The Old Thameside Inn, Southwark, SE1

Randomness Guide to London - Old Thameside Inn entry

Randomness Guide to London - Old Thameside Inn entry

One of my regular stops for a pint when walking the Thames Path, although I can understand some of the comments below. A former spice warehouse retaining a lot of the original brickwork and beams, it does attract the tourist but that is understandable given its location. And the service and ability to pull a full pint can be a bit iffy, especially at busy periods like early evenings. But it’s usually bearable, especially compared to the woeful past experiences I’ve had at the Anchor, further along the Path. And now that Nickolsons have fitted 12 hand pumps along the bar, you can usually find the Timothy Taylor and Fullers house Ales and a good choice of rotating guest beers. In my experience the beers are generally OK and were again last week when I had a good pint of Moorhouse Black Cat. Plus if you can get a seat on the outside balcony then you are rewarded with iconic views of the north side of the Thames. I personally wouldn’t eat here as the service can be a bit hit and miss due to the tourist demand, with the possible exception of in summer when they usually have a BBQ on the go on the outside Terrace and the couple of times I’ve tried this it’s been good and decent value considering where you are.

Official pages of the Thameside Inn, contains menu and real ale details - www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk

Official pages of the Thameside Inn, contains menu and real ale details - www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk

Called in yesterday afternoon whilst on a crawl along the river and we stayed for a few. There were plenty of staff and although none of them would have graduated from charm school they were pretty efficient. The pub got ridiculously busy around 6pm which I suppose is no surprise for a Friday evening when the sun is out. Nice if you can get a spot on the balcony but a bit difficult getting back and forth from the bar with a handful of drinks. Beer was OK and I had a few decent pints of Wainwrights.

This Nicholson’s pub is a bit of a tourist trap, but it to be expected due to the fantastic river location and great views including the full sized replica of the Golden Hind outside the entrance. The staff were not the friendliest, but I was served quickly even though the bar was busy. I spotted four ales which included Pride and a festive brew from Brains. There was also a wide selection of standard and premium draught products and food is served in the large restaurant area at the rear of the pub. I spotted one plasma screen which was showing muted Sky Sports as some background music was playing very loudly which may have been in aid of the function in the downstairs bar. I wouldn’t make a special trip to drink here, but I would pop in again if passing.