman curry was lovely and served by a friendly waitress. Thai takeaways are also apparently available. This is a fairly standard pub that served a purpose by providing us with a tasty meal, but I'm not sure there's enough here for me to consider visiting just for a drink. A good option if you're in the Waterloo area wanting to catch the big match, but I think I prefer the Hole in the Wall.

Not too bad if you can't bear the racket of the nearby fire station or the vileness of the anchor and hope! Certainly the better of the three.