Bermondsey area guide

Walk along the Thames or hit Bermondsey Street and find the best restaurants, bars, pubs and things to do

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Once an important part of London’s river trade, Bermondsey sat derelict for several decades, until the area’s wharves were renovated in the 1980s. Now its a lively part of town, with some exceptionally good restaurants and coffee houses, although they can sometimes be a bit tricky to find. Bermondsey also has plenty of excellent bars and pubs, usually packed to the brim with visitors and regulars. Bermondsey can turn Londoners into tourists: The Scoop in particular attracts both out-of-towners and locals to its free quality events.

What are your favourite Bermondsey haunts? Let us know in the comments.

The best bits of Bermondsey

What to eat at Druid Street Market

What to eat at Druid Street Market

There’s a new market in town and it’s making us drool. Druid Street Market launched in July, and is strolling distance from nearby Maltby Street and Bermondsey...

Restaurants in Bermondsey

Zucca
Restaurants

Zucca

  • 4 out of 5 stars

A couple of pumpkins on the open kitchen counter reference the restaurant’s name and provide a touch of warmth to Zucca’s super-sleek interior. Gentle...

José
Restaurants

José

  • 4 out of 5 stars

José Pizarro (formerly co-founder and head chef of Brindisa) has done a fine job here of creating a very genuine, slightly rustic local Spanish bar. The decor...

The Maltings Café
Restaurants

The Maltings Café

  • price 1 of 4

The Maltings Café is a delightful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Located on the south side of the Tower Bridge in London, this chic, chilled...

La Grotta Ices
Restaurants

La Grotta Ices

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • price 1 of 4

Kitty Travers’ tiny ice cream van is an unassuming vehicle for a range of unusual ices, with flavours that defy all conventions. She can usually be found...

Bermondsey highlights

HMS Belfast
Attractions

HMS Belfast

  • 4 out of 5 stars

Europe's largest cruiser from WWII, HMS Belfast is now a floating naval museum, a landmark on the Thames near Tower Bridge, with its nine huge decks, including...

White Cube Bermondsey
Art

White Cube Bermondsey

Catch an exhibition for free at White Cube, with its blocky Berlin-style exterior and bright, white interior. 

The Scoop
Things to do

The Scoop

An outdoor ampitheatre poistioned in between London and Tower Bridge, The Scoop plays host to all manner of activities and entertainment - from daily get fit...

Bars and pubs in Bermondsey

Hide Bar
Bars and pubs

Hide Bar

  • 4 out of 5 stars

The Hide Bar has ridden out the credit crunch with aplomb, filling to the gills from Thursdays onward with nine-to-fivers happy to be sinking quality mixed...

Woolpack
Bars and pubs

Woolpack

  • 3 out of 5 stars

The Woolpack is a down-to-earth alternative to the Garrison opposite, even if its website witters on about ‘unwinding in the heart of bohemian Bermondsey’. The...

Mayflower
Bars and pubs

Mayflower

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

Dating back to 1620, the Mayflower certainly looks the part: appearing suddenly along the Thames path, its white and black-timbered frontage set with...

Boot & Flogger
Bars and pubs

Boot & Flogger

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

‘JHn. Davy Free Vintner’ reads the sign on the wall of an empty Borough side street, above an 071 number. It may as well read ‘Southwark 1184’ for all the...

The perfect weekend in Bermondsey

Love London Awards: last year’s winners

José
Restaurants

José

  • 4 out of 5 stars

José Pizarro (formerly co-founder and head chef of Brindisa) has done a fine job here of creating a very genuine, slightly rustic local Spanish bar. The decor...

The Watch House
Restaurants

The Watch House

A coffee house and café serving artisan roasts, sandwiches and salads. 

Maltby Street Market
Shopping

Maltby Street Market

During the summer of 2010, a quiet bubble of gastronomic intent was swelling under the railway arches in Bermondsey. This unlikely south-east London backwater...