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Image posted by Steve of N21
Submitted on Wednesday, 29^th May 2024
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Rusty Bucket, Eltham, SE9

11 Court Yard
SE9
SE9 5PR

Phone: 02088504281

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Eltham

Reviews of Rusty Bucket (Average Rating: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

paulof horsham left this review about Rusty Bucket

Eltham's Rusty Bucket is a keg-focused micropub, with the 3 cask (Harvey's Sussex, Three Legs Offa & Iron Pier Ernest) vastly outnumbered by keg delights from Beak, Kernel, Floc and more. The ales come from the cool room as usual, so don't present well, but are perfectly fine. Food consists of sausage rolls & scotch eggs.

As you'd expect with this sort of place, staff and customers are friendly to a fault and I was glad to spend some time here.

On 23^rd April 2026 - rating: 8
[User has posted 641 recommendations about 595 pubs]

Bucking Fastard left this review about Rusty Bucket

The exterior wooden framed windows immediately catch the eye and the interior is a simple rectangle with dining type tables below these windows,a bench seat at the far right,a high table infront of the modern loo doors and some long refectorary tables in the middle of the pub.Fridges offer can with a discount for take out,while the large board shows the beer offerings.Food comprises toaties ,the small flatscreen was off and there is a large pile of board games .
The focus here is on indie beer from 17 taps with a wide range of styles and strength from the likes of Orbit,Bullhouse,Dupont,Vault City,Lost & Grounded and Verdant.The three cask ales were less exciting in Harveys Sussex Best,Iron Pier Joined at the Hop and Three Acre Spring,a bit lifeless,NBSS 2.5.However the real ale is a lot cheaper at £5 but then nothing strong or innovative.
I was left with the impression that offering great cask ale is not a high priority here and question why it made it into the 2025 GBG.However if you are looking for a sour/wheat/coffee imperial stout/belgian blonde/porter/DIPA/high ABV beer then delve onto the keg.Four real ciders too.Describing Guiness as a nitro stout shows how the love of keg has corrupted the owners mind !

On 9^th June 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3141 recommendations about 3141 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Steve of N21 left this review about Rusty Bucket

Yep, I liked this one as well. Well described and unchanged from Pub Signman’s visit below, not really anything to add except for the fact that they now have some external bench seating on the pavement to the front of the pub and I overheard who I took to be the owner bemoaning how much the local Eltham council had increased his rates for the privilege.
All 18 taps on the tiled back wall were in operation and there were two real ales, in the form of Calmer Chameleon Pale Ale and Maris the Otter Bitter from Brew York in the small cool room cupboard next to the bar. I tried the Pale Ale which was fine and a half of the Kernal Amarillo Pale ale from the keg taps. Other craft options included ales from Deya, Siren, Pressure Drop, Werewolf, Stone Brewery and Brew York.
I was quite surprised to subsequently read that this was a former rough house pub and not a shop conversion into a micro pub, because it certainly had the feel and friendliness of the latter and I really enjoyed my visit here. And any place that includes pop art depictions of Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse amongst its décor scores with me.
Also decent opening hours for this one, but slight word of warning, it is card payment only.

On 29^th May 2024 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2340 recommendations about 2186 pubs]

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