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Beer of the Week (w/e 2nd June 2024) with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Graham Coombs
Submitted on Saturday, 5th October 2019
With picture contributions to 5157 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (6 more images)
Detail Pages
Rusty Bucket, Eltham, SE9
SE9
SE9 5PR
Served areas
Reviews of Rusty Bucket (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about Rusty Bucket
Yep, I liked this one as well. Well described and unchanged from Pub Signman’s visit below, not really anything to add except for the fact that they now have some external bench seating on the pavement to the front of the pub and I overheard who I took to be the owner bemoaning how much the local Eltham council had increased his rates for the privilege.
All 18 taps on the tiled back wall were in operation and there were two real ales, in the form of Calmer Chameleon Pale Ale and Maris the Otter Bitter from Brew York in the small cool room cupboard next to the bar. I tried the Pale Ale which was fine and a half of the Kernal Amarillo Pale ale from the keg taps. Other craft options included ales from Deya, Siren, Pressure Drop, Werewolf, Stone Brewery and Brew York.
I was quite surprised to subsequently read that this was a former rough house pub and not a shop conversion into a micro pub, because it certainly had the feel and friendliness of the latter and I really enjoyed my visit here. And any place that includes pop art depictions of Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse amongst its décor scores with me.
Also decent opening hours for this one, but slight word of warning, it is card payment only.
On 29th May 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2156 recommendations about 2028 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Rusty Bucket
Well positioned in the centre of Eltham, this is a decent craft beer bar that is probably about the same size as the famously small Wetherspoons a few doors down. The pub has a single rectangular room with modern floorboards, low tongue and groove wall panels with plain painted uppers and a short bar counter to the rear left under some helpful beer boards. The bar has a very basic painted counter and a white tile bar back with various taps mounted on it and the temperature-controlled taproom visible through a window to one side. Good table and chair seating fills most of the room with some high stools along ledges to the rear right. The large front windows in pleasing irregular shaped frames allow plenty of light in and the light-coloured walls contrast well with the mainly dark wood furniture. The walls have been decorated with a mix of modern art, photo collages and promotional material and there are some shelves to the rear right stacked with books and board games, whilst a jar is full of dog treats although there were no canine customers in sight on a Saturday evening visit. I’d only been sat down for a couple of minutes when I was joined by a very friendly young Geordie couple who I ended up chatting to for the rest of my time here and I generally got the impression that the pub has that ‘micropub’ feel where it’s easy to strike up a conversation.
There were three cask ales available when I arrived – Moor Stout, Northern Monk Eternal and a Best Bitter from an unknown brewery – but the pub’s speciality seems to be craft keg beer, with no less than 18 on tap covering a wide range of styles and strengths. My pint of the Moor Stout was a reasonable £4.00 and in very good shape.
I really liked this place which I had expected to be a micropub, so it came as a nice surprise to find something a bit more substantial. The welcoming, inclusive atmosphere, well kept ale and pleasant décor all worked well for me and this would probably be my pub of choice the next time I’m in Eltham.
On 14th May 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3126 recommendations about 3126 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Rusty Bucket
Still much as in the previous review, this feels like a fairly average micropub-style shop conversion with no signs of being a former pub, and still with music playing and a dead TV screen. The one room has a bar in the corner and some board games for amusement. Four ales and a cider were on cask, plus a fair selection of craft and foreign keg and bottled stuff.
On 5th October 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3353 recommendations about 3290 pubs]
View more reviews of Rusty Bucket (5)
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- Official site of Rusty Bucket - www.therustybucket.pub
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Rusty Bucket - whatpub.com
Mottingham, 0.77 miles, 14 min walk (show)
New Eltham, 1.52 miles, 29 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Beer Garden : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Car Park : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Darts : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Function Room : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Hot Food : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Jukebox : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Karaoke : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Live Music : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Micropub : No last updated 26 August 2018 by Aqualung .
- Pinball : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Pool Table : No last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
- WiFi : Yes last updated 08 July 2018 by Aqualung .
