please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Since I last visited this pub about 2 years ago it seems to have had a makeover, and probably changed ownership, including the astro-turfing of the beer garden. They never used to do food but now they do and while basic pub grub, it is extremely good. The beer is as great as ever: I had Whitstable bay which is a nice and not too strong 'session beer'. Above all, the service was absolutely superb - up to and beyond New Zealand standards even - which is just as well as we had New Zealand visitors with us. Can't wait to go back - a great pub.
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What happened to this pub? My advice is don't bother.
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Sad to see the negative reviews - the staff and landlord/lady are some of the most customer sensitive I have ever met and would only serve regulars before strangers if the strangers had been a bit too diffident or undecided to show up on the radar. Yes they do run out of beer because when large parties descend on them the pub is not always told in advance (which is a courtesy I always extend to any pub if I have a group) and their regular clientele has diminished quite a bit as the new towers have gone up so they don't stock as high as others might. Change of management coming soon and I wonder if the standard can be maintained?
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Unspoiled proper pub, well worth a visit. My pint of Masterbrew was excellent, and only £3.25, which helped my recover from the shock of a £4.50 pint at the nearby Kings Arms!
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Was there last night. Nice garden and a friendly place. Unfortunately it ran out of beer, which as it was shepherd neame you might think was not a bad thing. However as that is the only ale it sells it was a disappointment.
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A beautiful place on the backstreets, great garden for a sunny afternoon. Excellent shepherds neame ales and cold asahi. Sounds great. Except if you go in when its busy
And the gap toothed landlady sitting at the end of the bar tells the staff to serve the regulars before the occasional punter. Sour taste left in otherwise excellent masterbrew.
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A really authentic London local. Interesting place, the last fragment of what would have been the old Victorian Paris Gardens and Colombo Street, not left marooned between rather barbaric 70s office blocks. Rugby was showing on their small and unobtrusive screen in the old public bar, and the service from smiling bar maid and chatty Landlady was excellent. Only slight downside was, as the Landlady explained, they had had a huge party in on the previous night who had cleared them out of all their fine Shepherd Neame ale, and the dray wasn’t due to Monday morning. We had a Guinness and moved on, but will most certainly return.
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Great little boozer! How pubs should be. 7/10
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Classic London pub that time forgot and all the better for it. One big bar and everyone mingling well. Recommended
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Excellent Sheperd Neame pub, beer served in good condition, staff very welcoming and friendly, large beer garden ,dose'nt open weekends
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Not the biggest pub, but inside is what a pub should be all about - traditional seating, colours & top notch Shepherd Neame ale. There's a room for hire upstairs.
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Great London boozer, with a surprisingly large beer garden. Staff very friendly, and the food at lunchtime is classic pub grub in portions big enough to stun a nutritionist. No big screen TV, no loud music, the punters are a mix of teams from the netball/tennis courts nearby, office workers, and the odd bishop (the beer garden is part of a churchyard). The beer is Shepherd Neame, which you like or you don't, but it's well kept and the seasonal beer changes about once a quarter (currently on the the ve' fine Whistable Bay; will be on Late Red soon enough).
Although it's close to Waterloo, the South Bank, the London Eye, the Globe, Tate Modern and all that stuff, the Rose and Crown feels like an out-of-the-way gem. If you're a tourist in the area and want to know why the British pub is so important to the culture, sinking a couple of beers here will explain it superbly.
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Shut on weekends...disappointing.
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planned spending a day ambling by the river but discovered this gem! well kept pint of spitfire...and the perfect place to while away an afternoon.
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Hidden away off Blackfriars Road is this example of a traditional English local; A cosy Shepherd Neame pub with Spitfire, Master Brew, Kent Best and Amber Ale on cask. Music is piped in and Sky News on the telly somewhat unneccesarily. Kent Best reasonably priced at �2.85 but something about Shepherd Neame beer, Whistable Bay excepted, just doesn't agree with me; They all seem to taste the same and it isn't a particularly flavoursome taste to boot. Nevertheless, its worth a look as its relatively unspoilt for the area and welcoming.
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I agree with most of the comments here. This is a great, hidden gem of a pub with a relaxed atmosphere and really friendly staff. For anyone who's looking for a traditional pub in London, this is perfect.
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Really nice, well run pub. Well worth going out of your way for.
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A great pub; how a SN pub should be run. Complete opposite to badly run Hoop and Grapes in Farringdon Street over the bridge.
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A really, really fine pub. As others have said, the beers are very well kept and the atmosphere is excellent. Great staff - the Scottish landlord could be a stand up comedian.
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An outstanding pub in an area blessed with good pubs. The full range of Shepherd Neame ales all served immaculately
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Best Beer in the area!
