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Image posted by David Walton
Submitted on Monday, 1st December 2025
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Reviews of Galyons (Average Rating: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about Galyons
Situated about a hundred yards south-east of Gallions Reach DLR and overlooking the Royal Albert basin, is the former grade II-listed Gallions Hotel as was, dating from 1883 to the Richard Norman Shaw-inspired designs of Vigers & Wagstaffe, built for a demographic unknown in an area now dominated by faceless housing developments, punctuated by the roar of aircraft taking off from City Airport.
This is really quite a commanding structure, with pargetting featuring cherubim/seraphim or perhaps just allegorical figures to part of the façade at first floor level; it’s amazing to think that the place was left boarded up to decay from 1972 until just 2013 (see CAMRA).
Sadly, there’s nothing I could see of heritage remaining to the interior, which is just a completely corporate dirge, no doubt designed to appeal to the sales reps holed up in all the Double Tree – or similar – surrounding hotels. There’s bare brick or slate grey paint to walls, recessed downlighting, a tiled bar apron with laminate or carpeted floor, modern furniture, tables topped with wax encrusted bottles (see photo). Customers were a general mix, few in number at the time of my Thursday visit at just gone 7.30pm.
There’s no cask and then just a basic fizzocracy comprising the likes of Madri, the least worst offering in the form of Salt Alpaca Lypse, £3.50 a half, served by a barman – and probably student of the nearby UEL – who could barely speak English.
There’s nothing here to warrant a visit, which probably applies to E16 as a whole; to paraphrase Rex: the grade reflects the architecture, not the experience.
On 26th February 2026
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2308 recommendations about 2252 pubs]
David Walton left this review about Galyons Bar & Kitchen
Visited 01/12/25. Visited previously on 26/03/24
No cask. Keg offering of Galyons lager, Madri, Staro, Guinness, Aspall, Alpacalypse, Caffreys, Blue Moon, Felt Peach lager from Salt.
Bit of a confusing one if like me you get dropped off the opposite side from the actual entrance as you see the sign and then think you head down the flight of stairs to the amphitheatre like exterior only to find it is the entrance for the gym! Walk round the other side road level instead to find a seating area out the front and then inside it is a bare boarded, long L shaped venue with the bar counter having its own red and white ceramic tiled skirt that follows the shape of the interior. The area opposite the entrance has some regular tables and chairs and a banquette under the far window plus some tall stools at the shorter side of the bar counter. There is a small room with a few tables supported by a church pew to the immediate left of the entrance. Some tall tables and chairs inside the front to the right of the entrance opposite the main side of the bar counter. There is an entrance over on the right-hand edge of this area into another seating area that felt more lounge than bar. Lighting was low, screens switched off and a Motown soundtrack being played.
On 1st February 2026
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1384 recommendations about 1366 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Galyons Bar & Kitchen
It's unusual that a pub that was built in 1881, and is still functioning as a pub, was not on the site until now. It was originally called the Galleons Hotel, and is one of a trio of pubs built in the 1880s for the London and St Katharine Docks Company at the Royal Victoria and Albert Docks. The Connaught (now the Fox@Connaught) still survives down at the other end of the docks, but the Ship has gone. Being Grade II* Listed will have helped the building survive, although the Listing unfortunately didn't save the original fittings inside from being stripped out at some stage. It now appears as a lone survivor of a bygone age surrounded by very modern and taller buildings, probably containing unaffordable housing. The exterior still boasts a magnificent frieze of nymphs and the like - I always say that nymphs will invariably improve any pub. It originally had entrances on two levels, with what might be regarded as the upper class saloon bar on the upper level, and the public bar appropriately on the lower level. There was also an entrance that led directly out to the platform of the adjoining train station.
But the interior no way matches the exuberance of the exterior, looking like what it is - a hotel lounge. There's no real ale of course, the best bet being keg Meantime Pale Ale. They do food from 9 to 9; main courses are all £12 (e.g. beer battered haddock, chips, peas and tartare sauce) apart from the Black Angus steak at £21. Bar snacks (e.g. sausage roll, Scotch egg) are £4. The furnishings are what you would expect in a hotel lounge - mainly comfortable fixed bench seating but with some normal tables and chairs. There was a separate room on the right, which was being set up as a cinema when I was in on Wednesday early evening - and I wasn't certain whether this room would normally be available to drinkers. There's also some bench seating at the front.
It's a shame that such a magnificent old building now has such a nondescript bar, and is totally surrounded by modern developments. But at least it's still here. I'll give it a six for the building's architecture, and not for the bar or drinks.
On 9th June 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2620 recommendations about 2534 pubs]
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- Official site of Galyons Bar & Kitchen - galyons-royal-docks.square.site
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Galyons - whatpub.com
Woolwich Arsenal, 2 miles, 38 min walk (show)
Plumstead, 2.66 miles, 51 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 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 09 June 2019 by Rex Rattus
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 09 June 2019 by Rex Rattus
- Jukebox : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : Yes - Tuesdays. - last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
- Real Ale : No last updated 09 June 2019 by Rex Rattus
- Real Cider : No last updated 26 February 2026 by Tris C
