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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Barrowboy & Banker, SE1
SE1
SE1 9QQ
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
Big, busy, bank conversion opposite the London Bridge station approach road. Interesting curvy bar, with a grand staircase leading up to the mezzanine. Little in the way of atmosphere despite the paintings, memorabilia and other traditional-style décor. Efficient bar staff, though. The beer's usually good too, with a selection from the core Fullers range, e.g. London Pride, Seafarers, ESB (£7.05), Hophead, the seasonal Gentle Giant and the Blindside collaboration with Sambrook's from the two banks of four handpumps.
On 6th April 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
A return visit last week to this large Fullers pub built in a former bank building. Well it’s a Fullers Ale and Pie establishment so you kind of know what to expect and that’s why we chose to revisit.
We primarily visited here as there was a group of 12 of us who needed to be fed and watered late afternoon and this is a decent pub for achieving that comfortably. The dining focus is on the upper mezzanine floor and can seat quite a few without feeling cramped and the larger downstairs area is comfortable when not too busy but turns into a loud echoing vertical drinking barn when it is, and especially after work hours, and it certainly was when we left at 5.30pm last week.
There are two banks of four ale pumps which generally provides a decent ale range with the usual focus on Fullers Ales as you would expect and for us the London Pride, at £6.25 , and Hophead at £6.45 a pint were on fine form. Alongside these were ESB and Seafarers also from the Fullers stable and then Twickenham Fine Ales Harlequin, Peoples Captain For the Love of Rugby Pale Ale and Tiny Rebel Carrie Blood Orange IPA.
Due to its position the role of this one is to feed and water the tourist hoards during the day and provide a decent environment for office workers to let off steam after work and I think it performs that quite well.
On 20th November 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
. Wittenden left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
A grand bank conversion catering for tourists and City commuters in a prominent position close to London Bridge.Decent , if pricey pies on our mid May Saturday afternoon visit,coupled with a dull pint of Dark Star Orbiter best bitter.A large range of Fuller's beers on the bar. Busy and noisy.
On 22nd May 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 290 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
This is a large Fuller's pub, obviously a former bank, and with its name giving a nod to the erstwhile workers at the nearby Borough Market. I doubt whether anyone working there now could be described as a barrowboy. As it's such a high ceilinged room, they've managed to squeeze in a mezzanine floor looking down on the main room. There's also a dining area up a few steps on the left, with the dreaded "wait to be seated" sign guarding the steps.
The main room has some fixed bench seating around the sides, with a few tall tables/tall stools and normal tables and chairs in the centre of the room. There's some attractive herringbone parquet wood flooring, as well as a bit of black and white tiling. A visual reference to the previous use of the building is provided by the numbered security box covers, complete with locks and keys, along the front of the mezzanine floor, plus a safe front set into the front of the bar counter.
There was a pretty good ale selection (as long as you're OK with Fuller's beers). From the Fuller's stable we had London Pride (of course), ESB (£2.55 a half), Oliver's Island, and Day Dreamer (some sort of New Zealand themed beer); a couple of Darkstar branded beers in Hophead and Revelation, plus a guest in Truman's Zephyr. Seven ales isn't bad going even though there wasn't anything very special - apart from ESB of course!
A standard Fuller's Ale & Pie house menu is available - pies are £15.50 a go here, but do include seasonal veg, and mash or triple-cooked chips. It is an expensive area, and Fuller's have never really been known for inexpensive food and drink.
I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again, but there are very many worse pubs around. It gets a 7 mainly for the ale selection.
On 5th April 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
More a comment than a review. I fell foul of the old "no football fans" line so didn't get to visit - even though the football fans I was due to meet were inside! Plenty other pubs nearby....
On 11th October 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1821 recommendations about 1692 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
Pretty well described below, the striking building has found a new role as a Fuller's town pub catering for the itinerant tourist and market trade. The architecture is impressive, though the upstairs was roped off so we couldn't appreciate the whole building. There were mute tv screens, padded bench seating and some of the original bank features – for example the safe built into the bar counter. Sadly, most of the families were unwilling to control their children who created a trip hazard and tried nosing around in our bags. The staff were pretty decent, but the food let things down a bit – apart from being expensive, it was under-cooked and poorly presented. There were 8 handpumps in total, dispensing Pride, ESB, Navigation, Santa's Grotto, Three Wise Men, Holly Bush and Oliver's Island from Fuller's, and Sambrook's Prussian Red Ale. Architecture aside, there's not much to distinguish this place from other London pubs in the tourist areas.
On 2nd February 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3516 recommendations about 3480 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
Another typical Fuller's take on the banking crisis, a former branch of Nat West until 1996, situated at the God-awful interchange of London Bridge, Tooley Street and Borough High Street. Think the Counting House, the Old Bank of England or the Butcher's Hook & Cleaver and you won't go too far wrong. Fine for what it is, another Fuller's Ale & Pie House but in one of the most commuter-infested hives in all of Christendom and one with an iMAX projector screen injecting sport intravenously into one's retina.
In Spain, do they convert former branches of Santander into Tapas e Cerveza Casa? Just a thought...
On 12th August 2016
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Barrowboy & Banker
A big very busy place , Fullers beers,not really my cup of tea but I guess it serves a purpose.
On 5th September 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Barrowboy and Banker
Fuller's ale and pie house located close to London bridge underground station. 2 floor pub with a curved bar that snakes it's way round the ground floor.
On 23rd November 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Barrowboy and Banker
Great interior.Always busy and a good choice of Fullers beer inc bottles rarely available in Fullers pubs.Seems to be one of the first pubs to get the Fullers seasonal beers.Sky football shown.
On 20th May 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]