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visited recently , was ok , not a big shep neame fan. was ok but stuck to lager.
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A really splendid pub, good beer and good service.
It went through a bad patch some years ago but it's back to being the old Rosie.
(BTW anyone still drink in there from Special Branch of the SPBW?)
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Super, sunny garden. Best of British beer! Perfect Pub!
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Another from my very best of London pubs! Don't waste time reading this; head on down and enjoy!
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One of the best kept pub secrets in centrel/South London. Superb Shepherd Neame beer house;clean,friendly,swift service. Situated next to the churchyard, where benches are plentiful and beer glasses are swiftly collected, when finished with. Nicely screened area with Kentish Hop poles ands wires, supporting plants. Nice touch. Another highly recommendedpub.
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Spent a couple of hours there in their garden during the early evening in June. Good Shepherd Neame pub with very reasonable pint of Spitfire. Pleasanc little pub nestling between and hidden by office blocks.
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Popped in one wet Friday evening after stumbling accross it by accident. Found a lovely, welcoming oasis of fine Shep beers, decent BACKGROUND music and quiet music and laughter.
Will definately return soon.
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Very nice unspoilt and simple little pub with good range of SN ales.
Floyd - 18 May 2009 19:19 |
not a bad little boozer.
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Small Shepherd Neame pub which nevertheless manages to pack in most of their ale range including a seasonal (I sampled the Porter in here over Christmas).
It stands alone in the immediate vicinity, presumably because the Nazis bombed the rest of the nearby buildings during the war.
The interior is relatively unspoilt, which means that there's not much room to swing a cat, so a good place to go with a couple of friends but not a big group.
Prices are fair and the food looked decent as well. The beer quality was good too.
All in all, a good little boozer and I'd be happy to go back.
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A lovely, secretly set London pub just off Blackfriars road. Always clean, well lit and run. Cosy on a Winter's night; charming to sit outside in the Summer.
anonymous - 31 Jan 2009 12:22 |
As mentioned this is a Shepherd Neame pub so they were serving up Spitfire, Porter, Kent�s Best, Masterbrew, Oranjeboom (I can�t remember the last time I saw this), Holsten Export, Guinness and Strongbow. I�m very partial to a pint of Spitfire and I really enjoyed my couple of pints in here.
The staff are very hospitable and the pub had a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere, even though it is tiny and there wasn�t room to swing a cat. There is a small TV and the background music was very low as to not intrude on peoples conversations. There is also a selection of bar snacks and sandwiches available on request, but you wont find any infused dishes covered with jus in here.
This is a simple friendly boozer and it is fantastic!
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An excellent place, just yards from my office. Too close and too tempting far too often in fact. Our company had their Christmas lunch there, best one we've had in years. Food was fantastic. Perhaps the portions were a bit too big. Beer always in fine form. Its a great place to escape to as its off the beaten path. Nice quiet garden in the summer time to recharge with a mid-day pint and spot of lunch.
Last thing: Suited lager losers please stay away. This is a place for real people drinking real beer and having real conversation. Not a place for plastics.
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A home from home. A beer paradise, run by nice people!
anonymous - 30 Oct 2008 00:09 |
popped in while looking around area , a nice pint, very impressed
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Proper old style boozer. Excellent Shepherd Neame beer and a landlord you can have some great craic with.
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Great place, good beer, the suits hanging around the pubs on Blackfiers road don't know what they are missing!!!
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cracking little pub that keeps a good beer, serves a good lunch dishes them up in a nice friendly way. can't believe i worked round the corner for 4 years and never went in.
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Happines is this lovely little pub off the Blackfriars rd. Superb selection of S & N Beers, lovingly served up. Clean, pleasant and spotless. A London pub treasure. Mark it in your best beer book chaps?
anonymous - 25 Sep 2008 12:21 |
Superb.
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Excellent Sheps pub - decent beer, good atmosphere and somewhat 'old fashioned' (in the best sense of the phrase...).
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Masterbrew, Spitfire, Kent�s Best, Earlybird, tried the latter which was in fine condition. A compact pub arranged around a 3qtr island bar, scrubbed wood floor to the front with leather banquette seating, wood tables, padded stools & barstools, wood-panelled walls decorated with photos & prints of old London, esp river locations. Up a couple steps & around the longer narrow side of bar to an open snug-like carpetted area, a hanging board proclaims �Shepherds Retreat � Crook Bar upstairs�, dk whether that is a function room. Outside there is a mostly grassed beer garden to side & rear, somewhat overlooked by surrounding buildings. Seems popular for lunch with nearby office workers & menu includes burgers, chilli, nachos (�5-6), cod & chips (�7). Don�t know how busy it gets to support 4(!) lunchtime staff but you won�t go thirsty; I was asked 3 times whether I was waiting before I was even halfway down my pint! Traditional looking pub with good Sheps beers at �3.
