The Southwark Tavern
Quick info
About The Southwark Tavern
The Southwark Tavern is a pub on Southwark St in London, near Tower Hill station. The bar has an oak floor, and downstairs a basement dining room with exposed brick and vaulted alcoves holds booths in the cellars. The kitchen serves fish and chips with tartar sauce and mushy peas, and roast dinners come with Yorkshire puddings. Sausage and mash and chicken schnitzel also feature on the menu. Lots of drinks are on tap, with beers and wines on offer, and a cocktail menu includes spicy margaritas. Food and drinks are ordered and paid for through an app.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingPaid street parking · Usually difficult to find a space
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, basement cellar seating, spicy margaritas cocktails and sunday roasts.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, basement cellar seating, spicy margaritas cocktails and sunday roasts.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers most often praise the friendly, quick service, with servers and bar staff described as helpful and one server said to have treated a couple like locals. Close behind are the drinks, where one diner worked through round after round of Spicy Margaritas and others mention the good beers and wines on tap. Food draws mixed reports. Praise goes to fish and chips with thin, crispy batter, chicken schnitzel, sausage and mash, spiced toffee pudding and rhubarb crumble, and the downstairs seating area gets a good word. The complaints are sharper. One group booked a cellar booth, ordered and paid through the app, and only then learned of a long food wait, followed by slow drinks, soggy batter on the fish and chips, mushy peas that were not nice, and roast pork so tough half was left. Another visitor found bar staff who made no effort to greet waiting patrons on an England World Cup night and left after one beer. The Yorkshire puddings on those roasts looked more like pancakes.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers most often praise the friendly, quick service, with servers and bar staff described as helpful and one server said to have treated a couple like locals. Close behind are the drinks, where one diner worked through round after round of Spicy Margaritas and others mention the good beers and wines on tap. Food draws mixed reports. Praise goes to fish and chips with thin, crispy batter, chicken schnitzel, sausage and mash, spiced toffee pudding and rhubarb crumble, and the downstairs seating area gets a good word. The complaints are sharper. One group booked a cellar booth, ordered and paid through the app, and only then learned of a long food wait, followed by slow drinks, soggy batter on the fish and chips, mushy peas that were not nice, and roast pork so tough half was left. Another visitor found bar staff who made no effort to greet waiting patrons on an England World Cup night and left after one beer. The Yorkshire puddings on those roasts looked more like pancakes.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“This is not the biggest, best located or oldest pub on the Southbank of the Thames. But I just get the impression that the guys managing it are trying hard to make it the best place for a casual evening drink. So go and try it out if in the area”
- Google user
“Popped in for a spot of lunch just a few minutes walk from our hotel. Had the chicken schnitzel which was delicious. A friendly atmosphere all round. (The lemon beer stuff is definitely an acquired taste. Haha!)”
- Google user
“Saw this pub in a previous review so decided to go. Has an interesting basement as highlighted in many reviews. Maybe a history I don't know about in this pub, but the service was mediocre at best. I was in when it wasn't very busy and the bar staff seemed to care-less that patrons were waiting for a beer. Maybe they were filling other orders, but they made no effort to greet any of us waiting. One of the bar staff acted like he didn't want to be there while making multiple comments. He seemed less than thrilled that it was an England World Cup game night. No smiles on faces. No friendly greetings. Wrong staff for a World Cup game day. Can't speak for the food as I didn't eat any. I drank one beer and left. I wasn't interested in staying in a unwelcoming atmosphere. I'll go to a place where the energy and vibe matches mine. Wouldn't recommend unfortunately. First and last experience here for me.”
- Google user
“Had a lovely lunch here while exploring London. Tasty food and wonderful service. In particular the server Tan went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time, which was much appreciated.”
- Google user
“Loved the fish and chips! Thin, crispy batter with thick fish, lightly salted with salt flakes. And the chips were perfect. Served with tartar sauce. The place was located perfectly between the Borough and the Tower Bridge, near the Tower Hill train station. Floyd was our server. He was so friendly and courteous, and he treated my wife and me like we were locals. I’ll definitely visit this place again when we return to London.”
Highlights
“Traditional pub with an oak-floored bar and exposed-brick basement dining room with vaulted alcoves.”
- Great beer selection
- Great wine list
- Trivia night
- Popular for solo dining
Amenities
- Paid street parking
- Accepts reservations
- Dogs allowed
- Delivery
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Show more amenities
- Food at bar
- Cozy
- Onsite services
- Beer
- Food
- Trivia night
- Offerings· 4
- Alcohol
- Cocktails
- Hard liquor
- Wine
- Parking· 1
- Usually difficult to find a space
- Highlights· 2
- Great beer selection
- Great wine list
- Crowd· 2
- Groups
- Tourists
- Popular for· 1
- Solo dining
- Facilities· 1
- Restroom
- Atmosphere· 2
- Casual
- Trendy
Location
Bars near The Southwark Tavern
- The Market Porter4.32,3970 mi£20–30ReservationsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor seating
sunday roast, pie of the day, chicken kyiv
- Bunch of Grapes4.23,3770.1 mi£20–30ReservationsWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi
sunday roast, vegan wellington, guinness
- The Old Thameside Inn4.46,0350.1 mi
riverside outdoor seating, london pride on tap, fish and chips
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Southwark TavernReservations · Takeout | 4.23,149 | — | £10–30 | fish and chips, basement cellar seating, spicy margaritas cocktails |
| The Market PorterReservations · Wheelchair accessible · Outdoor seating | 4.32,397 | 0 mi | £20–30 | sunday roast, pie of the day, chicken kyiv |
| Bunch of GrapesReservations · Wheelchair accessible · Wi-Fi | 4.23,377 | 0.1 mi | £20–30 | sunday roast, vegan wellington, guinness |
| The Old Thameside Inn | 4.46,035 | 0.1 mi | — | riverside outdoor seating, london pride on tap, fish and chips |
The 3 nearest bars by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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