A few Thursdays ago a party of members from CAMRA’s South East London branch set out to explore the current delights of Waterloo, visiting some old stalwarts and some new developments. As a branch, we are happy to visit both traditional premises and equally young hip hangouts.
The meeting place was the new BrewDog site in Waterloo Station. Arranged over two floors in a modern building, complete with a bowling alley, an ice cream van and a slide. Yes! A slide from one floor to the other. I wonder how many inebriated people have got stuck… It was very busy with both an after-work crowd and a few families. The price of £7.00 plus a pint does not appear to put off customers; one could wonder if there was a cost of living crisis.
Swiftly moving on, the Hole in the Wall, just outside Waterloo station, is a classic pub in a railway arch, possibly the original arch venue? It has been going for decades and has always been a stalwart real ale outlet. It has one comfortable small bar on the left as you go in and a larger area at the back. It was good to see a varied crowd and the building still has not been overly spruced up.
Next was the Wellington a large Fuller’s pub which wasn’t too busy but had music and loads of screens showing football; we didn’t stay that long.
A walk into Lower Marsh took us to Vaulty Towers (yes; that is correct!) (SE1 7RG). There was a mixed crowd, mainly youngsters, and we had the best pint on this crawl (Harvey’s Best).
This place is very quirky and stylish with a bare-boarded interior, a pink cave, a cloud table, a grotesque area, camouflaged hides, a pair of giant hands and many other features to feast the eyes on. There is also a cellar bar. Well worth a visit!
We had a bit of time so we retired to the Stage Door just behind the Old Vic in a quiet side street. This had a decent selection of beer (Landlord and Purity). It also has a roof terrace but, being autumn, we didn’t make use of it. It’s a worthwhile visit if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Waterloo. Otherwise, the area has a good selection of places of refreshment, patronised by all ages.
Ian White