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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th March 2026) with trainman
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The Dog & Bell, Deptford, SE8
SE8
SE8 3JD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Dog & Bell
Visited 05/04/26. Visited previously 08/06/21.
Cask here was the Old Aged Ale and the Ruby Porter both from Three Acre Brewery, two hop varieties of the Pale No 3 and the Green Hop Rolsch all from Three Legs Brewery and, more mundanely, London Pride. There were five real ciders also available on handpump. Keg here was Grolsch, Asahi, Budvar, Peroni, Rodeo from Villages, Beamish Irish stout, Murphy's Irish stout, Jubel Peach, Stowford Press, Roadie IPA from Signature Brew, the Idaho 7 IPA from Moonwake, Hepcaf, the Gooseberry Us from Hammerton, Pilsner Urquel, Guinness.
This is a very notable real ale pub that was absolutely rammed on my late Thursday evening revisit. Outside seating hugely in demand on a mild evening. Inside is L shaped from left to right with the bar counter following the shape of that side of the venue. Carpeted with a patterned tile skirt along the bar counter, providing tall stool seating at discrete points along its length. Seating is initially via a leather banquette serving regular tables and then there is a bar billiards table before the right angle of the bar counter. The walls are very ornamentally decorated generally throughout. There is another leather banquette around the right angle of the bar counter in the frontage and then some tall tables opposite the other side of the rest of the bar counter. There are some secluded (in this densely packed venue) seating behind the bar counter and an outsider seemingly fully covered space at the rear. There is another carpeted right-hand leg behind the wall that runs parallel to the interior side of the bar counter that provided further regular table and regular chair or leather banquette seating. The walls on this side equally support many mirrors and prints and like the rest of the venue was heaving on my visit. All told whilst the venue has a very decent beer offering, I thought the extreme popularity of the venue reduced my positive experience. Well above average but not stellar in my view.
On 9th March 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1340 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Dog & Bell
A proper pub dating back to the 18th century and around which modern social housing has developed,it's all very traditional.The etched glass front door gives way to a series of sections,with the L shaped tap room on entering.This has a long green leather banquette below a window,going left takes you past a bar billiads table ,then a seating section with more green leather fitted benches and a series of handpumps for real cider.This area has an oirish feel,and might be the hangout for locals.
To the right of the wooden floored tap room up a couple of steps is a carpeted area full of dining tables but fine to use while just drinking,a rear corridor has some cinema seats and a seating booth while a door leads to an outside seating area ,mainly covered by an awning.
Food is popular here and looked hearty,but this will bring infamiles with children at weekend lunchtime and a few brats were wondering around.
It's a long time GBG entry of over 30 years and on my trip the selection was Fullers London Pride and ESB,Park Brewery Good Night Pete,Wantsum x Brockley Want Some Broccoli ? and Brockley Marzen and Autumn Amber ,a rather dull brew NBSS 3.There are several indie beer keg taps too.
I was left underwhelmed by that choice,and the close tie to Brockley doesn't leave room to show case some outstanding real ale so although I really liked the pub ,the ale selection may temper my enthusiasm for a return visit.
On 3rd January 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3126 recommendations about 3126 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Dog & Bell
Traditional pub, wood flor/furniture and tidy. Sells good beer
On 2nd December 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1590 recommendations about 1567 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Dog & Bell
I've been meaning to return to the Dog & Bell for a number of years. Situated in a quiet residential street close to the River Thames, it's easily Deptford's best pub.
With a day off work and searching for somewhere to go, I spotted that the pub was the start and finish point for an annual May Day parade with something called Jack In The Green (a person in a giant tree) and the Fowlers Troop, a group of musicians. The parade was going around a number of pubs, bars and breweries, many of which I hadn't previously been to.
I arrived at the Dog & Bell shortly before the parade was due to commence. There were a large number of "alternative" people mostly dressed up with various types of foliage. My drinking colleague and I felt the odd ones out. But it wasn't long before we had the pub almost to ourselves.
The entrance to the pub is from along a side road. The bar is L-shaped with a long, narrow room containing the bar billiards table off to the left, with a small area of seating along the shorter side of the bar leading to a fully enclosed outdoor drinking area to the rear of the pub. Off to the right of the entrance is further seating.
Fuller's London Pride the regular cask ale. Guests were By The Horns Blue Bird, Oakham JHB, Three Acre Session Pale, Libertalia Private Eye & Mackintosh Pale Ale. Ciders can be found on handpulls at the far end of the bar. These were Ascension Wrath, Hogan's Libertine, Dunkerton's Cider & Snail's Bank Rhubarb Cider. Craft beers are also represented with Villages Rodeo Pale, The Kernel IPA Simcoe Citra, Gipsy Hill/North Brewing Glider, Anspach & Hobday The IPA & London Black, Brew By Numbers #64 Canadian Breakfast Barrel Aged Imperial Stout & Pipeline Over The Moon Stout.
On our return at the end of the parade, a couple of other ciders had appeared - Broadoak Moonshine & Snail's Bank Damson In A Dress.