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Shepherd Neame pub with the full range of SN ales on offer. I had the Kent�s Best which was excellent. This is a smallish pub with the feel of a traditional local about it. Quite a large garden (by Central London standards) which makes it very popular in the summer. The food has always been pretty good when I have eaten there, and the service has always been friendly and welcoming. Compared to some of the other places in the general area, this is a real gem.
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This is a great wee pub.
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Good old style Sheps pub.
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Lovley little boozer, warm welcome and a good pint of master brew
mrse1 - 10 Dec 2007 10:26 |
Terrific place. Visited on a warm sunny evening, post smoking ban so there were hordes of customers outdoors in the large area to the rear of the boozer. The place is evrything a pub should be - traditional, welcoming, polite speedy service, cosy and with well kept beers. The place has great character - you enter a space like this and you could only be in England. My only complaint was the music being braodcast over a cheap tinny PA system - it was hip-hop when I went in followed bizarrely by the Rubettes Greatest Hits, more hip-hop, then Led Zeppelin 4. Most of this was highly jarring to the senses and out of place given the atmosphere of the pub - the clientele didn't look the sort to enjoy rap for instance. When will landlords understand that any old noise doesn't create atmosphere?! Anyway this aside, a fine place
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Another very enjoyable visit early yesterday evening from yours truly. Spitfire on fine form.
So what if the Spitfire is 30p dearer than the Youngs in the PWH - I know which pub and which beer I prefer.
This is the type of pub that the marketing department gurus of the big pubco's would have us believe that no - one visits any more. Well don't believe it. Visit recommended if in the area, but surprisingly, not open at weekends
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First visit on friday,took a group of Aussies from work to see a " real English pub ". Nice interior,quick efficient service and good choice of ales. Pint of Spitfire is 30p dearer than an Ordinary over the road at Prince William Henry but such is life !.Location is a bit of a secret which is good as it keeps the arseholes away !.
The Aussies were suitably impressed.
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I can only agree that this is a very pleasant pub which benefits from a HUGE garden which is brilliant in the warmer months.
The staff are very efficient at serving good ales (Shepherd Neame) and lunches at reasonable prices. Well worth a visit.
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Excellent beer in cosy (and nearly always packed) bar. Tremendous lunchtime food. A classic.
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Another pleasant visit last Tuesday evening, the Sheps is a good pint in here, but no sighting of Jamelia, alas !
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Fine traditional Sheps pub just off the Blackfriars Road - well worth seeking out for its unspoilt interior and local atmosphere. You wouldn't think you were just 10 minutes walk or so from the City.
Try the Kents Best if it's on - a relatively new Sheps beer that I hadn't sampled before
Look out also for the fit black barmaid who's a dead - ringer for Jamelia - very tasty
Splendid pub - highly recommended
Surprised it doesn't open weekends at all
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This pub does not open at weekends - I mention this because you might expect it to - the nearby Prince Albert and Paper Moon do
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Decent shep's pub tucked nicely out of the way. Plenty of real ale (all shep's naturally)and a pleasant interior. Apprantly its been on the site for a couple of hunred years....nice all round.
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Fab place. Once the landlord - a Begbie type Scot - brought us round sarnies and sausage rolls from a do upstairs. They were all dog-eared and 'orrible but he offered them to the whole pub and it was the thought that counted. Then last night he put the willies up some cheap-suited Henry at the bar. Begbie spooked the prat with some ultra-aggressive Scots backchat before grinning and saying 'nah, don't worry, only joking pal'. Priceless. The Henry cacked his marketing pants. A word about the landlady too; she's proper London class. As for the locals, plenty of strawberries in the middle of the faces and saloon bar tans. I'll be back.
anonymous - 10 Mar 2006 11:41 |
Marvellous. Proper boozer tucked away round the back of the church... in fact, the beer garden is a big chunk of the churchyard... the vicar doesn't seem to mind though. Great Shepherd Neame ales and the fairly unusual Oranjeboom lager on draught. Friendly locals and staff, and good attentive service. The family who run this place clearly take a pride in their work. Good stuff.
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Nice cosy pub with decent beer and pretty good food (nice range of burgers). As was said below, at its best in the summer though when the huge beer garden comes into its own. For god's sake listen out for your name when they bring the food out though...
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Very pleasing pub with beer quality usually good if rather expensive. Good upstairs function room for small groups.
mally - 25 Mar 2005 13:26 |
Nice pub, but particularly good in the summer thanks to its implausibly large grassy beer garden - right in the middle of London.
Adrian Taylor - 23 Jul 2003 23:17 |
