The Three Mariners, Gillingham

Located a short drive out of Rainham town centre, close to the Riverside Country park on the Medway Estuary, this is a simple pub that seems to be leaning a little towards a food-led venture at present. You enter into a carpeted front room with a short banquette under the front windows and standard tables and chairs elsewhere. The walls and ceiling are painted in an off-white shade with fake looking dark wood beams criss-crossing them in a bid to make the place feel much older than it really is. A nice brick fireplace to the right had a small table with all the track and trace stuff on it positioned on its hearth, whilst to the left there is a partially intact partitioning wall that screens the servery, although a large section of the wall has been knocked through and filled with a ship’s wheel, so the bar area isn’t as dak and dingy as it might otherwise have been. This worked well in the current climate, as the staff were able to cordon off the access points to the bar at either end of this wall, ensuring customers couldn’t approach, as per the Covid restrictions in place at the time of my visit. The bar counter has the same white painted, fake beam crossed frontage found throughout the rest of the room, complimented by a dark wood bar back topped with a large cross beam that bears the pub’s name. Unsurprisingly, the room has been decorated with all sorts of nautical themed odds and ends, including pictures of the eponymous three mariners, photos of ships, a set of oars and plenty of model boats. There’s also a large pump clip collection to one side of the bar, where a few slot machines can also be found. A TV was mounted on the rear wall but remained switched off throughout our visit with music quietly playing in the background instead. It looked like there might be a second room tucked away behind the servery somewhere, but the restrictions on movement meant I didn’t get a chance to check out that theory. There is a surprisingly large garden to one side of the pub, part of which is a patio space next to the back door and the rest of which is a broad grassy area, with ample shelter, metal garden furniture and picnic benches available. We came here hoping to grab a bite to eat for lunch and were met by a somewhat gruff barman who mildly berated us for turning up without a reservation. Judging by the number of free tables outside, I’m assuming this is because they have limited capacity in their kitchen at present, but he found us a table indoors and we enjoyed a hearty, and very good value, meal. This was washed down by a decent pint of Harvey’s Sussex Best, which was available along with Youngs Special and Sharps Doom Bar, with a real cider occupying the final handpull. This seemed like a very down to earth place with basic pub amenities, a pleasant nautical theme, cheap food and a nice beer garden. The service could’ve been a bit more welcoming, but once settled in, the other staff were very polite and friendly and whilst the beer range was unadventurous, my pint was at least in good shape. Worth calling in for a quick pint or bargain meal if you’re in the area, but not one to make a big detour for.

Traditional pub retaining two separate bars, a lounge / restaurant to the left and a busier general seating / dining area to the right, with the main counter in a narrower and partly opened-out space in between. All four handpumps on that counter in use, offering Doom Bar, London Pride (£3.80), Youngs Special and Old Rosie cider.

I have just moved in across the road from The Three Mariners, and am very happy to say that it has reopened, the new landlord is lovely and despite the fact that it is looking a little tired inside (he is working hard to make improvements) the warm welcome makes it worth a visit, it is also dog friendly and unlike other so called dog friendly pubs, well behaved dogs are welcome in the bar. The garden is perfect for children of all ages and although he isnt currently serving food I am very much looking forward to the day when we can take the dog for a long walk along riverside and head back to the pub for what im sure will be a delicious lunch.

I'm sorry to say that when I drove past yesterday, they were putting up metal grilles on the doors and windows. Hopefully it can be redeveloped, perhaps the Barn next door will do something with it.

I live in Rainham and have done for almost 6 years now. I regulary pass The Three Mariners on my way to the Riverside Country Park, and last weekend decided to pop in for a drink with a few friends. Well the staff were miserable and the three staff/owners I saw never smiled even when I ordered our drinks. Dark and dingy inside and the beer garden wasn't the nicest. The kids play area had also seen better days. Tired and run down pub, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.