Bars & Pubs

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North
Lockside Lounge
Alright, so strictly speaking it's by a canal, not a river, but in the self-conscious wackiness of Camden Market, a bar as artfully understated as the Lockside Lounge is worth championing. Granted, there’s little to engage the eye in what is essentially one long first-floor room reminiscent of a boathouse – its walls minimally decorated with modern art, a retro clock and a smattering of flock wallpaper – but it’s a decent place in which to unwind during the week (DJs turn up the volume at weekends). Draught beers include Amstel and Kronenbourg Blanc and the fridge stocks a handful of Belgian bottles, such as Mort Subite and Chimay Blue. Best in summer when drinkers and diners spill on to the canalside seating and mingle with the marketgoers.
Lockside Lounge, 75-89 West Yard, Camden Lock Place, NW1 (020 7284 0007/www.locksidelounge.com) Camden Town tube.

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East
Anchor & Hope
The Anchor & Hope is wedged on the bottom of a hill, between a housing estate and the River Lea. The lack of impressive decor is more than made up for by the hearty cheer of the red-faced locals. Its position also attracts walkers who sit quietly sucking bitter through their beards. Sports lovers might be disappointed to find the flat-screen TV is not tuned in to Sky. Aside from the standard draughts there’s the option of London Pride, ESB and a guest beer – plus bottles of Honeydew and Magners in the fridge. On warm days unwind on the fixed metal bench and table sets outside.
Anchor & Hope, 15 High Hill Ferry, E5 (020 8806 1730) Clapton rail/53, 393 bus.
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The Narrow
Mr Ramsay’s first foray into gastropub territory remains well received by Limehouse’s more moneyed residents. And it’s a good ’un. For a start, there’s plenty of space for actual drinking – the spacious bar, decked out in stylish stripes and greys, makes a fine place to indulge in quality ales (Deuchars IPA, Meantime wheat beer, London Pride) and wines (a Sancerre la Vigne Blanche perhaps?). Bottled beers include St Peter’s Organic and Wells’ Banana Bread. There are quality bar snacks (pint of prawns, scotch egg with HP, traditional ploughman’s) with not a pack of Nobby’s Nuts in sight. The excellent restaurant boasts superb Thames views, as does the sunny beer terrace.Narrow, 44 Narrow Street, E14 (020 7592 7950/www.gordonramsay.com) Limehouse DLR.

Princess of Wales
This Young’s pub isn’t exactly brimming with character but it has a wonderful lockside location on the River Lea to compensate. Sit at one of the many picnic tables and survey the vista – a seat in the conservatory does the job in bad weather. As well as standard draughts, the bar offers the likes of Bombardier and various Young’s brews – the Wells Banana Bread beer in the chiller is dangerously addictive. For entertainment, there’s a retina-popping seven-foot screen showing MTV and sport, a pool table and a dartboard. Food runs to industrial pub grub standards: roasts, lasagne with salad and chips.
Princess of Wales, 146 Lea Bridge Road, E5 (020 8533 3463) Clapton rail.

Town of Ramsgate
Though claiming to be the oldest pub on the river, the Ramsgate looks like it had a refurb in the ’70s – all patterned carpet and chunky wood tables. But it’s full of nautical bric-à-brac and the odd historic manuscript. This much-loved hostelry serves comforting burgers, roasts and beer-battered fish and chips. Equally comforting was the service – warm and welcoming when we visited on a wet Sunday afternoon. On tap you’ll find Adnams, Young’s Bitter and even Beck’s. We’ll be back when the sun’s out to take advantage of the terrace overlooking the river.
Town of Ramsgate, 62 Wapping High Street, E1W (020 7481 8000) Shadwell DLR.

