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The Ram, Kingston Riverside, Kingston Upon Thames

34 High Street
Kingston Upon Thames
KT1 1HL
Phone: 02085464518

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Pub Type

Metropolitan Pub Co (Greene King)

Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Ram

This long, narrow Greene King pub can be approached either from the High Street or from the riverside path that runs along the bottom of its beer garden. The front of the pub is quite a pleasant spot, with bare floorboards, lots of dark wood and a real mixture of seating, which creates a rather warm and cosy environment, especially in the evening when it is aided by muted lighting. The bar counter is sited in this area on the left hand wall. As you move further towards the rear, the seating appears a little more formal, with plenty of banquette and padded bench seating and what I would suggest is gastro-style decor. Old photos of Kingston line the walls and music was playing softly over the speakers. Despite feeling more like the dining part of the pub, I sat myself down here and soon found the area full with people enjoying a quick drink or two.
A long and similarly narrow garden runs all the way down to the riverside path and whilst providing a decent spot for a drink in the summer months, it can get incredibly busy at times, making it all but impossible to get a seat.
There were plenty of handpulls lined up along the bar, but most of them seemed to be out of action, leaving a choice of Greene King London Glory or Rooster's Yankee. A Greene King IPA clip was turned as were three others, although there was a cider called Sun Dance on one of the remaining pumps. I tried the Yankee and found it to be in good shape, which made it a shame that there was nothing else of interest on.
It's not the most exciting pub you'll ever venture into, but there is something about this place that I can't help but like. This is probably my favourite Kingston town centre/riverside pub.

On 29th September 2011 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


John Bonser left this review about The Ram

The Ram, Kingston
Now under the ownership of Greene King, this pub, formerly part of the T & J Bernard chain, is located in the High Street on the south side of town.

The main bar area is bare boarded and features some high backed dark wooden settles and a fairly standard assortment of chairs, stools and high tables. The walls are decorated with old photos of Kingston, including the Market Place. Notably, there’s a photo dated 1952 of The Spring Grove Hotel, a Youngs pub nearby, which appears to indicate that this pub was formerly called The Ram, although the Helen Osborn book of Youngs pub history makes no mention of this. Inevitably, perhaps, there’s some pictures of rams, including a rather fierce looking “lonk ram” which, we’re told, is a hardy kind of sheep which thrives on Northern moors.

Outside, at the back, a narrowish long seating area extends down almost to the riverside. Next door to this seating area, and off the pub premises, is a smallish concreted piazza. A plaque on the riverside walk wall tells us that this site used to be Eagle Brewery Wharf, a building built in the 1870’s and where brewing continued up to 1914. By the late 1920’s, this wharf was apparently used for unloading coal. We’re also told that Eagle Brewery’s 38 tied houses were sold to Hodgsons in 1903. I presume that The Ram would once have been the Eagle Brewery tap, although, disappointingly, nothing in the pub confirms this.

There’s 8 pumps which were serving the usual range of Greene King beers – Abbott, IPA, Royal London – plus Olde Trip, Celebration Pale Ale, Ruddles County and Morlands Original. Previous reviews indicate that non - GK guest beers are often available – I’ll presume I was just unlucky, as there weren’t any on my visit. The Olde Trip – served in a plastic glass ( one of those horribly dumpy and squishy ones ) for outside drinking – was pretty good.

Kingston is not exactly endowed with decent pubs, but this one is OK for a pint or two, especially on a sunny day outside by the river.

On 9th May 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


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

Greene King pub with quite a small frontage but a rather elongated layout inside, extending back through a rear extension. Refurbished in a fairly modern style. Claims to have a "river terrace" but this is stretching things a bit - there is quite a reasonable amount of outdoor seating (some covered), but only a few tables are actually close to the river wall. Total of eight handpumps, five from the owners (including a decent pint of London Gold at £3.15) plus, unusally for the brewery, three guest ales. Also has one of those outdoor beer trolleys for the summer months that you often see in Europe, with two keg pumps (not in use when I visited).

On 17th June 2010 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Ram

I paid my first visit to this pub since it was taken over by Greene King. I was pleasantly surprised by the ale choice, and I think this largely sets it apart from most other GK pubs. The six real ales on were: GKIPA and Abbot (of course); Royal London; Beer Toons Indulgence (?); Brewsters Red Hop Lover; Old Hooky; and Slater’s Top Totty. I had the Top Totty, which was OK, at a little over £3 a pint. This pub is right on the river a stone’s throw from Kingston Bridge, with a narrow outside drinking area with a decent view over the river. Inside it’s a low-beamed single room pub, though it has clearly been extended into the smallish conservatory area at some stage. Just about every type of furnishing is represented – sofas; settles; chunky high tables/stools; normal tables and chairs. There was the usual piped music, a one armed bandit, ciggy machine, a quiz machine, TV with Sky Sports muted – but I didn’t see a cash machine. There was a fire on the go, which looked good. This remains one of the better pubs in Kingston in my opinion, and the real ale choice puts it a notch above the average as well. Definitely worth dropping in for a pint if you’re in Kingston.

On 18th February 2010 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Malden man left this review about The Ram

In tonight and sadly I have to record now a Greene King house. The only guest, Everards Tiger went straight away. An absolute travesty, a decent riverside pub now a shadow of its former self. Additionally on complaining about short measures and large foamy heads on the beer, it was due to the GAS! Would someone like to explain why gas is required for handpulled natural beer?

Rating substantially reduced. Real shame.

14 December 2008
I confess to being a little confused by some of the reviews below. I've known The Ram for a fair few years and apart from occasional slow service I've never had any problems. My visits do tend to be lunchtime or early evenings so perhaps things change later on, who knows? Anyway, I post as I find.
Enter to a squarish room, bar to one side, the seating is a mix of wooden settles and chairs to the tables around the walls, there is a central raised shelf/table with stools. A single Chesterfield sits rather oddly in the front corner nearest the bar. Through to a narrow drinking area with seating along one wall, the long covered garden is beyond and runs down to the Thames.
Wooden floors and stained wood panelling make for a fairly dark environment, the area in front of the bar has black and white mosaic tiles. A real fire burns in the grate. Two large plasmas, one on yesterday showing Sky Sports news with the football scores updating, volume at a very low level.
Seven on with a bit of a seasonal flavour; Pride, Youngs Bitter, Bateman's Rosey Nosey, Mauldon's Midwinter Gold, Wychwood Winters Troll, Hydes Rockin Robin and Theakston Old Peculiar. No problems at all with the two tried (Gold and RR).

On 26th August 2009 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]