Tipples on The Thames – London’s Best Riverside Pubs
If, like us, you’ve melted recently in the scintillating sun – and we’re talking like the 4-pack of Magnums you foolishly forgot in the boot of your car after a trip to Aldi on a day comparable only to the core temperature of the sun – then we feel your pain.
Fact: Londoners love to moan about the lack of sun – it’s either that or they love to partake in wafty chat about the spate of drizzle that had hardly any impact on their lives simply to avoid actual conversation. But, it seems that the only way to offset the very thing we desperately yearn for throughout most of our grey-skied lives is to drink – and what better way to do so than by perching on, or chilling next to, The River Thames.
So, here are our top 5 watering holes to cool you down in this incessant heat…
1) Tattershall Castle
As you sit, beer in hand on the deck of the Tattershall Castle, humming sea shanties to the soporific sound of water against the boat, it’s hard not to revel in London’s most iconic sites. With the London Eye and Westminster Bridge quite literally a stone’s throw away, the Tattershall Castle is the perfect venue for an evening drink in the sun or, if you’re feeling it, a heavy Saturday night until 3am.
2) Mayflower Pub
Travel east towards the mouth of the River Thames, “all right geeza”, to the suburban stillness of Rotherhithe and there’s a pub steeped in history and full of beer. Rumour has it that Captain Christopher Jones moored his ship, The Mayflower, here back in 1620 before sailing from Plymouth to Cape Cod. Not only are the drinks worthy of a singsong but the food will also leave you feeling more British than ‘pie ’n mash’ itself.
3) Tamesis Dock
Similar to the Tattershall Castle, the Tamesis Dock by Vauxhall feels more like a bar than a pub. That said, the drinks flow faster than the Ganges and the dance floor feels wobblier than jelly on a plate, but that could be a result of the myriad of drinks on offer. It doesn’t quite have the views of Embankment but nevertheless, standing on top deck with a G&T and your friends doesn’t get much better.
4) Bar & Co
Up the road from the Tattershall Castle is the “Party Boat rocking the Thames.” Bar & Co. claims to be the hidden gem of the Thames, hosting copious nights of antics to the backdrop of the OXO tower and the Houses of Parliament. As The Mavericks once famously sang back in ‘98, you’ll ‘just wanna dance the night away’.
5) The Dove
Head west to Hammersmith, or more specifically to The Dove, and you’ll find an idyllic pub that has stood its ground since the 17th century. The view over the Thames is quite simply wondrous; even Charles II is rumoured to have wined and dined his mistress, Nell Gwynne here. Whether it’s winter by the fire or summer out on the deck, seek solace and have a chinwag with your loved ones in the comfort of this fascinating Fuller’s pub.