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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

The Roebuck, Borough, SE1

50 Great Dover Street
SE1
SE1 4YG
Phone: 02073577324

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Moby Duck left this review about The Roebuck

A slightly wedge shaped pub with roads flanking each side meeting at a junction to the front.The room is light and airy in the daytime with plenty of natural light coming in from the large windows on both sides.A fairly modernish feel without destroying any natural ambiance. The four handpumps provided Southwark LPA, Five Points Best, Big Smoke Ceremony and Seacider. There is an upstairs room where they hold quizes and Karaoke nights. Karaoke nights aside a pretty nice pub.

On 12th May 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Roebuck

There’s some good visible Truman’s references here, inside and out to a pub which dates from 1746, but clearly rebuilt, probably in the late 19th century.
On approach, I had thought that this was going be some trendy gastropub, but I was wrong. Trendy yes, with quite low lighting from white globe lanterns, pale floor, island bar with pot plants, scrubbed furniture and lots of grey paint above wainscotting. There are some banquettes and settles to the periphery and a carpeted snug of sorts to the rear, where there are good lavs, with black and white prints of Doris Day and Oliver Reed denoting gender. The bar has four commanding Corinthian-capitalled columns rising from it and framed prints graced the walls. There’s certainly food here, but there’s a greater emphasis on real ale than probably any pub in the immediate vicinity. Not huge, but one pump dispensed Seacider, then Five Points XPA, Portobello Star and Southwark’s Pale Ale at a very reasonable £2.30 a half and lovely, served by a friendly barmaid. The pumps were getting a great deal of use, as much from women as men and a glance around at drinkers seemed to indicate that many were here for ale, not lager.
This is a good solid pub, one of the best in SE1; chuck in Simon the Tanner, the Libertine and the Gladstone for good measure.

On 14th November 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Roebuck

Imposing wedge-shaped pub with interesting features on each façade (although the dark green paintwork perhaps doesn't quite do them justice. The interior benefits from the large window area, with an uncrammed arrangement of furniture around the bar and in the back room, but on a hot day the wooden benches outside were the place to be. Four handpumps on the counter, dispensing Truman's Swift, Purity Pure UBU, Southwark Full Sail (£3.90) and Seacider cider.

On 25th June 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Roebuck

Wedge-shaped corner pub housed in a lovely, ornate Victorian edifice. Internally, it’s a stripped-down V-shaped layout decorated in various murky shades of green. Some of the walls are unfinished – whether this is ongoing renovation or some trendy design statement I couldn’t fathom. Attractive large windows all round the perimeter so quite a nice light interior. Varnished boards and chunky wood furniture. At the end of the right spur is a large Bambi-esque roebuck print. No upper bar fittings. Some outside pavement seating available. Food is expensive, a scotch egg and chips sets you back northward of eight quid though the quality of my companion’s order was good, however she did grumble about the staff. Three ales, Purity UBU (good), Sambrook Wandle and Truman's Swift (excellent – so good I had two). Not cheap mind, just under four quid for a half and a small diet coke. As to be expected in London these days, there’s a good selection of upper-end keg. Not necessarily one I’d make a mad dash back to but the quality of the ale on Saturday (especially so compared to a number of other supposedly high-brow beer outlets visited later that day) demands a revisit on its own.

On 10th June 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about Roebuck

Big and busy on the night I visited but more eating than drinking.3 beers on handpump inc Trumans and Sunny Republic.Bit too far from the main Borough pubs but worth the occasional visit.

On 15th June 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


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Rex Rattus left this review about Roebuck

This is a very large Victorian Pub on a wedge shaped corner site. All the external features are present, including polished granite facings, Corinthian capital designs, imposing parapets, etc. But inside it’s completely stripped out, leaving a central island bar, and only the cast iron pillars to remind us of its former glory. The main bar area has scrubbed tables and a mish mash of assorted chairs. There’s another drinking area behind the servery with sofas, armchairs and the like. All the tables had a little sprig of flowers on them, and the horticultural theme is continued with a couple of very large potted plants in the corners. I didn’t see a pool table or dartboard. There are some picnic benches outside on the pavement.

On the ale front they had Sambrook Pale Ale (£3.40 a pint); Purity UBU; and Truman Belt ‘n’ Braces. They do food at lunchtimes, but I didn’t get to see a menu as they were whisked away when the kitchen closed at 2.30.

This is a typically large cavernous Victorian pub that has had its guts ripped out of it over the years. It was virtually empty when I was in, but when one punter had a conversation on his mobile ‘phone, and because of the high ceilings and bare floors his voice reverberated around the room. I bet it’s unbearably noisy when it gets busy. This pub is in the “OK” category. While the interior isn’t anything very special, the ale choice puts it a few notches above the average.

On 16th November 2012 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


paulof horsham left this review about Roebuck

Seemed to have potential and kind of likeable, but just failing to deliver, I thought. On a Saturday evening, the music was playing at a reasonable volume, but the crowds had yet to arrive. A pint of Purity Ubu wasn't as good as it should have been, but an interesting keg selection included a good Meantime Wheat.

I feel a need to return and judge the place again.

On 7th October 2012 - rating: 7
[User has posted 446 recommendations about 418 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Nick Johnstone left this review about Roebuck

Rather disappointing I felt. Student type bar staff with a lazy attitude. Far too expensive too. I imagine it is far removed from what it once was. Sadly only visited in it's current state.

On 29th April 2011 - rating: 5
[User has posted 98 recommendations about 98 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Chris 87 left this review about Roebuck

Large, high ceilinged pub that sits rather incongurously beside 50's Council blocks a short walk from Borough tube. The circular bar area stretches through the middle and the pub's sweeping semi-circular frontage is an attractive feature that is not seen alot these days. A friday evening visit was very enjoyable, although not cheap - A pint of Meantime Chocolate stout and Stiegl (Austrian Lager) came to an astronomical £8.10. Three Meantime beers (Helles, Stout, Wheat) are available plus Sambrook's Junction and Purity UBU and Mad Goose. Music was being played although thankfully not so loud you couldn't chat; Service was swift. I liked it and would return, as this is my favourite area of London for pubs.

On 5th February 2011 - rating: 8
[User has posted 179 recommendations about 179 pubs]