Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Gus Woltmann with Quinno
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Richard I, Greenwich, SE10
SE10
SE10 8RT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about Richard I
The Richard I is a Youngs pub that was originally referred to as Tolly's after the previous brewery owner of the pub, Tolly Cobbold before Young’s took it over in 1974.
Clearly a building of some age it’s been extensively buggered about with and extended over the years, the last time in 2022 when the Youngs estate interior design team gave it another makeover and they expanded the pub by extending into what had been the former Greenwich Union pub next door.
The two front bar rooms, which wrap around the central servery and were the original public and saloon bar set up which still retains the separate entrances from the street, have the feel of a traditional pub with some nice comfortable seating and wooden panelling in situ, although the Youngs decor team have covered a lot of the panels in mauve paint. Then beyond these is a large conservatory extension that goes across the entire pub and functions as a dining room. It’s very modern in decor and design and won’t be to the traditional pub enthusiast’s taste. And then beyond this is a very spacious enclosed courtyard garden with several sections undercover.
However, the interior space I liked the most was the separate room, which was the former Greenwich Union, primarily because you cannot get to it from the front pub section and have to explore back to find how you enter it, but also because it has been tastefully done and although clearly modern does have a traditional pub room feel.
Although the bar top supports nine hand pumps in total across the two sections, it’s the usual Youngs estate set up of multiple clipping and only three different beers in total. And as this reviewer finds Youngs Ordinary and Special a pale imitation of when they were brewed in Wandsworth, I went for the St Austell Proper Job, which was a very well kept pint and at just under the £6 price point was in keeping with the pricing level we experienced in the other Greenwich pubs.
It is dog friendly but there wasn’t any in for our visits, nor was there any kids in or sweary women, but then it is well understood that the sisters of misfortune get a kick out of following the previous reviewer about.
The Richard I is clearly a pub that can accommodate both drinkers and diners but difficult to see any USP’s for this one and there were no complaints when it was suggested we move on.
On 10th May 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2147 recommendations about 2019 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Richard I
Dating from the mid-19th century, this was until the ‘70s a Tollemache Cobbold house, known as Tolly’s, possibly one of their ‘Tolly’s Follies’; today it’s a Young’s house, comprehensibly refurbished, including an expansion into the former Greenwich Union next door, around 2020.
A first in here the other night and given the building works undertaken, I doubt the previous reviews pre-2022 still strictly apply; on entering, there was a strong smell of dog. The former Greenwich Union is now a function room, the overall interior being relatively traditional, but in a modern way, with a white and claret colour scheme, eclectic prints, mixed lighting and traditional furniture; there’s a very modern and swanky new dining area to the rear. Customers were quite mixed, with some old boys chatting away at a table, one bloke with a dog – the source of the smell? – which was partly blocking the thoroughfare and a youngish group with a baby in a pram, with a rather drunken expletive obsessed woman, thankfully not the baby’s mother, but obviously in earshot.
Ales amounted to what you’d expect from Young’s, with Proper Job of course, price forgotten but fine, served by a friendly barmaid.
This place would otherwise be ok, but the baby – at around 10.00pm – potty mouthed drunken woman and the all-pervasive smell of dog, means that this place is less Richard I, more an attempt to polish a Richard III.
Rated 3.5.
On 26th March 2023
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2005 recommendations about 1971 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Richard I
A Youngs pub is a somewhat posh residential road, which has a large patio garden at the back but is otherwise fairly nondescript. There is a room each side of the central bar with a garden room behind, all in dark green with boarded floors and industrial lighting leaving a somewhat empty feel. Apparently they are planning to extend into the former pub next door. The usual Youngs Special & Original plus Proper Job on pump.
On 3rd February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3352 recommendations about 3289 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Richard I
This Youngs pubco building has a pleasing exterior with two curved glass bay windows,and a few benches outside.Clearly two building cobbled together ,the thin bar seperates two front rooms,which have traditional wooden furniture.However further back in the building on the right side is a seating area of booths and banquettes which then opens into a large conservatory housing a dining area with table service and glass doors onto a good sized beer garden.It has a Tardis effect,surprising given the small frontage.
The bar supports 5 handpumps,but the two best options on my trip (Southwark Bankside and Belleville Thames Surfer ) had available soon stickers which I really hate,if it's not available I dont want to know "what I may have won ".That left CW Youngs Bitter and Special together with Truman Lazarus (reasonable ) as the ale options.There are a few craft keg options including Beavertown Neck Oil.We all ate here and the food was well cooked from a decent looking menu with a slight premium price but this is Greenwich after all.
A superior ale line up would justify a higher score,but it's one of the better pubs in the area.