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Views of the Thames from the Mayflower

South
Mayflower
If you’re looking for a relatively authentic olde worlde environment in which to sup your pint, the Mayflower, hidden in the riverside back streets, is just the ticket. Around the corner from the little-known Brunel Museum, this eighteenth-century pub is reassuringly withered and cramped yet totally charming. Seating is snuggled tight around the bar, from which Old Speckled Hen, Greene King IPA and Stella are among the options dispensed on draught. There’s a coal fire in one corner, a waterfront terrace and an upstairs dining room (steak and cheese pie). Mayflower, 117 Rotherhithe Street, SE16 (020 7237 4088/www.themayflowerpub.co.uk) Rotherhithe tube.
Ship
This great Young’s local, founded as a waterman’s inn around 1786, shines like a riverside beacon. The peaceful and relaxing front bar is ideal for reading or quiet conversation, whereas the much larger conservatory by the Thames attracts a lively mixed crowd, which means seats are always at a premium; an excellent garden overlooks Wandsworth Bridge. The pleasant dining room serves an ambitious seasonal menu that comes – like the list of entertainment (including an informal Irish session on Tuesdays) – printed on a surreal image of a sea captain with a ship for his head and fish for his hands.
Ship, 41 Jew’s Row, SW18 (020 8870 9667) Wandsworth Town rail.

Trafalgar Tavern
This landmark boozer lapped by the Thames is not as historic as it seems – its impressive Georgian appearance is actually down to a 1968 makeover – but the TT still pulls in the tourists thanks to its riverside location and nautical get-up. The beers bring in the locals (Flowers, Boddingtons, Franziskaner and Leffe) as does the food, hearty if pricey mains such as beer-battered cod and chips. Famous guests of yesteryear include Dickens who set a breakfast here in 'Our Mutual Friend'. There is a proper restaurant at the back, a dining area at the front but most are here for the simple, addictive pleasure of watching vessels glide along the Thames.Trafalgar Tavern, Park Row, SE10 (020 8858 2909/www.trafalgartavern.co.uk) Cutty Sark DLR/Maze Hill rail.

Waterfront
You have to walk around some rather soulless luxury developments to get to this huge Young’s gastropub. Inside, it feels more like a bar than a pub, decorated as it is in a mishmash of modern styles: floor-to-ceiling windows; chandeliers; centrepiece leather booths; tables of various shapes; numerous outdoor benches overlooking an unlovely stretch of the Thames. The charming staff fill time between punters by diligently polishing the optics behind a central bar that on our visit was serving on hand-pump only Young’s Bitter of the brewery’s many fine beers (there are a few more by the bottle). The wine list is reasonably priced while the food (sharing platters, smoked haddock fish cakes, marinated pork loin with puy lentils) is of a good standard too. Waterfront, Baltimore House, Juniper Drive, SW18 (020 7228 4297/www.waterfrontlondon.co.uk) Wandsworth Town rail/295 bus.

Ye White Hart
The White Hart is another big barn of a pub arranged around a central bar, but with a more homely atmosphere thanks to its dark wood decor, capacious chesterfields, fires and friendly local crowd. It’s also got a riverside balcony and tables on the towpath, which get packed out in good weather and for the Boat Race – there’s a fine view of the finishing stretch to Chiswick Bridge. Hearty pub grub with an international flavour (tempura and chilli squid alongside steak and mushroom pie and a proper Sunday roast) indicates its old-fashioned leanings, as do the well-kept Young’s ales. Good sound-proofing keeps the traffic noise to a minimum. A no-nonsense spot, and all the better for it.
Ye White Hart. The Terrace, Riverside, SW13 (020 8876 5177) Barnes Bridge rail.

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The Dove is steeped in history as well as having splendid views

West
City Barge
Located on a gorgeous stretch of the north bank of the Thames, this Fuller’s pub is not as small as it first seems. Loftier punters may have to duck their heads as they enter from the riverside into a tiny, cave-like bar. Go up the stairs to the right however, and things are a much more roomy affair, with large tables, wooden chairs, leather sofas and another bar. There is also a glass-roofed conservatory area, and tables out in the car park area at the back (complete with smoker-friendly heaters). The riverside terrace is packed out in summer. Nautical paraphernalia adorns the walls, including an old mooring charges sign. The bars offer three cask Fuller’s ales including Chiswick bitter. Good, honest pub grub is on offer as well as a decent wine list.
City Barge, 27 Strand-on-the-Green, Kew, Surrey W4 (020 8994 2148) Gunnersbury tube/rail/Kew Bridge rail.

