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Submitted on Saturday, 18^th April 2026
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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

David Walton left this review about Rusty Bucket

Visited 06/05/26. Visited previously 15/07/19.

Cask offering of the Rising Giant APA and the Copper Hop Amber bitter both from Long Man and the Scarecrow IPA from Pig & Porter. Extensive craft keg offering from the taps on the white tiled wall behind the bar counter. The offering on my visit was Helles from Lost and Grounded, Guinness, Lumina from Siren, the Paulaner Weissbier, Psych! the IPA from Verdant, the Settle Down NZ pilsner from Two Flints, the blood orange sour from Orbit, the You Win! NEIPA from Pressure Drop, the Kernel Brown Ale, the Parade IPA from Beak, the Burrow Porter from Villages, the Larkin pale from Bearwood, the Little Fog pale from Rivington, the Aura tropical mango from Yonder, the Hum pale also from Beak, the Long Hoth Summer imperial stout also from Bearwood, the Tidal Pale from Northdown and the Red Fin cider. There were a couple of still ciders from Ascension and one from Charrington's.

Notable micro pub, some tables on the pavement out front and inside bare boarded with the bar counter in the rear left-hand corner. Regular tables served by small stools in front of the bar counter and along the front windows to the right of the corner entrance. There is a wooden banquette along the front middle part of the right-hand wall with a single tall table served by tall unbacked stools in the rear right-hand corner looked over by strings of warm white fairy lights on the ceiling. There is a tall beer fridge to the right-hand end of the bar counter and another at right angles to it. No screens and a very low level and tranquil backing soundtrack during my visit. Cracking venue for enthusiasts of decent cask and craft beer.

On 8^th May 2026 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1770 recommendations about 1743 pubs]

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 663 recommendations about 616 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

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 3178 recommendations about 3178 pubs]

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