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Submitted on Saturday, 21^st April 2018
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The Britannia, SE1

44 Kipling Street
SE1
SE1 3RU

Phone: 02074031030

Correct details

Served areas

London Bridge, Borough

Reviews of The Britannia (Average Rating: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Tris C left this review about The Britannia

This is a mid-19th century pub nestled amidst local authority housing along the exceedingly dinky Kipling Street, still featuring a Taylor Walker sign frame, devoid of its gun carriage motif.
The interior is quite deliberately basic, with boarded floor and a bar back of some vintage; of note is the brass water tap on the bar top, so much more attractive than some Kilner jar full of water with ‘orrible green shavings floating in it. The overall aesthetic is one of a dive bar with low lighting, mixed furniture, some industrial and at least one table with legs fashioned from a couple of black painted kegs. The ceiling is white t ‘n’ g, with décor featuring a couple of fine brewers’ mirrors – one Bass – two maquettes of Ziggy Stardust and John Lennon in his ‘Imagine’ suit, then eclectic prints; two functional incense burners rested on the bar top and loud Techno music played. Customers were either some very earthy older locals, then Australians (?) and probably some students, one – outside obviously – smoking a large cigar, purchased from the pub’s cigar menu which features whisky pairings, whisky being a major selling point here.
Unfortunately, the ale front was barely worth mentioning, with just one unclipped pump, then another clipped for Pride, me going for a bland Orbit Nico at a very reasonable £3.10 a half, served by a friendly barmaid.
The Britannia offers something different, especially when coupled with the Miller and Simon the Tanner but would get a higher mark if it catered for the discerning cask drinker rather than assuming that Pride is the go-to choice for cask drinkers which it isn’t, but it’s worth smoking out.

On 10^th June 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

custodian 42 left this review about The Britannia

One room pub with the bar to the left. Various kegs and, surprise surprise, Ringwood's 49er which was quite pleasant.

On 5^th October 2019 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Blackthorn _ left this review about The Britannia

A backstreet pub a little off the beaten track despite being only a few minutes’ walk from the throngs of Borough Market, this was inhabited almost entirely by locals on a recent mid-week evening visit, with us being the only tourists I suspect.

It’s quite attractive looking from the outside, and has a traditional U-shaped interior with sanded wooden boards on the floor, dark timberwork and large windows on two sides with some flock wallpaper elsewhere. A TV was up in the corner and although the volume was not on, there was instead a radio station playing, slightly too loudly I thought. A sign outside said that a new kitchen was opening in a week or so, with the food offering on our visit seeming to consist of a few jars of nuts on the bar and a small selection of pies.

The solitary beer on tap was Pedigree Amber, although a further pump appeared unused so there may on occasions be others. Ciders meanwhile were Kingston Press and Old Rosie. Whisky seems to the main focus here though, with a chalk board on the wall listing fifty or more. A small copper tap on the bar counter was presumably for punters to help themselves to splashes of water – an unusual feature and not something I’ve seen before.

On 3^rd April 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]

View more reviews of The Britannia (8)

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