The Old Brewery, Greenwich, SE10

Service is OK, Beer is Ok, but lacks "Pub" atmosphere.

This bar, situated in the Old Royal Naval College, was opened by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, back in 2010 as a second Greenwich outlet for the local Meantime Brewery. As well as a bar and restaurant, Meantime have also opened a small on-site microbrewery, where they create experimental brews separate from their main Blackwall Lane Brewery. This means that brewing returns to this site, which was once a brewhouse for the pensioners in the Royal Naval Hospital. The building is split into two distinct areas with a lobby in between that has a timeline of the Meantime Brewery on the walls. To the right is a large restaurant, hidden behind some heavy drapes, which I didn’t explore properly, although I did spot the large brewing vessels visible on one side of the room. On the left hand side of the main entrance, there is a lower level L shaped bar, where most punters could be found on my Saturday evening visit. The bar runs down one wall, leaving a narrow strip with a few high tables and stools have been arranged. One wall is covered in a vast shelving unit which has been filled with beer bottles, whilst the impressively high bar back boasts a lot more brewerania which seems to be ordered chronologically, with the older items on the higher shelves. A TV on the back wall was showing muted coverage of a Six Nations rugby fixture and quite a few people decided to brave the freezing temperatures in order to take their drinks outside into the sizable seating area available. There are three hand pumps on the bar, but all were out of action on my visit, much to the distress of one customer who stormed out, not content to pick from the nine Meantime beers on tap. For the record, these were Pilsner, Wheat, London Lager, London Pale Ale, Stout, Belgian Quad, Yakima Red, Nelson Sauvin Saison and Saison du Nuit. I tried the Yakima Red, expensive at £2.50 for a half and not all that enjoyable as it was served so cold that I really struggled to taste anything at all. There was a good bottled beer selection in the fridges as well, covering a lot of styles. I really liked the way this nice space has been used to create a classy bar and restaurant. I was a bit disappointed with the beer and it’s not the first time I’ve struggled with Meantime brews, but I still think this place is a real asset to Greenwich and well worth a look.