Richard I, Greenwich, SE10

Official site of Richard I - www.richardthefirst.co.uk

Official site of Richard I - www.richardthefirst.co.uk

A Youngs pub is a somewhat posh residential road, which has a large patio garden at the back but is otherwise fairly nondescript. There is a room each side of the central bar with a garden room behind, all in dark green with boarded floors and industrial lighting leaving a somewhat empty feel. Apparently they are planning to extend into the former pub next door. The usual Youngs Special & Original plus Proper Job on pump.

With an ever dwindling number of traditional pub interiors why do Youngs feel the need to exacerbate the problem? See also, Duke of Devonshire (Balham) & Dog & Bull (Croydon). At least here the ‘makeover' has been largely restricted to furnishings, with a ludicrous low-table & pouffe set-up to rear of right hand bar (could picture plastic gangstas with their feet up here) and chunky modern stools next to drinking shelf opposite bar in left hand side facing ugly uncomfortable-looking high wall mounted leatherette banquette serving tall but tiny shiny wood tables, quite horrible, thank goodness bits of character such as the curved window seating remain intact. My notes started off mentioning a decent looking garden but questioned why there were no umbrellas to provide shade from the sun – well, when the heavens opened 30mins later it wasn't the sun that the sodden garden refugees were trying to escape, hahaha! Our indoors table was suddenly very much at a premium and a joker had to be played while the thunder rumbled past. Ordinary, Special, Waggledance, Bombardier, sad reflection of the times (& area) but £8.55 for three pints was the cheapest round of the day, and the Bombardier was well kept.

The Richard I is currently closed, but will re-open next month (July), promising a superb drinking and eating experiance. Being right next door to the Grenwich Union, I thought that the two might be merging, but that is not the case. No idea if it will remain a Youngs establishment.

Named after the famous Richard The Lionheart, this pub seems to be unchanged since the previous reviewer's visit last March, so there's little to add. From the outside you can see that it's two houses knocked together. Being a Young's pub I was not surprised to see Young's Bitter on (£3.54 a pint and in superb condition), but this one also had on Winter Warmer and "Royal Hill" which is another Young's branded ale. This is the second pub I've been in recently where a Young's ale has been presented as a "house" ale - a trend maybe? The guest was Hop Stuff Pale Ale. Obviously as a Young's pub it's a bit upmarket, with the menu items reflecting that. Main courses are around £10 a pop, with a selection of homemade pies - including "pheasant, smoked bacon and cider" (£11) and "wild rabbit and cider". The Public Bar is less salubrious than its Saloon Bar neighbour, being traditionally bare-boarded and with more basic furnishings. Despite its upmarket feel, it's still a real pub, and is certainly worth a visit if in Greenwich.

Somewhat off the beaten track, but not too difficult to reach, the Richard I is a nice, homely traditional two-room pub, literally next door to the Greenwich Union. The pub is still known to locals as the Tolly, in reference to the pub’s former owners, the Tollemache and Cobbold Brewery, even though Young’s have been running the place since 1974. I entered into the Saloon Bar on the right hand side of the pub. The room is carpeted with an etched glass ‘Saloon Bar’ door, banquette seating at the front and back of the room and standard table and chair seating elsewhere. A TV on the back wall was showing the aftermath of a Six Nations fixture and the walls were lined with lots of pictures of the pub including a great many of pub beanos old and new. You can pass through a connecting corridor behind the servery, which has a book swap and various CAMRA magazines in it, in order to reach the public bar. This room also has its own etched glass door, but is notably smaller than the Saloon, with room for one banquette and a drinking ledge with high stools. The room is popular with the locals and was packed on my Saturday night visit. To the rear there is a well kept, decent sized garden. Three Young’s ales – Ordinary, Special and London Gold – were supplemented by Purity Pure Gold and London Fields Shoreditch Triangle IPA (£4.00). The latter, it would appear, is available on rotation alongside London Fields Love Not War and Hackney Hopster. A decent keg range included Kozel, Camden Hells Lager and Camden Gentleman’s Wit. I tried the Shoreditch Triangle IPA and thought it was an excellent pint, kept in top condition. I only popped in here as it happened to be next door to the Greenwich Union, but funnily enough, I think this turned out to be the better pub. I’d definitely consider a return visit and I think the two pubs create an interesting and worthwhile double header.