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Detail Pages
The Southwark Tavern, SE1
SE1
SE1 1TU
Pub Type
Castle (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Southwark Tavern
I'd only turned up in Southwark because I'd found out that the replica of Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hinde was opening as a pub on Thursday evenings. After a half in those dramatic surroundings, even though fake, it was back to reality in the pubs around the Borough Market, which of course is closed in the evenings but the pubs and restaurants are very lively. Too lively for me, a lot of them, but at the Southwark Tavern although there was a bit of a crowd outside, the inside was ok. Just the one cask beer on, and that Harveys Sussex Best, which a lot of people, some of whom fancy themselves as influencers, have been raving about for a few years now. I continue to find it mostly disappointing, even in Lewes where it is brewed. Imagine my surprise to find it here in Very Good condition, and at the equivalent of just £6.80/pint. (The lass who served me misheard my request for a half and presented me with the card terminal with that amount on it.) A pub like this, with only one cask beer on, must still get through a fair bit of it on nights like this, so the beer doesn't have time to hang around and go stale, or worse.
On 4th September 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4910 recommendations about 4493 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Southwark Tavern
A terrific Meaux exterior in sandstone colour tiling with a multitude of original features,this is the highlight.Inside,it's quite small with a U shaped bar ,some traditional seating below the front window,but with the left leg cluttered up with a coffee machine , food cutlery and condiments.Room for vertical drinking.Although wood panelling remains ,as does a traditional door to the gents,the dark green interior paintwork makes it feel gloomy,and with the muzak turned right up,it's not a welcoming place.The menu looked OK but median main £15 ,no body was eating at 7pm on Saturday.
There is a basement seating area,unvisited by me.5 handpumps but only Purity Mad Goose (NBSS 2.5) ,Doom Bar and St Austell Tribute available together with standard keg dross.
The barmaid did not serve in order,with a bias to women who won't make up their minds so the visit started poorly and didn't really improve.Just stand outside and admire the building then push off somewhere else.
On 8th May 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3252 recommendations about 3252 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Southwark Tavern
This is a late 19th century pub, noted for its fine Meux’s brewery tiling.
I had though that this would be a bit of a historic pub, but although some of the dark wood panelling may be original, or at least dating from the 1930s, but otherwise it’s a bit of a black painted affair, walls and ceiling, with a steel square tubular section gantry; has it had a makeover to celebrate Freedom Day? Customers were a bit too-coo-for-school and mouthy.
Service, as others have noted, was rather slow; I nearly walked. The ales on offer being a reversed pump, Doom, Oakham Citra (‘coming soon’) and Tribute at £2.70 a half and nice.
This pub is just about ok, better than the Wheatsheaf, which isn’t hard, but is no match for the Market Porter; I don’t envisage a return visit.
On 31st October 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2344 recommendations about 2284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about The Southwark Tavern
Yet another decent pub near London Bridge station. 6 beers on when I called. Service was good even though the place was rammed.
On 11th October 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1991 recommendations about 1839 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Southwark Tavern
A classic London pub building occupying the site of a former prison, the cells of which can still be seen in the basement bar. The ground floor bar is well described below. It was previously a Friary Meux pub and is now run by M&B. Aside from the architectural and historical interest, this visit disappointed. The staff were difficult and indolent, while the majority of the customers, many in family groups, were stroppy non-locals who thought they were in some sort of theme park where they could insult everyone with impunity. The beer was OK, once we'd been around the buoy of what constitutes a full pint a few times: Reunion's Opening Gambit, Alexander's Fine and Dandy and Firebird's Parody sat next to Doombar and Proper Job to provide a promising line-up. I'm not sure it would be my first choice if I'm in this area in future despite the good beer.
On 1st February 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3839 recommendations about 3797 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Southwark Tavern
This unbranded M&B (Castle) pub has an interesting curved tiled façade, although the mustard-brown colour is not exactly inviting. Fairly standard 'olde London pub' interior, although circulation is somewhat hindered by the irregular layout. Further seating downstairs in the Debtor's Bar and in a series of cell-like brick snugs located down a few more steps. As busy as any other pub in the popular Borough Market area, but it usually has a decent selection of real ales from the six handpumps (including Black Isle Ursa Major and Blackout porter from the Great Yorkshire Brewery on this visit). NB - It is worth noting that it is one of the nearer places to London Bridge station open after 11 pm if waiting for a late train.
On 12th November 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 9226 recommendations about 9226 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Southwark Tavern
Retains it's tiled exterior and has a bare boarded interior. 6 real ales and food served.
On 26th October 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3068 recommendations about 2994 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Southwark Tavern
Been in this pub numerous times but never reviewed it.Always very busy and a good selection of Nicolsons guest beers.Very small serving area at the bar and can be difficult to get served when busy.Had Navigation -Apus lovely hoppy beer.
On 25th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Southwark Tavern
I've walked past this pub many times in the past, but the other day I had the time and opportunity to pay it a visit. It's typical of a central London pub - a mix of tall tables/tall stools and standard tables and chairs; busy, and with the emphasis seemingly on food. But this is a striking pub because of its (possibly inter-war) brewery brown tiling on the exterior, and solar themed leaded lights in the windows. The bar counter looks an original piece, although the top has been replaced at some stage, and it's painted a sort of duck egg green. There are a few gastro touches as well (large floral display and ice buckets on the bar counter), but I wouldn't regard this as a gastropub.
There was a good range of ales on - Purity UBU; Timothy Taylor Landlord, Doom Bar; Liberation Blonde; Harviestoun Broken Dial; and Navigation Brewery Apus American IPA. That's a very good selection. I didn't scrutinise the menu in great detail, but there was a good range of recognisable stuff on it such as the pork and chorizo burger (£12.25) and fish (hake) and chips for £12.
There are a number of really superb pubs in this area, and although this one doesn't rate quite that highly, there are area of London where this one would be the best for miles around.
On 2nd April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2629 recommendations about 2544 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Southwark Tavern
A busy and popular pub on Borough High Street, it is split across two floors, a street level and basement. The corner plot building is curved which makes for a slightly unusual shape inside.
The street level bar has oak wood panelling on much of the walls with leaded windows and a wood strip floor. The lighting may either be described as gloomy or atmospheric depending on your point of view, with coloured lights behind leaded glass above the bar counter. A curved staircase in one corner leads down to the lower level and this opens out in to an area that may perhaps be more intended for dining with flagstones on the floor and an old fire-place to one side. The most interesting feature though is the old debtor’s cells which extend out under the pavement. A brick passageway follows the perimeter of the pub and there are a number of arched cells off of here. The brickwork separating each of them looks to be a lot more modern that the arched ceiling, and I suspect in the old days there was no metal grill between each one but they are nonetheless and intriguing feature and quite cosy now that they have had some furniture added and some old metal advertising signs fixed to the wall.
Food wise, the menu looked to consist of a decent selection of pub grub dishes such as fish & chips, pork & chorizo burger or fish cakes and these were mostly priced in the £10 - £12 range. A chalk board in the bar also listed a number of snacks such as a lentil scotch egg, sausage rolls or white bait for around a fiver.
Beers on tap were Top of the Hops, Doom Bar, Deuchars IPA, Adnams Shingle Shells, Hop Back Winter Lightning and Rev James. Ciders were Aspall’s Suffolk and Addlestones. Overall I quite liked this pub, it was a little tidier and more up together than some of the others in the vicinity and the cells were a unique feature.
On 1st December 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2161 recommendations about 2053 pubs]