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Chat about:
Pub annoyances #834 with Spinko
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Will Larter
Submitted on Sunday, 26th March 2023
With picture contributions to 11576 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Dog & Bell, Deptford, SE8
SE8
SE8 3JD
Served areas
Reviews of The Dog & Bell (Average Rating: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
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 2501 recommendations about 2500 pubs]
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 2004 recommendations about 1970 pubs]
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 1879 recommendations about 1852 pubs]
View more reviews of The Dog & Bell (15)
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- Randomness Guide to London - Dog And Bell entry
- Facebook - Dog & Bell SE8
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Dog & Bell - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 26 January 2023 by paulof horsham
- Bar Billiards : Yes last updated 27 February 2007 by David McNally
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 26 January 2023 by paulof horsham
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 26 January 2023 by paulof horsham
- Darts : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 23 May 2010 by Dave McNally
- Jukebox : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Live Music : Yes last updated 26 January 2023 by paulof horsham
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 26 January 2023 by paulof horsham
- Pinball : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : No last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : Yes - In polypins behind the bar - last updated 17 March 2023 by Will Larter
- WiFi : Yes last updated 02 July 2023 by Tris C
