Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
New pub visits 2025 with ETA
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by David Walton
Submitted on Thursday, 24th April 2025
With picture contributions to 996 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (21 more images)
Detail Pages
Simon the Tanner, Bermondsey, SE1
SE1
SE1 4PR
Served areas
Simon the Tanner (Tue-Thu 4-11 Fri-Sun 12-11)
We look forward to joining you on the same side of the bar and seeing Simon go from strength to strength
4:24 PM Oct 3rd 2022 from Twitter for Android
Reviews of Simon the Tanner (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Moby Duck left this review about Simon the Tanner
Half gastro, half pubby bar is probably the best way to describe it, there were two ales on offer, Black Sheep Bitter and Southwark Bankside Blonde, I had a pint of the latter at £5.80, in fair condition. The place was busy on a late sunny Saturday afternoon, the lone barman struggled to keep up, not only with serving drinks but also tasked with delivering the good looking food to the tables, help arrived twenty minutes into my stay and normal business resumed.
I didn't think it was a bad place but not really good enough to draw me back for another visit.
On 9th March 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Simon the Tanner
Reviewed: 27th November 2021 - rating: 7
Little if anything has changed since the previous reviews, with PSM covering all aspects, though I too was surprised to learn that it’s a sister pub of the Queen’s Head off Greys Inn Road, but that site confirms it.
The place dates from 1788 and it’s quite possible that this is the original building, due to the lack of horns to two of the windows. The barman was very friendly and knowledgeable: “You won’t find Doom Bar here”, he reassured me. The interior is very simple – Simple Simon? – with bare boarding to the rear, with wainscotting and wooden features seemingly dating from the 1930s. However, the front room has a wood effect laminate floor, which was lifting and littered with crisp crumbs; not attractive. Décor is very limited with just a few prints and a couple of clocks; there’s a strange nook to the left side, to the right is a blackboard listing all beers, brewers, ABV and price. Lavs are surprisingly very smart and spacious. Lighting is conventional, with tealights to tables. Customers were very mixed, from an elderly couple, to a group of young women in duffle coats, a noted look of contentment on their faces as they raised dimple mugs to their lips.
Tasters were offered from four pumps, with a real cider on the go from Hackney Downs, then Redemption’s Trinity, By the Horns’ Stiff Upper Lip and Bristol Beer Factory’s Milk Stout at a very reasonable £4.60 a pint. I don’t know about the quality though, as I’ve never had a milk stout due both to lack of availability and its association with Ena Sharples, but thought it would be sweet and malty. However, it tasted rather sour, like it had spent time in a red wine barrel; is it meant to taste like this?
This place is definitely worth seeking out, but a bit of cash spent to make it a bit more homely would get the score up as would dealing with the floor.
---------------------------------
A return last night and having had BBF's Milk Stout now on several occasions, I can safely say that it shouldn't taste slightly sour so was indeed on the turn.
My ale of choice this time - from a sad selection of just two pumps with one unused - was Saltaire Titus (£2.75 a half) and also slightly on the turn; I managed to finish it but I certainly wouldn't have ordered another and as the cask choice was lacklustre and I'll bet the other option was off too, I left.
Can this pub get its act together and sort out the quality of its cask beers, because right now I can't recommend a revisit.
On 12th June 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Simon the Tanner
Limited frills pub with a few gastro-pub style pretensions (such as the clipboard lists of snacks and drinks) and rather curious fenestration at the front. The 'L'-shaped counter (although hardly large) takes up a fair amount of the floor-space in the bar so many of the tables are to be found in the opened-out back room. Plainly furnished too, although there is a good display of pump clips behind the servery. Three real ales - Marble Manchester Bitter, Great Heck Navigator and Gun Parabellum milk stout (£3.80) - plus a cider on handpump, together with a reasonable selection of craft keg offerings.
On 12th November 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
View more reviews of Simon the Tanner (11)
Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
- Official site of Simon The Tanner - www.simonthetanner.co.uk
- Randomness Guide to London - Simon The Tanner entry
- Facebook - Simon the Tanner
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Simon the Tanner - whatpub.com
London Bridge, 0.7 miles, 13 min walk (show)
Elephant & Castle, 0.96 miles, 18 min walk (show)
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 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 20 October 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Darts : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 26 October 2016 by hondo .
- Function Room : No last updated 13 November 2021 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 26 October 2016 by hondo .
- Jukebox : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 13 November 2021 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 13 November 2021 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 20 October 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Pinball : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : Yes - Tuesdays 20.00. - last updated 13 November 2021 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 26 October 2016 by hondo .
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 29 June 2014 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - Disabled WCs. - last updated 13 November 2021 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 26 October 2016 by hondo .
