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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
The Windmill, Southwark, SE1
SE1
SE1 8LW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Windmill
An early 19th century pub, this would appear to have been rebuilt, either in the 1930s or ‘50s, now run by Fuller’s.
The exterior green tiles are fine, but much of the interior is good too, with attractive wood panelling and courgette soup coloured paintwork and Analglypta, all best appreciated on the pub’s website’s gallery; a further gallery of sorts, comes in the form a great number of framed photos of celebrities on the walls. Mid-evening on a Saturday, business was very brisk, making for quite a din, emanating from a mainly young crowd, but with some older customers, possibly theatregoers from the nearby Old Vic.
Despite the large number of pump clip faces glued to the ceiling, ale was limited with just the inevitable Pride, then Jack Frost, Southwark’s Mayflower Session IPA, sadly ‘gone fishing’ then Hophead at £5.10 a pint and on good form.
This isn’t a bad pub, certainly one of the best in the immediate vicinity, but no match for the King’s Arms up the road.
On 28th November 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Windmill
As described by JAQPTIO and Steve, below, this traditional London pub is friendly, pleasant and welcoming. The outside terrace at the front was crowded and a bit intimidating, but inside there was a good atmosphere, most of the clientele being quite young and just out for a good time. It was, if anything, a bit too noisy. Some of them seemed to be drinking peanut-butter flavoured beer from cans, which, like farting in a lift, is wrong on every level. It is still a Fuller’s pub yet has still escaped the branding. Ales on were London Pride, Fuller’s Swing Low and, Castle Rock Crafty Flanker, all in very good condition. Craft beers were Brixton Reliance, Star City Double IPA, Siren Suspended in Rakau and Bristol Beer Factory’s Milk Stout. A really good bet if in the area.
On 27th March 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Windmill
Reasonably smart two-room pub with a central servery, taken over by Fuller's but not re-branded as yet. Seating is at a premium due to the awkward furniture arrangement in both parts, but there are also some wooden benches out front. The rear wall is decorated with numerous photographs of actors from the nearby theatres. Pride, Seafarers, the seasonal Front Row (£4.60) and Castle Rock Harvest Pale as a guest available from the four handpumps on this visit. Nothing special, but it remains one of the better places in the area.
On 30th March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Windmill
The Windmill was very busy when I visited on the Thursday evening before Christmas. Thankfully I was able to fight my way through the crowds in the front bar to the back bar where it was a little quieter. I was served almost immediately by one of the attentive barmaids before making my escape to one of the picnic tables that are located under an awning at the front of the pub. It was busy out here too, but I managed to get some perching space at the end of a table. Available from the bar was a selection of standard and premium keg products alongside a lone hand pump that was drawing Sharp’s Doom bar. The background music was hardly audible over the din of conversation. I’m sure that the live music every Saturday evening is a bit louder. Sky and BT Sports are advertised. I thought this pub was OK and I would have no problem returning.
On 1st February 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Windmill
There was just Doom Bar available in here, at a fairly hefty £2.20 for a short measure half. Thai food seems to be served here with stir fries, curries, noodles, etc, all at £7.50. There are a few seats outside the pub, where there was also a stand also doing food, and with a sign saying that no outside food is to be brought inside.
Being a stone's throw from the Old Vic this would have to be regarded as a Theatre pub. The ceiling of the front bar is plastered with posters for hundreds of productions, and all the walls have (mainly black and white) photographs of actors, who presumably performed at the Old Vic. There is another room at the back, with the two rooms separated by the servery. Both rooms are bare-boarded and are furnished with some fairly standard tables combined with some banquettes and small round stools. TVs were on showing some cricket (but muted) with some low volume music being played.
I quite liked this pub. It felt like I was in a pub rather than a bar. With even a half decent ale selection I would probably visit again - but with only Doom Bar at an expensive £2.20 a half? Probably not.
On 2nd September 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Windmill
Large corner pub with not a lot of character about it, only Doom Bar on so had a half of Sierra Nevada keg, setting me back £2.70. Didn't do a lot for me here.
On 19th June 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Windmill
Good venue for sports. Large horseshoe shaped bar divides the pub.Lots of photo,s of actors adorn the walls. Nostagic. Missed the hidden pumps and only saw Brains -Scum Diddly which was decent
On 27th February 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Windmill
This large sports themed pub is part of the local Windmill Tavern group who also run the Ring and Jack's Bar near Southwark tube station and the King's Arms just around the corner from this pub. This place doesn't have the cosy, traditional feel of the King's Arms, partly due to the large, open interior. Whilst the pub has been divided into two different rooms thanks to a centrally positioned U-shaped servery and adjacent partitioning wall with doorway, there is no bar back, so you can see through from front to back. The front half has a good deal of seating in a spacious area which was reasonably well lit thanks to the large front windows. The décor is a little basic with the sports theme only really communicated by several TV screens, mostly showing Spanish football on this visit. An archway to the left of the servery allows you through to the rear part which is a bit more compact and has comfy curved banquettes running along the rear wall and more TV screens showing the same sports. It felt a bit scruffy and in need of a spruce up to me and this area was a bit gloomier thanks to less natural light finding its way here. The walls here are covered in photos, some duplicated, of famous actors, which is presumably a nod to the pub's location between the Old and Young Vic theatres. A good soundtrack played throughout our stay although I wonder if the commentary would be turned on during particular sporting events. There doesn't appear to be a proper beer garden, but there is a pretty good space to the front, partly under a nice awning, which offers picnic bench seating and seemed pretty popular.
The handpulls are hard to spot here, having been positioned behind the partitioning wall, so it's worth asking if there is any ale available. There were three options on my visit - Fullers London Pride, Gales Beachcomber and Sharp's Doom Bar - and possibly a real cider, although it was hard to see the pump clips. I tried the Beachcomber which was okay, maybe a little flat. We primarily visited to enjoy some Thai food from the extensive menu and my Massaman curry was lovely and served by a friendly waitress. Thai takeaways are also apparently available.
This is a fairly standard pub that served a purpose by providing us with a tasty meal, but I'm not sure there's enough here for me to consider visiting just for a drink. A good option if you're in the Waterloo area wanting to catch the big match, but I think I prefer the Hole in the Wall.
On 4th October 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Johnstone left this review about The Windmill
Not too bad if you can't bear the racket of the nearby fire station or the vileness of the anchor and hope! Certainly the better of the three.
On 29th April 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 98 recommendations about 98 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Windmill Tavern
The Windmill Tavern is another fairly solid but unspectacular modern décor pub on The Cut.
It’s a two room pub either side of a central serving area, with the back room being reached by an archway to the left of the bar. The enormous hanging wall mirror gives the front bar a light and airy feel and there is an outside bench area under an awning to the front of the pub.
The walls are festooned with black and white photos, of actors due to its proximity to the Old & Young Vics.
The beer choice is not brilliant, but generally has three hand pumps on the go, which usually includes Sharps Doombar..
On 16th May 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]