My last visit here was between Christmas and New Year in 2011, when the pub was extremely quiet. This was in complete contrast to that day and in fairness the pub handled the large influx of customers very well.
If I had a criticism at all, it would be the lack of a dark beer on cask. None of the cask selection was really my cup of tea. However, I did finish my day on the 11% Breakfast Stout, which sent me on my way in a bit of a daze!
On 2nd May 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3409 recommendations about 3407 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Dog & Bell
Around 1900 there were approximately 150 pubs in SE8, today there are about nine. Situated in a pub graveyard and close to the Thames and Deptford Creek, this one dates from at least the start of the 19th century, but I suspect was rebuilt in the same century; it’s very much a backstreet pub, with some of the curtilage punctuated by colourful kegs. It also recently featured in a Time Out list of must-visit London pubs.
The Guinness sign to the fascia and stained glass Celtic knotwork to the picture windows indicate that this was once an Irish pub, as do some of the whiskey distillers’ mirrors, but despite the vestigial Gaelic gallimaufry, it’s an Irish pub no more. The interior is a real old-school traditional experience with a riot of knickknacks and nautical ephemera – a boat is nailed to the ceiling – and Toby jugs; hop bines adorn the pot shelf. There’s a bar billiards table and rather good live acoustic music wafted out of a side room. Customers were about 1% traditional curmudgeonly old locals, then 99% students from the nearby University of Greenwich campus and accommodation block, the large majority crowded out front, all doing studenty things.
The ale front wasn’t as exciting as I was led to believe, with three real ciders then Iron Pier Killick’s Mill, Surrey Hills Greensand IPA, Cellar Head IPA and Blue Bee’s Langsett Light at just £2.10 a half, served by very friendly bar staff; it was however a bit of a ‘juicy’ beer, which isn’t to my liking; there were also 42 bottled beers offered on a board, many Belgian.
This is a real pubgoers’ pub and although it may seem a little heretical, a better and wider choice of beers would have got the score up a point.
On 2nd July 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2307 recommendations about 2251 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Dog & Bell
How have I not been here before? A wonderful pub , hidden away slightly on approach in a side street, the Red frontage may divide opinion but once inside It's every thing a traditional pub should be complete with a Bar Billiards table and more. The bar stretches through both rooms, five pumps in the far one and ten in the front area, understandably these days the beers on offer were down to six on cask and unlike on Johns visit six years ago the brewers were what I would call first division or thereabouts, apart from the double clipped Pride we had Wiper & True Heading Home a very nice Mild at an excellent £4.20 a pint,Cellar Head Fireside, Park Field Of Haze, Dark Star Sky Lab and Iron Pier Bitter, There were also a couple of craft beers amongst the trad keg. Steadily busy on a hot Saturday and I could have easily spent the afternoon here.
On 18th June 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2291 recommendations about 2255 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Dog & Bell
A friend in Sheffield recommended this one to me, and he wasn't wrong. Two sets of five hand pumps, with London Pride doubled and the rest from Irish breweries Bullhouse and Lacada. To be fair, this was the St Patrick's beer festival but all the beers I tried were in tremendous condition.
On 17th March 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 4658 recommendations about 4267 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Dog & Bell
Nice locals pub.Ugly red frontage but clean tidy 2 room interior with good rear outside area for smokers(or indeed anyone).Quiet on my visit.Loads of Belgian beers in the fridge (how quaint) 5 cask beers on but from the second division of brewers so I went for Plato brewery on keg.Nice and reasonable price.Casks from Bluestone.Conwyn,2 from Southwark.
On 30th September 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Dog & Bell
Looks like its had a make over. Immaculate, inside and out.
Traditional pub - possibly the only London pub with a Bar Skittles Table?
Four for five real ales on. I went safe for a perfect pint of London Pride at £3.80.
Worth seeking out. A near religious experience with the stained glass window and pew type seating. My type of Church.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2nw0e2o
On 2nd April 2017
- rating: 10
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Dog & Bell
They had five ales on in here when I visited Wednesday lunchtime - London Pride, Colchester Diesel, Hogsback TEA, Mauldon Mole Trap and Clarence & Frederick Golden Ale (£3 a pint). I had a pint of the Clarence & Frederick which, while a little hazy, was a tasty hoppy summer style ale. I didn'e eat in here, but I did see a chalkboard on the wall advertising sarnies at £3.50 and pub grub main meals at around £6 - £7. There's a bit of outside seating at the back, and there were some newspapers for customers to read.
This is not only the best pub (by a country mile) in Deptford, it's the only decent pub there and was a welcome sight after the depressing walk up Deptford High St and spotting at least four closed pubs, with only the uninspiring White Swan bucking the trend. This pub hasn't changed appreciably since my last visit some five years ago (which is a very good thing indeed). The layout is the same with the separate room on the right that still contains the bar billiards table, and with traditional furnishings throughout.
This is a reasonably priced, clean and simple pub that does decent ale. That works for me. Definitely worth the walk from Deptford Station.
On 8th March 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2617 recommendations about 2531 pubs]