On 3rd September 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2745 recommendations about 2745 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about Richard I
The Richard I is currently closed, but will re-open next month (July), promising a superb drinking and eating experiance. Being right next door to the Grenwich Union, I thought that the two might be merging, but that is not the case. No idea if it will remain a Youngs establishment.
On 27th May 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Richard I
Named after the famous Richard The Lionheart, this pub seems to be unchanged since the previous reviewer's visit last March, so there's little to add. From the outside you can see that it's two houses knocked together. Being a Young's pub I was not surprised to see Young's Bitter on (£3.54 a pint and in superb condition), but this one also had on Winter Warmer and "Royal Hill" which is another Young's branded ale. This is the second pub I've been in recently where a Young's ale has been presented as a "house" ale - a trend maybe? The guest was Hop Stuff Pale Ale. Obviously as a Young's pub it's a bit upmarket, with the menu items reflecting that. Main courses are around £10 a pop, with a selection of homemade pies - including "pheasant, smoked bacon and cider" (£11) and "wild rabbit and cider".
The Public Bar is less salubrious than its Saloon Bar neighbour, being traditionally bare-boarded and with more basic furnishings. Despite its upmarket feel, it's still a real pub, and is certainly worth a visit if in Greenwich.
On 4th January 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Richard I
Somewhat off the beaten track, but not too difficult to reach, the Richard I is a nice, homely traditional two-room pub, literally next door to the Greenwich Union. The pub is still known to locals as the Tolly, in reference to the pub’s former owners, the Tollemache and Cobbold Brewery, even though Young’s have been running the place since 1974. I entered into the Saloon Bar on the right hand side of the pub. The room is carpeted with an etched glass ‘Saloon Bar’ door, banquette seating at the front and back of the room and standard table and chair seating elsewhere. A TV on the back wall was showing the aftermath of a Six Nations fixture and the walls were lined with lots of pictures of the pub including a great many of pub beanos old and new. You can pass through a connecting corridor behind the servery, which has a book swap and various CAMRA magazines in it, in order to reach the public bar. This room also has its own etched glass door, but is notably smaller than the Saloon, with room for one banquette and a drinking ledge with high stools. The room is popular with the locals and was packed on my Saturday night visit. To the rear there is a well kept, decent sized garden.
Three Young’s ales – Ordinary, Special and London Gold – were supplemented by Purity Pure Gold and London Fields Shoreditch Triangle IPA (£4.00). The latter, it would appear, is available on rotation alongside London Fields Love Not War and Hackney Hopster. A decent keg range included Kozel, Camden Hells Lager and Camden Gentleman’s Wit. I tried the Shoreditch Triangle IPA and thought it was an excellent pint, kept in top condition.
I only popped in here as it happened to be next door to the Greenwich Union, but funnily enough, I think this turned out to be the better pub. I’d definitely consider a return visit and I think the two pubs create an interesting and worthwhile double header.
On 15th March 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3126 recommendations about 3126 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Richard I
Thankfully, this traditional pub has avoided the worst type of refurbishment from the Youngs makeover team. It comprises two rooms, one in each of two adjacent buildings in an attractive terrace in a quiet part of town. The larger bar leads to a decent-sized patio beer garden which is a very pleasant spot on a sunny day. Four well-kept real ales on handpump - Ordinary (reasonably priced at £2.90), London Gold, Special and Waggledance. Overall, really rather good.
On 9th July 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8149 recommendations about 8149 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about Richard I
With an ever dwindling number of traditional pub interiors why do Youngs feel the need to exacerbate the problem? See also, Duke of Devonshire (Balham) & Dog & Bull (Croydon). At least here the ‘makeover' has been largely restricted to furnishings, with a ludicrous low-table & pouffe set-up to rear of right hand bar (could picture plastic gangstas with their feet up here) and chunky modern stools next to drinking shelf opposite bar in left hand side facing ugly uncomfortable-looking high wall mounted leatherette banquette serving tall but tiny shiny wood tables, quite horrible, thank goodness bits of character such as the curved window seating remain intact. My notes started off mentioning a decent looking garden but questioned why there were no umbrellas to provide shade from the sun – well, when the heavens opened 30mins later it wasn't the sun that the sodden garden refugees were trying to escape, hahaha! Our indoors table was suddenly very much at a premium and a joker had to be played while the thunder rumbled past. Ordinary, Special, Waggledance, Bombardier, sad reflection of the times (& area) but £8.55 for three pints was the cheapest round of the day, and the Bombardier was well kept.
On 28th June 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about Richard I
Fairly large 2 bar pub in a very nice part of Greenwich which is away from the tourist traps. This an old fashioned traditional pub the likes of which are dying out fast. Nice secluded beer garden. Youngs/Wells real ales on offer
On 30th September 2008
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]