Dove
This Fuller’s gem enjoys a lovely location on the Thames near Hammersmith Bridge. But be warned that while cosy and romantic on a chilly winter’s night (the perfect place for a date, in fact), in the summer, it and its neighbouring hostelries are packed out. The pub is divided into four distinct areas: a decent-sized riverside garden/terrace, a low-ceilinged lounge bar, a gorgeous conservatory area with vine leaves and fairy lights snaking across the ceiling, and the tiny front bar, which merits an entry in Guinness World Records. Real ales including London Pride, ESB and Chiswick are very well kept. The seventeenth-century building is also steeped in history: ‘Rule Britannia’ was penned in an upstairs room, and Charles II and Nell Gwynne once caroused here. Today, it’s mostly twenty-to-fortysomethings and couples.
Dove, 19 Upper Mall, W6 (020 8748 9474) Hammersmith or Ravenscourt Park tube.

Grand Union
Situated by a desolate stretch of the canal after which it’s named, this Fuller’s pub comes as something of a welcome surprise. The interior is both light and airy (lots of big windows, fresh flowers galore), but also cosy (fireside sofas and a snug bar down the spiral staircase). Staff are friendly and helpful in a laid-back, unfussy way. London Pride, Leffe and Hoegaarden are on tap. The excellent, if slightly pricey, menu changes daily and includes platters for sharing (we enjoyed the well-chosen charcuterie). The pub’s famous for its pies, and it is good to see the staff are still serving camel, despite Stella McCartney’s protests. A fantastic canalside terrace has plentiful seating, though the view is chiefly of the bus garage and the occasional despondent duck picking its way around floating Sainsbury’s bags. Summer barbecues and weekly film nights offer further attractions. Grand Union, 45 Woodfield Road, W9 (020 7286 1886) Westbourne Park tube.

Waterway
Right on the canal path, in view of the longboats moored along the banks, the Waterway makes good use of its location, with a decent-sized decked area out front. Inside, the bar, which is separate from the restaurant, has a sloping wood-panelled ceiling and a minimalist decor making it look a bit like a trendy Alpine ski-lodge. This vaguely continental vibe conjures up a taste for coffee as much as for beer, and you can order either, with a standard set of bottled and draught lagers, plus London Pride and Adnams on the hand pumps. The bouncer on the door, relatively uptight staff and well-dressed drinkers hint at sophistication but the fireplace and chilled music policy help keep the tone relaxed.
Waterway, 54 Formosa Street, W9 (020 7266 3557/www.thewaterway.co.uk) Warwick Avenue tube.

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A Charles Dickens favourite, the London Apprentice

Outer London
London Apprentice
The London Apprentice, just outside Syon Park, opposite Isleworth Ait, was once a favourite of Charles Dickens. Now it’s a perfect place to enjoy a drink by the river in the summer. The pub is divided into four areas: a walled riverside terrace, a convivial lounge bar, a dining area, and, upstairs, an ornately decorated river view room. Decor is a mix of the traditional and modern, with light-wood flooring and green leaf-motif wallpaper. It’s frequented by couples, families, locals of all ages and a smattering of media types from Sky’s west London offices. Its choice of real ales (Bombardier, Landlord, Tried and Tested, London Pride, Greene King IPA and Sussex) also make it a popular stop-off for the Twickenham rugby crowd.
London Apprentice, 62 Church Street, Isleworth, Surrey TW7 (020 8560 1915). Isleworth rail.

White Cross
The White Cross stands on the site of a monastery. A big, handsome boozer, it has large bay windows that offer none-closer views of the river. Crowds flock here in summer to bask on the waterfront with a cooling drink, but fires and little niches in the many rooms keep things cosy in winter. Happy staff pull pints of Young’s Special and Bombardier at the rectangular bar, or pour Pimm’s and lemonade. At weekends, book a table if you fancy trying some of the traditional pub nosh.
White Cross, Water Lane, Richmond, Surrey TW9 (020 8940 6844). Richmond tube/rail.

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